Timesplitters 2 Gamecube thoughts

[Luke M]

I don't think I've ever played a game with controls that are this bad. Well, ok, Red Faction 1 and 2 both have unspeakably bad controls. But, seriously, this takes the cake. I've been trying to get used to the default scheme for this game, and it's driving me up a fucking wall. I'm on level 7 in the story levels, and it's just not fun anymore. Can anyone sympathize? Maybe I'm doing something wrong? Can anyone suggest a better control scheme, or perhaps someone knows how to overcome the atrocity that is the Gamecube C-stick? I feel like taking the Timesplitters 2 disc and crushing it with a brick. This is just too fucking frustrating.

[Peter Olafson]

I got about as far as you did--the Old West level--before I gave up.

The controls in TS2 actually seemed better to me than in the first game. Or maybe I just just got used to their weirdness.

The big problem for me was that the "story" levels have no over-arching story. TS2 never feels like a campaign, but like a series of individual levels--sometimes beautiful, sometimes with the odd, interesting wrinkle but no sense of movement or of having a destination.

Peter

[DaveC]

I don't think I've ever played a game with controls that are this bad. Well, ok, Red Faction 1 and 2 both have unspeakably bad controls. But, seriously, this takes the cake. I've been trying to get used to the default scheme for this game, and it's driving me up a fucking wall. I'm on level 7 in the story levels, and it's just not fun anymore. Can anyone sympathize? Maybe I'm doing something wrong? Can anyone suggest a better control scheme, or perhaps someone knows how to overcome the atrocity that is the Gamecube C-stick? I feel like taking the Timesplitters 2 disc and crushing it with a brick. This is just too fucking frustrating.

I'm having similar problems with Metroid Prime. I think the assymetrical design and poorly designed second stick makes the GC controller a bad choice for shooters. It's fine for some games, but seems to break some of the defacto standards like having the "back out" button to the left of the main button instead of the right. It bothers me when designers break from precedent just to be different. I adhere to the "if it ain't broke" adage.

[TomChick]

Hey dlife,

Are you having more of a problem with the TS2 controls than in other console FPSs?

I freely grant that no one's done it like Halo, but I've gotten pretty good with TS2. Maybe I've just gotten over a learning curve that still has you stymied. A couple of suggestions, some of which I think were already made in the other thread:

* Let the autoaiming work for you! This is important. You're making it too hard for yourself if you're constantly trying for headshots. Whenever you can, go ahead and write off the ammo you would save with headshots. Keep in mind that enemies have pain animations when they're hit, you can usually kill someone with a few shots and not get hit in return.

* Use movement strafing to adjust your aim rather than the look controller.

* Try experimenting with auto-leveling off and keeping your view skewed slightly up for inadvertant headshots.

* Use grenades, then you won't have to aim.

* Scale back the difficulty level. On easy, you play an abridged version of each level with simplified goals, but at least you'll be able to move on quickly. I don't know how far you've gotten (I still haven't finished it!), but there are some really great production designs going on here.

The big problem for me was that the "story" levels have no over-arching story. TS2 never feels like a campaign, but like a series of individual levels

Good golly, Olafson, it's Timesplitters! That's the whole point: you're jumping around in time, for Pete's sake, not reading a book. :)

Each level is basically an action set piece with its own look, its own weapons, its own enemies, and its own overall feel. Your goal is to finish each one. If you don't like that, try the challenges. Unlock MP maps for botmatches. Unlock new skins. Try the assault modes, or the monkey assist deathmatch, or the tag stuff, or just do capture the flag or one of its many variations. There's so much STUFF on this disk that no story could possibly contain it.

Personally, I adore Timesplitters. For all intents and purposes, it's the latest Goldeneye/Perfect Dark. It doesn't have Halo's elegance, but it's got enough of everything else that if I had to choose one of the two...well, I don't know which I'd pick, but I'd sure have to think long and hard.

-Tom

[Doug Erickson]

Timesplitters 2 is one of the best multiplayer party games to come along in quite awhile, although the console FPS controller style is rough on the newbies. Halo vets should be cleaning up in no time, though.

