This month, Sony will be sending PlayStation Plus subscribers into the future, and the past and ... well ... all over the place. That's because the TimeSplitters trilogy will finally be coming to the PlayStation 4 and 5. That's genuinely exciting news, but are any of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Game Informer, Edge and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when these games first came out. I sure hope you're good at remembering character names, because this is going to be another over-crowded episode of PlayStation Plus Review Crew.


Although there were plenty of first-person shooters released in the late 1990s, few had any idea that this would soon become the dominant genre across all platforms. Free Radical was one of the companies making that happen, which makes sense, given that it was started by a group of former Rare employees who had previously worked on GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark. TimeSplitters was not only their first release, but it was one of the first must-own first-person shooters on the PlayStation 2, predating Halo by more than a year. Although you can tell that they were still trying to flesh out all of the ideas in their heads, this first installment still has a lot of the same humor, weapons, charm and, of course, time jumping that made the other games so popular. Let's see how this PlayStation 2 launch game fared with the critics.

When it comes to Electronic Gaming Monthly, the critics were split. John gave the game a 9.5 out of 10, calling it an “instant PlayStation 2 classic.” “Everybody's been harping for ages about what a great game TimeSplitters is, but now that it's actually here, does it live up to all the pre-release hype? Is it really that great? Is it obvious that the GoldenEye boys were behind the development? Yes, yes and yes. It's fabulous, so fabulous in fact that we've even had instances of die-hard FPS-haters picking up the joypad and having a good time with the thing.” Kraig, on the other hand, settled on giving this first installment a 7.5 out of 10. “TimeSplitters feels like a game that I should like more, but I just can't bring myself to. As a change of pace for first-person shooters, I can appreciate it speed and simplicity, but after a while, it just seems like there isn't enough depth. It's too bad that the story and atmosphere are unimpressive, as is the low interactivity with the environments. The saving grace is the map creator that lets you easily make new maps for multiplayer combat.” When the dust finally cleared, EGM gave TimeSplitters an average score of 8.5 out of 10.

That score is right in the middle of the pack, with everybody else on either side. Next Generation gave it a similar score, giving the game a 4 out of 5. Across the pond, Next Gen's sister magazine, Edge, had the exact same thought. They concluded that “Despite the game's pace, the level of detail isn't quite as high as perhaps it should be. But then, TimeSplitters isn't a lot of things. It isn't subtle, it isn't pretentious, it isn't visually revolutionary or even instantly great. But give it a little time. You'll find it exhilarating, unconventional, fluid, wonderfully compelling, painstakingly crafted and capable of delivering one of the most obsessively playable and instantly rewarding FPS experiences. And sometimes that's just what you're looking for.”

If you're looking for the lowest review, then you're going to find that over at PSM. Giving it a 7 out of 10, they explained that “TimeSplitters offers a great arcade experience with almost no learning curve. The action is fast, fun and runs silky-smooth. However, a better variety of mission objectives would have made the game better. TimeSplitters has its fair share of problems, but its strengths are in the areas that matter most, making it a simple, yet fun arcade experience for one player or several.”

When it comes to the top scores, then we need to turn our attention to Game Informer, who gave the game an average of 9.5 out of 10 in their 92nd issue. GamePro went even higher, giving the game a perfect 5 out of 5. “First-person shooter fans, your prayers have been answered. With killer visuals, tight control and an amazing number of options, TimeSplitters is one of the games that will make the PlayStation 2 feel like it was worth the wait.”

Sure, the game looks a bit dated now and there aren't as many options as you would like, but it's fun going back and seeing the beginning of so many good ideas. If you haven't played it recently, definitely give TimeSplitters a chance now that it's on PlayStation Plus.

A lot happened in the two years between the first and second TimeSplitters games, including the release of a certain Xbox title that not only evolved the combat, but also first-person shooters as a genre. Did that force Free Radical to go back to the drawing board when coming up with this sequel? Not at all, because TimeSplitters 2 continues to have one foot firmly in the past, while the other is tiptoeing into the future. It's overflowing with fun time-travel ideas, amazing level designs and more than 120 different characters, including both a gingerbread man and snowman. And just when you start to get sick of a time period and batch of weapons, the game is good about throwing you into something brand-new. If you're excited for this trilogy to hit PlayStation Plus, then it's probably because of this game. So, let's see if the critics also loved this FPS fan-favorite.

Looking at Electronic Gaming Monthly, they seemed to like this sequel almost as much as the first game. They gave it an average score of 8.3 out of 10, down just slightly from the 8.5 they gave the original. Joe came in high giving it a 9, raving that “if you have a first-person shooter bone in your body, you owe it to yourself to nab this little number. No, the story mode isn't on par with the greats in this category, but there's so much more that the game has to offer. The challenge mode alone will keep you addicted for days, blasting the heads off zombies and throwing bricks through windows – and that's not even mentioning the surprisingly powerful map-maker tool, the themed arcade league mode, the 126 characters or the crapload of extras. Simply put, it rocks.” Evan wasn't quite as impressed, giving it a 7.5 out of 10 and complaining that many of the mission objectives “simply feel forced and disconnected.” “While the farcical tone and goofy sensibilities give these non-sequiturs some context, the game design doesn't feel as tight as it should. From a single-player, story-based perspective, the game simply lacks the magic of recent shooter classics.”

