Time Splitters

This is very much an old school first person shooter, complete with the mostly absent story line and the detached ice skating feeling of a camera that moves too fast over unnaturally smooth surfaces. It was rather startling to go from the long cinematic intro movies that I have had an my last few reviews to this. On the main screen I was given a choice between story mode and arcade. After selecting story mode I was given a choice between "1935 Tomb", "1970 Chinese", "2005 Cyberden". It is worth noting that 2005 was half a decade into the future when this game was released. I initially thought it might be an overly pretentious name for a internet cafe, which would make sense based off of the (date location) model established by the first option "1935 Tomb", but then there was the second option. . .   Is it possible Cyberden is a nationality? Only one way to find out. I select the "future" level with a date that is more than 8 years past and feel very old. Given a choice between two quasi futuristic garbed characters wearing clothes that look NOTHING like anythying people were wearing in 2005 I choose the female, Chastity Detroit, and begin the level. I start out in a dilapidated warehouse, no story, no nothing. Well, maybe if I check the pause menu.
"Get the Cyborg's plans and return to the ventilation ducts"
That's all I get? Why do I want these plans? What is at stake? Why is this worth dying for? And I do die, quickly and often. These Cyborgs are tough, I can't even make it past the first room. . .   Maybe its time to try a different level.
1935 Tomb, after fighting my way past a number of guards I make it to the room where I am suppose to steal the artifact, but it is guarded by walking skeletons with peaces of dry leathery skin stretched over their bones. Mummies, sans bandages, this is pretty cool. They fall before my Tommy gun just like all the guards and I am on my way, but now that I am trying to retrace my way through the labyrinthine catacombs through which I came, I find that they are crawling with mummies, some of them have Tommy guns just like mine. This is WAY cooler than the stupid cyber den. I still die a bunch of times and never make it through the level, but at least I always manage to make it to the macguffin, some times I almost make it out. This game could do with a bit more story and a bit less brutal difficulty.

Game play video (this guy liked it way more than I did, he is also better at it)

in a five star ranking system
I give this game 2.5