Summary
Footage of the recently canceledTimeSplittersbriefly appeared on the internet. The originalTimeSplittersgame was released in 2000, bearing notable similarities toGoldenEye, but having enough of its own flair to make it a hit. TheTimeSplittersseries gained a cult following in the PS2 era, continuing until the release of the third game in 2005. There were attempts to reboot the series, but ultimately nothing substantial.
In 2019, a THQ financial report alongside a confirmation from Dambuster Studios on Twitter proved that there was a newTimeSplittersproduct being worked on. The original development studio of theTimeSplittersgames, Free Radical Design, was reshaped under Deep Silver and the game was officially announced in a pre-development stage. Alongside theavalanche of gaming studio closures and layoffslast year, Free Radical Design closed down as a part of it and Deep Silver’s parent company Embracer Group’s restructuring.
In a now deletedLinkedin post recounted on IGN, Ex-Developer Rob Steptoe posted five minutes of gameplay footage. In the post, Steptoe states, “So, you want to know about the canceledTimeSplittersgame? I’ll be sure to post what I can…. Embracer Group can go hide in a cave somewhere…” Steptoe takes a jab at Embracer, although it is unclear whether this was meant as a statement about the quality of the game overall, its cancellation, or possibly even the status of the industry and the grasps companies are taking at thelive service gaming trend.
The footage from the game looks particularly similar to the massively popularFortnite, bearing a more cartoonish art-style, movement reminiscent of the third-person shooter, and a weapon loadout that appeared to use similar color coding to highlight the quality and rarity of items. These resemblances have caused some surprise among fans of theTimeSplittersseries, because the games have always been first-person shooters with a more distinct, gritty aesthetic. The shift in format and tone led some to become more comfortable with the fact of the game’s cancelation, as the game failed to represent what so many loved about thePS2 gaming erait came from.
This does raise the question of why the game was chosen for a reboot in the first place, if it was always going to end up competing withFortnite, one of the most popular live-service video games around. It is possible thatthe fourthTimeSplittersgamewas initially planned to be a first-person shooter like its predecessors and the development process changed it on a fundamental level, but the only information gamers have to validate these guesses is what developers like Steptoe are willing to divulge.
