Multiplayer Modes
Continued from page 1
Multiplayer and the arcade mode are the main attractions in TimeSplitters: Future Perfect and there are a ton of options and game types to pick from. Along with standard deathmatch, team deathmatch, and capture the flag (bag) modes there are several not so standard modes. Assault has one team defending a base while the other team tries to invade it. Zones puts a number of control points on a map and teams get points for holding zones for a certain period of time. There is even a mode called monkey assistants where a group of monkeys appear on the map and help out the person in last place. Other modes include virus, shrink, and thief but they aren’t quite as fun as the other game types. You can customize the weapons, bot difficulty, and anything and everything else you could want in all of the various game types. There are hundreds of different ways to play Future Perfect and it is definitely the most fully featured multiplayer games on the Xbox.
So ... How Does It Play?
Future Perfect features 1-4 player splitscreen multiplayer along with 1-16 player system link and Xbox Live play. The game is at its best when playing against 15 other human opponents, of course, but even if you don’t have Xbox Live it is still a thrill to throw some bots into your multiplayer deathmatches in order to get that fast paced, twitch shooting experience that you can only get from a room with a full roster. The wealth of game types and customization features ensure that you can play Future Perfect for many months to come and never see the same scenario twice. A great feature of the game is that you can upload your custom maps on Xbox Live for the rest of the world to enjoy, so as long as there are dedicated mapmakers out there the online multiplayer mode should stay pretty busy for a long time. EA’s servers have been pretty inconsistent in the first couple of weeks that the game has been out, but expect that to improve. Overall, the multiplayer experience is what made the TimeSplitters series a success in the first place and Future Perfect is a great example of why. This is one of the best multiplayer games on the Xbox.
Graphics and Sound
Graphically, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect doesn’t have quite the same level of polish and detail as some other Xbox FPS, but it still looks good overall. The cartoony character models have been toned down for a more realistic look (still pretty cartoony, though) and it is definitely an improvement. The environments also look good and have a fair amount of detail, but nothing is really jaw dropping.
The sound is also pretty good. The story mode features a ton of dialogue and the voice actor for Cortez does a great job. Also, each of the 150 characters in multiplayer has a line they say when you select them and they all sound pretty good. A lot of the humor in the game depends on sound and Free Radical did a good job of making sure everything sounds just like it should.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for a new first-person-shooter or are already a fan of the TimeSplitters series, TS: Future Perfect is definitely worth picking up. While the gameplay won’t blow you away compared to other recent FPS, it is still very solid and a lot of fun. This game features a ton of modes and game types and unlockables and just plain stuff to do so it will keep you busy for a long time with both single and multiplayer. This game is huge and because of the sheer amount of stuff in it I think it is worth a purchase. The mapmaker, multiplayer customization options, and online play ensure that this is a game you will likely still be playing months from now so I think $50 for all this is a pretty fair trade.
