TimeSplitters has always been the most fun First Person Shooter series around.  Smooth graphics, fun characters, really fast action.  TimeSplitters 2 has to be my favorite shooter ever.  Needless to say that I was looking forward to this finally being online.

Well, the online portion is the reason why this game exists.  In terms of how the game looks and plays, it's just like it's predecessor, TimeSplitters 2.  This in not a bad thing by any means.

So, the first question is, how is the online?  It's a mixed bag.  When the games are fun and fair, it's amazing.  But those times are increasingly becoming few and far between.  First off, technically, there is no lag.  Playing online is almost as fast as playing against your friend.  You can play up to four players on one console, and up to eight in one game (NOT 16 like the preview says!).  The games consist of the normal fair: deathmatch, team deathmatch, assault, capture the bag, and more.  You can choose something like 10 different levels or use custom made levels.  You can join a game, or you can host a game (so you can choose the setup, kick out players, etc.).

There a few technical problems though.  The first and most obvious is that the headsets don't work over PPPoE.  Which is strange because it's pretty standard on many DSL connections, I can't see why it is so technically different than other types of connections.  Second is the lack of diagnostics.  What I mean by that is that if you're behind a firewall without port forwarding, you'll won't be able to host games.  However, it'll still let you set up the game.  For the longest time I thought I was unpopular because no one joined my game.  The server let me set up the game even though I was not set up to handle it.  Finally, the game freezes on many custom maps online.  The only way to get around is to reset the PS2 and go through the annoying 5 minute process of getting it back up and online.

Now it terms of play, sometimes it's just downright amazing.  A properly set up capture the bag in "Training Grounds", or a team deathmatch in "Mexican Mission" is the most amazing game experience around.  The kills keep coming.  Strategies start developing.  You start to recognize tendencies, tend to work in groups, etc.  All in all, if those perfect scenarios with the right mix of people are set up correctly, you've got the best gaming experience ever.

Notice that I used the word "if"?  Well, that's because many people are cheap online, or many people don't know how to setup a game.  It's tough to host a non-deathmatch because no one will wait for eight slots to fill up before the game starts.  That often leads you to the mercy of the host of another game.  Many times, the game will have short characters (monkeys, a little girl).  The short characters, being smaller, have a huge, cheap advantage, and their cheapness annoys and aggravates many people.  Often times, in custom maps, weapons will be placed in obscure places where only the mapmaker can find them, giving them another cheap advantage.  Also, there's camping.  The worst offense imaginable (I was doing it by accident when I first started playing).  Basically, a person waits for you to respawn with a weak weapon or waits for you to cross a narrow opening, and then shoots you.  There is no real way to defend against it if the host doesn't kick them out.  This ruins a lot of games.  If you look on EA website, they rank the players.  I played against 2 of the top 10, and one was guilty of using a monkey, one was camping.  EA is rewarding cheap play.  Finally, many hosts don't know how to set up a game (e.g. they set it up for camping or they have really boring scenarios or maps).  This just makes the whole hit or miss phenomenon of getting the right game even worse.  Only about 1 out of every 5 games I join are enjoyable or playable, which caused me to abandon online play after just a few weeks.

Other than online, it offers the standard offline fair.  There is still the ultra fun offline deathmatches against bots.  There is nothing greater than having my friend and I use a split screen fighting off many bots.  They also included the greatest level of all, Mexican Mission from the TimeSplitters 2.  That is a huge plus.  There is the standard story mode.  Despite the numerous changes in level backgrounds, I found the latter levels to  be uninspiring and boring, with stupid little mini games or escort missions.  There is also co-op, but it's the exact same missions as the single player, so if you've played single player, co-op is not that great, and vice versa.  Also, there are challenges which are just a bunch of little scenarios.  Shoot a bunch of zombie monkeys, time yourself as you throw bricks through windows, race a car shaped like a cat around walls to get the best time.  Just a whole bunch of things that seemed sort of tacked on.  I played a few before I quickly got bored.

All in all, the online flaws prove too frustrating and take away from a really great game.  If you're not playing online, you can easily purchase TimeSplitters 2 and have the same great experience for about one-fourth the price.

Pros:

No lag time online

Best engine around

Mexican Mission!