Believe it or not, this was the lowest score a gaming magazine gave TimeSplitters 2 back in the day. That is, unless you want to count the B- we saw from Entertainment Weekly in issue #675 and 676 (it was a double issue). Game Informer went a little higher than EGM in their 116th issue, giving the sequel an 8.5 out of 10, which is down a full point from the original release. Edge, on the other hand, liked it even more than the first game, giving TimeSplitters 2 a 9 out of 10. “Imagine: The way six right-hand men dive at a target and away from an explosion, guns blazing; the way a flaming crossbow bolt thuds into an enemy's side as another just misses your head; the way scripted spy action adventures mix seamlessly with stealth and snowbound headshots. That is why the lack of focus is important, because every bit of the game is as worthy as the rest. Without intentionally punning on the name of Free Radical's forefathers, it is a rare thing: So polished, so wonderful, so incredibly wide.”

When we look at the highest scores, we have a new name at the top of the heap – the Official U.S. PlayStation magazine, which gave it a 5 out of 5. That's the exact same score we saw from GamePro, which is also the exact same score they gave the first game. “It all comes down to this: If you like shooters and have a PS2, go get TimeSplitters 2 right now. It has the modes, the weapons and the attitude to have hardcore FPS maniacs swimming in puddles of their own drool. No matter what time you're from, that's gotta count for something.”

TimeSplitters 2 is yet another great entry in this franchise, and you may be surprised by how well it holds up all these years (and decades) later. Yeah, the gameplay will take a little getting used to if all you've played is Call of Duty for the past 20 years, but this sequel is definitely worth checking out on PS Plus.

When it comes to the third (and, unfortunately, final) installment in the TimeSplitters trilogy, Future Perfect listened to some of the criticism of the first two games and gave us a story and campaign that was much more in line with what other first-person shooters were doing at the time. In that sense, this feels like a more modern action game. With this game coming out in 2005, Free Radical pushed the PlayStation 2 to the limits, giving us massive boss fights, huge environments and more extras and unlockables than you can shake a monkey at. This game is absolutely loaded. But is that enough to pull the spotlight away from the next-generation consoles and games? Let's find out.

Once again, we see Electronic Gaming Monthly give the game a slightly lower score than the last. They gave the sequel an average of 8.2 out of 10, down a tenth of a point from TimeSplitters 2. Joe absolutely loved it, giving the game a 9.5: “To my mind, this is one of the best shooters ever. Future Perfect is fast, gorgeous, funny as hell and has loads of extras. The biggest improvement, though, has to be the story; for the first time in the series, the levels actually hang together.” Greg Ford wasn't as into this third installment, giving it a 7.5 and arguing “the TimeSplitters series has always been a multiplayer mecca, and Future Perfect finally takes the fragfest online. But while EA assures us that Net games run beautifully, our tests were mixed. Sometimes it was great; other times it lagged to the point of unplayability. These problems may be on the server side and could be fixed down the line; if so, mentally add another point to my score, because then this one's an award winner in my book.”

This is another example of EGM being right in the middle of the pack. Edge gave this sequel a score of 8 out of 10, the same score they gave the first installment. GamePro also went a bit lower, giving Future Perfect a less-than-perfect 4 out of 5, down from the fives they gave the first two games. “As the old saying goes, ‘third time's a charm,' and in the case of TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, that old saying is spot on. Packed with a bevy of features, Future Perfect is a cornucopia of candy-coated goodness for any FPS fan. If you start now, you MIGHT be able to unlock everything by the time Halo 3 ships to stores.”

Now, when it comes to the highest score, look no farther than the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, where Joe Rybicki gave TimeSplitters 3 a perfect 5 out of 5 score. However, since we've already heard from Joe when he wrote his EGM review, let's see what the recently-departed Game Informer had to say. Giving the game the second-highest score, a 9 out of 10, Andrew makes the case that this “could easily be your first choice when asked what game you might wish you had if you were stranded on an island.” Whether you are striving for higher ranks or want to dazzle people with a map that you created and uploaded, TimeSplitters' online presence is unprecedented and simply irresistible. It does suffer from poorly placed respawns, but the majority of the maps are ingenious in design, allowing players to strategize and use the terrain to their advantage. Although it could still use some massaging and upgrading in certain areas, you'll be hard-pressed to find a game that delivers more bang for your buck.”

I'll say one thing about the TimeSplitters trilogy, the scores are surprisingly consistent. Even if this final installment isn't as beloved as the middle chapter, there's still a lot of great stuff here, including a killer campaign full of time-travel hijinks and literally hundreds of characters to unlock. Now, quit teasing and give us a proper TimeSplitters 4. The world is finally ready for it.