TimeSplitters: Future Perfect

About TimeSplitters: Future Perfect

Free Radical Design delivered TimeSplitters: Future Perfect in March 2005 for Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube. This third entry follows Sergeant Cortez after his ship crash lands on future Earth. You play as a time-traveling marine hunting masked enemies and the alien TimeSplitters race. The story moves backward through history to stop their creation. It is a fast-paced shooter that relies on chaotic levels and wacky weapons rather than a serious narrative. Players jump between different eras while maintaining the series' signature humor and frantic action style throughout the campaign and multiplayer modes.

Gameplay

You run through linear levels shooting everything in sight with an arsenal of bizarre guns. The movement feels weighty yet responsive, letting you strafe around corners or slide under obstacles. Each mission requires clearing rooms of enemies before unlocking the next area or finding a time portal. You can play solo as Cortez or team up with a friend in split-screen co-op. The multiplayer mode offers classic deathmatch and capture the flag scenarios that feel snappy and balanced. Controls are straightforward but allow for skilled maneuvers like wall jumps and rapid weapon switching. Sessions often last twenty minutes per level, forcing you to master timing and aim rather than strategy.

What Players Think

Critics loved this one back in the day with a Metacritic score of 84 out of 100. IGDB lists it at 82.6 based on over a hundred ratings from real users. PlayPile data shows players spend an average of nine hours finishing the campaign, though completion rates drop significantly for those who skip the harder difficulties. Community moods lean heavily toward nostalgic fun and chaotic energy. Users frequently cite the split-screen multiplayer as the peak experience. Review snippets often mention the sheer variety of weapons and the lack of a serious tone compared to other shooters. The game holds a steady 4.5 star rating among long-time fans who still run custom servers.

PlayPile's Take

This is worth picking up if you have a second controller for local co-op sessions. The $20 price point on modern digital stores makes it a bargain for the amount of content inside. You will earn about twenty achievements that track your kills and time runs, which adds replay value after beating the story. It lacks the polish of newer titles but offers something fresh with its time-travel premise and silly weapon designs. Skip this if you prefer narrative depth or competitive online lobbies. The split-screen mode remains the highlight for anyone wanting to play with friends in the same room without needing a subscription service.

Storyline

The game begins in 2401 when the space marine, Sergeant Cortez, is leaving the space station that he destroyed at the end of TimeSplitters 2. His ship crash lands on the future Earth and two fellow marines greet him. Sergeant Cortez follows his squad of marines through the valley and battles unknown masked figures and TimeSplitters. Cortez is then tasked with following the signatures in the past by time travel thought to be caused by the TimeSplitters. He then goes on a mission to go back in time to find a way to stop the TimeSplitters race from being created.