Timesplitters 2
About Timesplitters 2
From the archive
This is the original PS2Home fact sheet for Timesplitters 2, preserved from the early-2000s archive. Details reflect the PAL release as catalogued at the time.
Official fact sheet
TimeSplitters 2 is adrenalized adventure through time to save mankind?s future from the grasp of an evil race seeking to end it all. Operating in periods of past and future history, the TimeSplitters have hidden crystal shards that power a time portal device which allows them to travel through time and corrupt mankind?s fate.
The only way to stop the TimeSplitters evil plot is to pursue them into the portal and recover the nine crystals before they are lost forever. In control of a space marines that has infiltrated the TimeSplitters ship teetering on the edge of space and time, leap into the unknown, track down the crystal and eliminate the TimeSplitters with as much prejudice as you can muster!
- Deeply involved single player and co-operative story modes are delivered through a complex narrative with multiple objective-based episodes and superbly animated cut-scenes.
- The game engine has been extensively upgraded to accommodate bigger environments and special graphical effects while staying true to the distinctively smooth, break-neck paced action that TimeSplitters is known for.
- Nine time traveling episodes, each with their own distinct graphical style and mission objectives spanning time periods as diverse as lush jungles of Aztec temples, the gangster-ridden 1920?s Chicago, Neo Tokyo 2019 and a Robot Factory in cold space, all set to an outstanding musical score themed around each level.
- A vast variety of weapons to choose from, ranging from crossbows and blowguns to flamethrowers and laser pulse rifles.
- Over 90 characters and enemies, featuring the original cast, some of their ancestors and new renegades and lunatics that you?ll want and need to eliminate!
- Multiplayer mayhem is back, extending carnage possibilities with link support allowing multiple consoles to be joined together. Delivers the most exhilarating experience you?ll get from your console!
- Customizable multi-player mode, scenarios including death match, capture-the-bag, escort, last stand, and much more.
- Enhanced combat effects; screen shake, dramatic lighting, more reactive character hit animations all make for some serious hot-leaded action.
- The massively enhanced Mapmaker has been greatly enhanced allowing the truly hardened gamers with the ability to create their own ?story levels? as well as killer death match scenarios.
TimeSplitters 2 was a fast, irreverent first-person shooter from Nottingham-based developer Free Radical Design, published in Britain by Eidos Interactive. It followed the 2000 PlayStation 2 launch game with a much fuller campaign, a substantial co-operative mode, a remarkably deep local multiplayer suite and a map editor that could produce both competitive arenas and objective-based story missions. Its mixture of science fiction, historical settings, horror imagery and broad comedy made it one of the most distinctive shooters of the PS2 era. The UK PAL version was released on Friday, 18 October 2002, not 1 November, which was the European GameCube release date.
Story and setting
The story begins in the year 2401, during humanity’s war against the TimeSplitters, a hostile race able to travel through time. Sergeant Cortez and Corporal Hart are sent to a TimeSplitter-controlled space station to recover the Time Crystals that power a time portal. The crystals are scattered through history, forcing Cortez to pursue them through a sequence of missions set across different periods and locations.
The campaign used its time-travel premise to move between a Siberian military installation, 1920s Chicago, an Aztec setting, a haunted environment, a Wild West town, NeoTokyo and futuristic science-fiction locations. The tone changed with each era, borrowing from war films, westerns, horror and science fiction while keeping the story deliberately pulpy. It was not a character-led drama, but the animated cut-scenes, distinctive villains and constantly changing settings gave the otherwise straightforward plot plenty of personality.
How it played
TimeSplitters 2 was built around objective-based first-person shooting rather than simple corridor combat. Each of the ten main story levels provided a series of tasks, such as infiltrating a facility, rescuing a captive, destroying equipment, collecting a Time Crystal or escaping through a portal. Difficulty affected more than enemy strength: higher settings added objectives and made the routes through levels more demanding.
