Lawrence.com

Timesplitters debuted on the Dreamcast to an overwhelmingly positive reception. Developer Free Radical is comprised of several ex-Rare minds, the makers of the critically acclaimed Goldeneye and Perfect Dark for the N64. That influence is obvious when playing the entire Timesplitters series. Now in its third try for multiple consoles under the push of publisher EA, is Free Radical's Future Perfect a multiplayer gem?

The short answer to that is yes and no. Yes, because TFP delivers a madhouse of multiplayer modes, over 150 characters to play as and unlock and a deep stat tracking element. No, because every multiplayer mode available isn't anything new and the wealth of unlockables are merely novelties. Yes, because the inclusion of bots can extend the single player experience with tons of solo objective games. No, because, sticking to its archaic roots, there still isn't a jump button to augment vertical multiplayer maps, an absolute no-brainer when it comes to current multiplayer gaming. Yes, because the campaign is the best Timesplitters story yet. No because that doesn't say much and the "let's make fun of ourselves" comedy angle seems pretty stale. Yes, because you can create your own maps and share them online given the appropriate console. No, because arbitrary memory limitations don't allow for very big maps.

The campaign starts in traditional TS fashion by sending our charming hero Cortez on time traveling adventures to the 1900s, 60s, 90s and 2200s to prevent a battle with unknown forces from ever happening. Although much of the comedy was more miss than hit, Cortez runs into himself all the time and these sequences are the most amusing of the short campaign. You'll usually find yourself eventually playing the role of the other Cortez you just saw a few minutes ago. These sequences are tied to minor lock 'n key type puzzles, serving to add a little variety to the fast-paced shoot-em-up. To get the most out of the campaign, you must play cooperatively with a friend. Good times.

With the 150 unlockable characters you get from the single player campaign and mini games, you can either adopt their strengths and weaknesses or make all characters have the exact same abilities, to level the playing field, making the game specifically about who can aim and evade better. The Deathmatch and capture the flag (bag, here) type variants are all familiar. The best gametype variants include Virus, where your health meter is constantly draining and the only way to stay alive and get more on your meter is to kill, kill, kill. It's a pretty cool turn-based variant when playing with friends. When not playing with friends, kill-type games are the best with bots, since their level of difficulty can be adjusted according to your skill level. Unfortunately for objective games, the bots don't seem to work better as a team as you take on better difficulties. This, of course, is due to how much harder it is to program AI that thinks rather than AI that just gets better at aiming. Still, what's there can be a lot of fun in small doses, but won't win you over your favorite FPS.

The control is tighter than ever, resembling the aiming accuracy of Halo. The weapons are responsive, powerful and varied and do well in creating a rock, paper, scissors sort of balance. However, the character movement still seems like you're moving on a rail system.

Most of the multiplayer levels are fairly well designed with multiple routes to get to objectives and bottlenecks that aren't too restrictive. In fact, while not as pretty, many of these maps trump the maps that Halo 2 shipped with regard to layout and creativity.

The graphics aren't too impressive. The lighting and shadowing is substandard and everything looks like it was ported straight from the previous efforts, with no attempt to push the boundaries of the consoles. While most of the game blazes a trail at 60 frames per second, there are spots of slowdown with explosions and many people on screen. None of this really gets in the way of enjoyment, however. The sound is also pretty average. The dialogue can be funny and the voice acting fits. There is a lack of environmental sound effects or hints that a character is coming up behind you. While not a terrible thing, it sure encases Future Perfect as an arcade-ish shoot-em-up rather than a serious shooter to hone your skills for a tournament.

Future Perfect seems pretty late to the party and a little rusty at first. But looking past its average exterior will still open up a robust multiplayer component that you can take online with the PS2 and Xbox version and spend plenty of hours in mindless fun. And hey, we all need a little of that now and then, right?

PS2, Xbox

Graphics: C+

Sound: C+

First Play: B

Last Play: B

Gameplay: B

Overall: 83% B

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Gamecube

Graphics: C+

Sound: C+

First Play: B

Last Play: C-

Gameplay: B-

Overall: 77% C