A few months ago we got the unfortunate news that Embracer studio Free Radical had been closed down, after spending a number of years working on a new TimeSplitters game. Such a studio closure is always disheartening, but, after seeing a good chunk of gameplay on this 'TimeSplitters: Next' project we're not quite so disappointed to be missing out on this game, at least.
We're all for experimenting with a series to bring it back for modern audiences, but the above concept leak looks so much like Epic's Fortnite that it's almost hard to see any TimeSplitters in it at all. At least not the TimeSplitters we remember playing back in the day on OG Xbox (or via backwards compatibility these days)!
Of course, this is merely a concept we're seeing here and things could have changed drastically before any such TimeSplitters project actually shipped. Still, it's clear the team was experimenting with a completely different direction for the old school FPS series, a direction that we're not sure would have resonated given its blatant similarities to Fortnite. Why not just play Fortnite instead?
This is where something like the Xbox backwards compatibility program really comes in clutch. A new entry in this franchise is something we've been keen on for a while, but back compat at least lets us go back and enjoy the originals on modern hardware! To be honest, we're probably going to do just that after seeing this leaked footage.
Studio closures are never a good thing, especially for the folks working there and putting in the hours to create games for us to enjoy, but some projects just seem doomed from the outset. We'd have loved a proper TimeSplitters reboot that took plenty of cues from the originals, but alas, it looks like we won't see something like that anytime soon.
What do you make of this 'TimeSplitters: Next' footage? Go ahead and talk about it down below.
Comments 12
What the f*%# was that because it sure as hell wasn’t Timesplitters.
I don't mean to sound harsh but that looks absolutely awful and it's no suprise it was cancelled.
That is not Timesplitters, at all. What were they thinking
I will still give credit to Embracer for getting the founders of Free Radical/time splitters together and spinning up the reformed studio to try something with the dead franchise. It's a shame it didn't work out.
https://youtu.be/Va5_rn3vG3A?si=ZA-UaFpnAPMYkU-w
I got a minute and a half in and couldn’t still stomach any more. That’s just a bad Fortnite clone.
The funny thing is though with the expansive cast of characters in TimeSplitters 2 it felt like Fortnite before Fortnite happened.
You lost me at modern audiences.
"Modern Audiences" You mean Fortnite?
@gollumb82 Yup that's always when I check out on games and movies
I honestly don't know what's worse, simply having game franchises you once loved disappear forever or get bastardized to try to appeal to "a wider/modern audience". Shining Force got turned into the bland ARPG Shining series (and Sega tried to do the same thing with Valkyria Chronicles with Azure). Front Mission got turned into a third-person shooter. Fire Emblem became a glorified "life sim" overstuffed with vapid "relationships", conversations, and busywork instead of focusing on the meaty strategy and amazing storylines like that of Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn.
What made TimeSplitters so incredible when it first released was the sheer value provided by the MapMaker. I'll never forget my cousin blurting out, "You MADE THIS!!!" as we loaded the first hastily-constructed map I'd slapped together. So many hours customizing and tweaking and then enjoying a chaotic four-player splitscreen battle with friends and family around the TV.
And those very things are ironically what killed TimeSplitters, because once online multiplayer went mainstream developers' first priority became how to gate, control, and monitor your entire experience as well as get you to fork out additional $$$ after the initial point-of-sale. Things like local multiplayer, player-created content, and value are pretty much antithetical to every current business model, so it's no wonder they thought they could slap the name "TimeSplitters" on a Fortnite-wannabe (hello, Halo Infinite) and get away with gutting what fans loved about it in the first place and making it yet another disposable online-centric game.
You want to know why so many longtime gamers are beginning to say they're not having as much fun with the hobby anymore? Because the people making the games have completely lost touch with what used to make it fun; the games used to be designed for US, not for their shareholders.
@AtlanteanMan
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve actually been playing a lot of PS2 games lately on my Steam Deck and I’m amazed at how much fun I’ve had. Can’t say the same about most modern releases. Games used to be fun, first and foremost, not hyped-up hollow shells riddled with DLC, MTX and tailored to milk the fanbase dry to the shareholders delight.
Embracer was right. Holy smokes what a load of garbage.
Every game they cancelled probably deserved it.
Further proof of how modern developers have no clue how to do old franchises justice.
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