TimeSplitters

About

TimeSplitters is a first-person shooter that bounces between nine distinct time periods from 1935 to 2035. Players pick from two characters per level to complete missions that involve grabbing a target object and escaping while fending off waves of relentless mutant enemies. The single-player campaign leans into its sci-fi action roots with straightforward gunplay and a focus on quick movement. Split-screen and co-op modes let up to four players team up or compete in the same chaotic environments, balancing teamwork and self-preservation as objectives shift mid-match. The game’s Arcade mode stands out as a flexible multiplayer hub offering six competitive formats and support for bots, making it adaptable for solo practice or local showdowns. A level editor lets players build custom maps using pre-designed tiles and tweak lighting or item placements, a rarity for its time. Though released in 2000, TimeSplitters carved a niche with its blend of era-specific settings and persistent threat of endless enemies, earning a cult following that still discusses its forward-thinking split-screen design and modding tools.

Storyline

Taking place at nine fictional locations between 1935 and 2035, the story follows 18 characters' individual attempts at defeating their own foes and the "TimeSplitters" with whom they have sided. In each level, the player can choose from one of two characters specific to each mission, and must kill enemies as they move through the level to retrieve an object and then carry that object to the exit portal. After a player picks up the object, TimeSplitters, evil mutant creatures, spawn endlessly throughout the level and attack the player.