GoldenEye-spy

The TimeSplitters 2 dam’s a blast from the past

FORMAT PS2 / PUB EIDOS / DEV FREE RADICAL DESIGN / RELEASED 2002 / SCORE 10/10

Hopping through a time portal into ‘90s Siberia isn’t the most ordinary start to a game, but there’s something familiar about the opening level of Free Radical’s shooter sequel. As you work your way past Russian soldiers and through a dam in the mountains, you can almost hear the James Bond theme. It’s a strong case of déjà vu you’ll be glad to have.

Considering that the team behind TimeSplitters 2 also made GoldenEye 007 on N64, perhaps that’s not a surprise. But this love letter to its celebrated movie tie-in doesn’t overwhelm with homages or allusions – it merely uses them as base to build a fantastic level in its own right. Whether it’s sneaking through an outpost with your sniper rifle and mines in an attempt to destroy a communications satellite, or the hilariously daft cutscenes featuring zombie soldiers, it’s a combination of silliness and satisfaction that constantly delights.

And beyond the twitch-perfect blasting and jokey cutscenes you’ll discover some sprightly level design that’s hiding secrets well worth hunting down. Find the mini- game Anaconda that’s playable on your Temporal Uplink and you’ll discover a version of Snake that’s every bit as good as the Nokia 3310 iteration.

Of course, the level ends (as you’d expect) on top of the dam, but instead of diving off the ledge à la Bond, you step through a portal to Chicago. Eat your heart out, Q. The multiplayer will always be the best there ever was on PS2, yet this jaunt to Siberia kicked off one of the all-time great PlayStation campaigns, and helped cement TimeSplitters 2 as a bona fide shooter masterpiece.