The weapons ranged from pistols, rifles and shotguns to explosives, a crossbow, flamethrower and stranger period-specific tools. Health and armour were separate resources, while the Temporal Uplink provided a map and useful information about the current area. The campaign could be completed alone or with a second player in split-screen co-operative play. Challenge events and Arcade League competitions added short, score-based scenarios, with medals unlocking characters, options and other extras.
Multiplayer and MapMaker
Multiplayer was the game’s defining strength. Arcade mode supported up to four players on one PlayStation 2 with a Multitap, alongside computer-controlled opponents and a broad selection of rules. Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Bag and BagTag were joined by modes such as Virus, Shrink, Flame Tag, Thief, Vampire, Regeneration and Monkey Assistant. Weapons, bots, teams, scoring and time limits could all be adjusted, giving the mode unusual longevity for a console shooter released in 2002.
The PS2 version also supported console-link multiplayer through i.Link and LAN connections, with contemporary reports describing matches for up to 16 players across linked systems. That was not internet multiplayer. Eidos had originally announced an online component, but removed it before release because the necessary infrastructure was not ready. The MapMaker was another major feature, allowing players to assemble levels from preset rooms and tiles, place weapons and enemies, and add objectives for custom Arcade or story-style missions.
Reception
TimeSplitters 2 was received very strongly, particularly for its multiplayer, speed, visual variety and amount of content. GameSpot awarded the PlayStation 2 version 8.7 out of 10 and described it as potentially the best split-screen multiplayer-focused first-person shooter of its time. IGN gave it 9.2 out of 10, praising its customisation, multiplayer options, rewards and overall polish. Official PlayStation 2 Magazine UK awarded it 10 out of 10, while the PS2 version recorded a 90 Metascore from 33 critics.
The reservations were consistent. Reviewers found the story thin and the characters difficult to care about, and several noted that the absence of true online play was disappointing as the PS2 Network Adaptor was becoming more important. A contemporary Independent review listed the game at £39.99 and considered the story mode less important than the multiplayer. That judgement has broadly held up: the campaign is enjoyable and replayable, but the competitive modes and MapMaker are what made the game a lasting favourite.
Versions and legacy
The British PAL release carried an ELSPA 15+ rating; PEGI 16 is also recorded for the European release. The PAL PS2 disc uses product code SLES-50877, contains English voices and multilingual menus, and needs approximately 246KB of space on an 8MB PlayStation 2 memory card. The US version arrived on 8 October 2002, while the European PS2 and Xbox versions followed on 18 October. The European GameCube version arrived later, on 1 November.
TimeSplitters 2 remains one of the clearest examples of the PS2’s local multiplayer culture: quick to understand, technically accomplished and full of unlockable oddities. It was followed by TimeSplitters: Future Perfect in 2005. The original Xbox version was made backwards compatible on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in 2021, and a PS2 Classic version arrived on PS4 and PS5 on 20 August 2024. That modern release remains offline, but preserves the campaign, co-op and local multiplayer that defined the original.
Screenshots (17 Aug-2002)
Artwork
Videos
Frequently asked questions
Did TimeSplitters 2 have online multiplayer on PlayStation 2?
No. Internet multiplayer was planned and publicly discussed during development, but Eidos removed it before launch. The finished PS2 game supported local split-screen play and linked-console multiplayer through i.Link or LAN connections.
What is the correct UK release date for TimeSplitters 2?
The PAL PlayStation 2 version was released in the UK and wider Europe on 18 October 2002. 1 November 2002 was the European GameCube release date.
Are there regional differences between the UK and US versions?
The UK version is the PAL release with product code SLES-50877, English voices and menus in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. The US version arrived earlier and carried an ESRB Teen rating; the Japanese PS2 release used the title Time Splitter: Invaders of History and removed the MapMaker.
Can TimeSplitters 2 be played on modern consoles?
The original Xbox version is backwards compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. A PS2 Classic version is also available for PS4 and PS5, released on 20 August 2024, with offline play and local multiplayer rather than internet support.
Is the original UK PS2 release rare?
There is no authoritative rarity classification for the standard PAL copy. Ordinary used copies are regularly seen, although complete, exceptionally clean or sealed examples can attract higher prices than loose discs.