When it's setup correctly, boy is it fun

Cons:

Campers and monkeys online

Mostly boring online matches

Technical online problems

Boring, uninspired story missions

Arcade mini-games just seem lame

Time to complete: 7 hours (single player or co-op story mode)

Frustration: Low (on normal)

Difficulty: Low (on normal)
TimeSplitters has always been the most fun First Person Shooter series around. Smooth graphics, fun characters, really fast action. TimeSplitters 2 has to be my favorite shooter ever. Needless to say that I was looking forward to this finally being online. Well, the online portion is the reason why this game exists. In terms of how the game looks and plays, it's just like it's predecessor, TimeSplitters 2. This in not a bad thing by any means. So, the first question is, how is the online? It's a mixed bag. When the games are fun and fair, it's amazing. But those times are increasingly becoming few and far between. First off, technically, there is no lag. Playing online is almost as fast as playing against your friend. You can play up to four players on one console, and up to eight in one game (NOT 16 like the preview says! ). The games consist of the normal fair: deathmatch, team deathmatch, assault, capture the bag, and more. You can choose something like 10 different levels or use custom made levels. You can join a game, or you can host a game (so you can choose the setup, kick out players, etc. ). There a few technical problems though. The first and most obvious is that the headsets don't work over PPPoE. Which is strange because it's pretty standard on many DSL connections, I can't see why it is so technically different than other types of connections. Second is the lack of diagnostics. What I mean by that is that if you're behind a firewall without port forwarding, you'll won't be able to host games. However, it'll still let you set up the game. For the longest time I thought I was unpopular because no one joined my game. The server let me set up the game even though I was not set up to handle it. Finally, the game freezes on many custom maps online. The only way to get around is to reset the PS2 and go through the annoying 5 minute process of getting it back up and online. Now it terms of play, sometimes it's just downright amazing. A properly set up capture the bag in "Training Grounds", or a team deathmatch in "Mexican Mission" is the most amazing game experience around. The kills keep coming. Strategies start developing. You start to recognize tendencies, tend to work in groups, etc. All in all, if those perfect scenarios with the right mix of people are set up correctly, you've got the best gaming experience ever. Notice that I used the word "if"? Well, that's because many people are cheap online, or many people don't know how to setup a game. It's tough to host a non-deathmatch because no one will wait for eight slots to fill up before the game starts. That often leads you to the mercy of the host of another game. Many times, the game will have short characters (monkeys, a little girl). The short characters, being smaller, have a huge, cheap advantage, and their cheapness annoys and aggravates many people. Often times, in custom maps, weapons will be placed in obscure places where only the mapmaker can find them, giving them another cheap advantage. Also, there's camping. The worst offense imaginable (I was doing it by accident when I first started playing). Basically, a person waits for you to respawn with a weak weapon or waits for you to cross a narrow opening, and then shoots you. There is no real way to defend against it if the host doesn't kick them out. This ruins a lot of games. If you look on EA website, they rank the players. I played against 2 of the top 10, and one was guilty of using a monkey, one was camping. EA is rewarding cheap play. Finally, many hosts don't know how to set up a game (e. g. they set it up for camping or they have really boring scenarios or maps). This just makes the whole hit or miss phenomenon of getting the right game even worse. Only about 1 out of every 5 games I join are enjoyable or playable, which caused me to abandon online play after just a few weeks. Other than online, it offers the standard offline fair. There is still the ultra fun offline deathmatches against bots. There is nothing greater than having my friend and I use a split screen fighting off many bots. They also included the greatest level of all, Mexican Mission from the TimeSplitters 2. That is a huge plus. There is the standard story mode. Despite the numerous changes in level backgrounds, I found the latter levels to  be uninspiring and boring, with stupid little mini games or escort missions. There is also co-op, but it's the exact same missions as the single player, so if you've played single player, co-op is not that great, and vice versa. Also, there are challenges which are just a bunch of little scenarios. Shoot a bunch of zombie monkeys, time yourself as you throw bricks through windows, race a car shaped like a cat around walls to get the best time. Just a whole bunch of things that seemed sort of tacked on. I played a few before I quickly got bored. All in all, the online flaws prove too frustrating and take away from a really great game. If you're not playing online, you can easily purchase TimeSplitters 2 and have the same great experience for about one-fourth the price. Pros:

No lag time online

Best engine around

Mexican Mission! When it's setup correctly, boy is it fun

Cons:

Campers and monkeys online

Mostly boring online matches

Technical online problems

Boring, uninspired story missions

Arcade mini-games just seem lame

Time to complete: 7 hours (single player or co-op story mode)

Frustration: Low (on normal)

Difficulty: Low (on normal)