When Rare was acquired by Microsoft back during the beginning of the GameCube era, fellow UK studio Free Radical stepped in and released TimeSplitters 2 on the new Nintendo system within the same year.
It looked, played and felt like a Rareware first-person shooter and that's because Free Radical was founded by former Rare employees who were all involved in the development of GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark on the Nintendo 64. One of the co-founders included Steve Ellis, who is credited as a co-creator of the TimeSplitters IP.
In an interesting development, Ellis has now joined THQ Nordic, following Deep Silver's acquisition of the TimeSplitters IP last August. The plan? To "plot the future course" for the series. Here's the announcement from THQ's latest financial report:
Last year Deep Silver acquired the much-loved TimeSplitters IP. We’re delighted to announce that one of the series’ creators, Steve Ellis, has joined us to help plot the future course for this franchise.
TimeSplitters 2 was a multiplatform release and was followed by TimeSplitters: Future Perfect in 2005. A fourth entry in the series never saw the light of day and Ellis even said in 2013 he didn't think it would happen.
While we wait for Steve to plot the future course for this franchise, tell us in the comments if you would be interested in revisiting TimeSplitters and if you think there's a chance of a new entry appearing on a Nintendo platform.
[source gematsu.com]
Comments 40
Great to hear there is a future course at all!
Timesplitters: past perfect
Timesplitters: future past
Timesplitters: past future.
I've already sorted it.
Timesplitters: Days of Futures Past
I am hoping that the first three games are all remastered and released on the Switch while they work on whatever the next installment in the franchise is.
Perhaps TimeSplitters: Future's Future
As long as it's future isn't a triple A money sink then it's all good.
Hey THQ Nordic, give us a polished HD version of TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (complete with the level builder and local multiplayer) and I'm on board with you handling the future of the series. I love the series and really appreciate how gameplay/performance was the focus while the simpler stylized graphics set it apart from the gritty FPS's of the time.
I loved Timesplitters.
Make it come back to Switch, level editor and all.
This could be THE game for Switch!
really excited for what they have planned. this was the only shooter i played growing up, and my big bro was in love with the series. best of luck to its future!
Start with a full remake of 2, that will keep me happy at least.
I was thinking about this game recently whilst playing Paladins (a far inferior FPS). How I miss those days of shooting up enemies and make them limp or make 'm do all kinds of funny movements. Or those crazy difficult co-op missions. Man, that was a one of a kind game
I can't wait to play Timesplitters Pluperfect Past Participle of the Contraction 2!
I really just want Timesplitters 2 on Switch running at 60fps, with the minigames included! Don't care much what the resolution is. If they can only get it up to 720p or 600p, that's fine as long as it's locked at 60. Future Perfect is great too, but I really want those multiplayer mini games from 2! A new game would be fun also. Actually I really like the first one too. It drops frames on PS2, so maybe we could get the ultimate version on Switch with it running locked at 60 at a higher resolution.
Quick and simple suggestion:
Step 1: release a HD trilogy for time splitters
Step 2: blow us away with the best FPS ever created
Time Banana Splitters. It's Overcooked meets DK64 multiplayer.
TimeSwitchers: Future Split
Such lovely news to wake up to. I adore the two GC titles. Here’s hoping for an updated more of the same game.
@Rhaoulos nailed it!
I remember playing Timesplitters on the PS2 so much that the console burned out and I had to buy a new one (true I think me and a friend played it for about 4 days straight), had to take the console apart to get the disc out
so I guess the fan remakes arent happening anymore?
I.E Timesplitters Rewind
@liveswired
„Timesplitters: past perfect
Timesplitters: future past
Timesplitters: past future.
I've already sorted it.“
You forgot:
Timesplitters: Simple Past
&
Timesplitters: Future Progressive
Yes! It finally sounds like something might happen! Of course, this would be in the extremely early stages, but still...
Those score attack mini games kept me coming back time and time again, as did the level builder from TS3. We need a remastered trilogy! THQ Nordic, you need to shake that money maker!
I’m all onboard with a remastering of the first three, played very little of the first one. I think what I’d like the most tho is for just a multiplayer overhaul with all of the multiplayer maps, guns, music, and characters from the first 3. Have 3s gunplay, 2s graphics(yes I like the chunky more cartoon look better) and 2s goofy ai that would leap forward and spring into action, and 1...well just bring forth anything from 1s multiplayer.
This right here is my favorite FPS of all time. It’s quite telling that a dormant franchise for so long can still churn up so much love from a significant number of people. Wishes really do come true.
Time Splitters 2 is still my favorite FPS. Very unique and a great evolution to Golden Eye and Perfect Dark. Hopefully they can capture some of the magic with whatever they are working on now.
HD remake of Time Splitters 2 and 3 first, then make something new... please!! It was my favorite couch-coop/multiplayer FPS
Time to Split!
100s of levels in a variety of different styles with 100s of player characters.
Man, I loved how I could unlock everything in TS 1,2 and 3, without a SINGLE in-app purchase.
....
....... this one's doomed..
Man, FREE RADICAL was such an awesome team. TIMESPLITTERS was the real successor to GOLDENEYE 64 and PERFECT DARK. Forget PD:ZERO. Everytime I think about their cancelled BATTLEFRONT game a little bit of hope is lost inside of me..... xp
Awww yeah, it's time to spl-! Uhhh... Gotta go...
@vanYth Beat me to the verb tense riffs. Dang it! 😅
I grew up playing DOOM and Duke Nukem 3D on PC... then Goldeneye and Turok on 64... the last FPS series I enjoyed was TimeSplitters on GameCube... which I played co-op, with cheats.
I would LOVE a proper reboot of TimeSplitters with split-screen co-op... however, the FPS market is tough these days and may not do well on Switch... but TimeSplitters would make the most sense.
An HD triliogy would be great. Timesplitter's 2 was my favourite of the three and likely most people's....
THQ Nordic, continuing to be best in the business of resurrecting long dormant franchises for today's audience. If only other publishers cared about their past properties as much...
Oh, man, I simply LOVE this kinda stuff happening. Here's hoping it's going to be really good, and a worthy successor to the previous games.
And like some other people already mentioned, I wouldn't mind some HD remakes of the original titles to get back into the series again, so here's hoping they themselves will also realize that this might be a very good idea to start with...
@Magician - Do Vexx next!
Also, Timesplitters: Post Past Future Foward
Who's in charge of this franchise is just so confusing. Free Radical is made up of former Rare employees. The publisher of the first two games was Eidos Interactive but then EA published the third game. Free Radical was then bought out by Crytek who wanted to make a fourth installment but never bothered because they didn't think the demand existed. But then the rights belong to THQ Nordic now?
In all honesty, even if this game were developed, I think it would be impossible for it to even resemble anything like the earlier installments.
@Doktor-Mandrake If you followed the news it was looking slim that Rewind would release multiple people left the project as well as a total change of direction from a free online multiplayer game to a paid game that includes all the content from all 3 games.
Yes please! I have fond memories of connecting multiple PS2s using FireWire cables and playing TS2
Not expecting nothing. This games right have been tossed around so much and nothing has been done I am very skeptical.
@Doktor-Mandrake sweet Spaced reference brother!
I've just been hoping for re-releases of these games, but now we're talking sequels? What a time to be alive!
Loved these games; ‘just’ bought 2 for my GC-enabled Wii. This news makes me wanna fire it up again...
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