Timesplitters: Future Perfect (Hands On) (GameCube) Preview

The version we played was identical to that shown at E3. The level is set on a huge train that you have work your way through moving along killing everything in your path. The nods and pokes to GoldenEye can hardly be ignored. The graphics look nice enough so far, with some lovely bright colours and quite a bit of detail. Something we have always enjoyed in this franchise is the visual style, it is unique and allows the game to express itself differently to any other. The look returns again, but the whole package is looking far more polished this time around. Whilst the level might not have the biggest expanse of space we have ever seen, everything is smooth and just how it should be.

Starting at one end of the train we walked into the first carriage. Seeing a very trendy guy sporting some 'natty' flares, we looked through a small window to see some evil beggar firing straight back at us. Having to duck and dive and even use the scope to get a clean headshot is very easy to do and adds to a feeling of tension and danger. Shooting is smooth and easy and you really feel like you are firing something that will kill if you get the shot right, rather than the ping-pong balls found in certain other titles...

After capping this particular baddie in the head and watching him fly dramatically off the side of the train in a very amusing fashion we dashed out the door in search of more carnage. You can look about lots of the train and snoop about in all the little cabins in search of things such as new weapons. We stumbled into a machine gun and promptly set it into action on a corridor full of foes, very satisfying indeed!

The scenery is interactive as well, we are sure that somewhere along the line there will be a flushing toilet to play with. In this level there is one point where you walk in on a carriage full of enemies, one of which instantly jumps behind a barrier and starts to load up a very big and evil machine gun that will do you some serious damage. All the other people also take cover and start to hit you one at time whilst making sure you can't get them easily. This shows a huge progression in enemy AI and makes for a genuine challenge and one that you will have to solve whilst thinking on your feet if you are to resolve it.

Darting behind the machine gun installation we fire a round or two into some large very flammable looking barrels, they all started to roll down each other before they slammed to the floor killing everyone in the room; except us, we had the sense to run away very fast indeed! Walking out this section we met up once again with the guy in the 'natty' flares and after he informed us to go and get busy killing things whilst he played about with computers we continued to move down the train...to our inevitable doom.

As if a mass of enemies armed with very big and evil guns wasn't enough, one very large and evil helicopter just about took the biscuit. After cowering behind every crate in sight and running into every nook and cranny we could find whilst trying to pepper the damn thing with a barrage of bullets we gave up.