If you have all three consoles, go for Xbox version - I've tried 'em all, and the Xbox version has the best textures, as well as the best image quality. The PS2 and GC slow down a bit in split-screen, plus the Xbox doesn't suffer from those two consoles inherent shortcomings (the PS2 needs a multitap, and the GC has that heinous C-stick).

[Anonymous]

Hey dlife,

Are you having more of a problem with the TS2 controls than in other console FPSs?

I freely grant that no one's done it like Halo, but I've gotten pretty good with TS2. Maybe I've just gotten over a learning curve that still has you stymied. A couple of suggestions, some of which I think were already made in the other thread:

* Let the autoaiming work for you! This is important. You're making it too hard for yourself if you're constantly trying for headshots. Whenever you can, go ahead and write off the ammo you would save with headshots. Keep in mind that enemies have pain animations when they're hit, you can usually kill someone with a few shots and not get hit in return.

* Use movement strafing to adjust your aim rather than the look controller.

* Try experimenting with auto-leveling off and keeping your view skewed slightly up for inadvertant headshots.

* Use grenades, then you won't have to aim.

* Scale back the difficulty level. On easy, you play an abridged version of each level with simplified goals, but at least you'll be able to move on quickly. I don't know how far you've gotten (I still haven't finished it!), but there are some really great production designs going on here.

The big problem for me was that the "story" levels have no over-arching story. TS2 never feels like a campaign, but like a series of individual levels

Good golly, Olafson, it's Timesplitters! That's the whole point: you're jumping around in time, for Pete's sake, not reading a book. :)

Each level is basically an action set piece with its own look, its own weapons, its own enemies, and its own overall feel. Your goal is to finish each one. If you don't like that, try the challenges. Unlock MP maps for botmatches. Unlock new skins. Try the assault modes, or the monkey assist deathmatch, or the tag stuff, or just do capture the flag or one of its many variations. There's so much STUFF on this disk that no story could possibly contain it.

Personally, I adore Timesplitters. For all intents and purposes, it's the latest Goldeneye/Perfect Dark. It doesn't have Halo's elegance, but it's got enough of everything else that if I had to choose one of the two...well, I don't know which I'd pick, but I'd sure have to think long and hard.

-Tom

I don't doubt it's a good MP game, Tom, and it does have a bit of Goldeneye in it (albeit with more cartoony enemies) and I'll give that a shot.

But I'm more of an SP guy, and as an SP guy, it struck me how little they would have had to do to make me happy: Just have a guy back at the base who I can talk to betwen misions to explain -why- I'm hopping around in time.

Peter

[Supertanker]

But I'm more of an SP guy, and as an SP guy, it struck me how little they would have had to do to make me happy: Just have a guy back at the base who I can talk to betwen misions to explain -why- I'm hopping around in time.
Peter

But in the opening cutscene, it shows them dudes run off with those thingamabobs & Real Bad Things will happen if you don't gather them all up. That's not enough? :D

[Jim Preston]

I certainly enjoyed TS2 and felt it the Xbox version was definitely worth the money. My only small complaints were with the interface. It would not tell you which direction you were being shot from. I can't remember which game came up with the idea, but I do know that even Half-Life circa 1998 had a HUD element that would flash indicating the direction you were shot from. TS2 doesn't have that, which is a pain. (Or I didn't figure out how to turn this feature on).

Also, it would give you the same sound and graphic effect whether you were shot or you picked up armor. One time, I was racing around and thought I was shot because the health/armor HUD flashed on the screen. After a few moments of ducking in panic looking for the sniper it dawned on me that I picked up some armor! :oops: Not a big complaint, but thought that could use a litte more polish. Other than that, a very enjoyable shooter.

[Peter Olafson]

But I'm more of an SP guy, and as an SP guy, it struck me how little they would have had to do to make me happy: Just have a guy back at the base who I can talk to betwen misions to explain -why- I'm hopping around in time.
Peter

But in the opening cutscene, it shows them dudes run off with those thingamabobs & Real Bad Things will happen if you don't gather them all up. That's not enough? :D

I guess the developers thought it was enough, but I honestly don't remember the intro.

Hey, I don't begrudge anyone else for liking TS2, and I did like it better the the original game (which I found almost unplayable because of the controls). I just didn't get the sense of this game as a fabric, but as an assemblage of interesting, disparate parts.

Peter