TimeSplitters Rewind, a remake of sorts of the original TimeSplitters trilogy, is now available completely for free on PC and with the official blessing of the IP holder.
TimeSplitters, TimeSplitters 2, and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect were a trio of well-liked FPS titles created in the early 2000s by UK developer Free Radical. The developer was working on TimeSplitters 4 when it went bankrupt in 2008 and was later absorbed by Crysis developer Crytek.
A few years later in 2013, Crytek gave its official blessing to a TimeSplitters fan project looking to keep the franchise alive, even going so far as to provide original TimeSplitters assets for the project. The IP would later be transferred to THQ Nordic (now part of the Embracer Group), which honored Crytek's original agreement for the fan project, even as it briefly resurrected Free Radical with the intent on bringing the TimeSplitters franchise back to life.
That never became a reality and Free Radical shut down for a second time in 2023, but the fan project continued, finally resulting in the newly released TimeSplitters Rewind. Far from a typical remake, TimeSplitters Rewind is instead described as a "greatest hits" collection of maps, modes, leagues, and story content from across the TimeSplitters trilogy, remade from the ground up.
"Rewind is not a traditional remake in that there aren't three separate executables, [but rather] it is one game that, as closely as possible, captures the spirit of three games in one," according to the project's "About" page. "So, unlike a traditional HD collection or remake, it is its own title. By the end of this game's development, the goal is to have extensive content spanning three games but our initial launch will focus on a subset of both existing content from the original games and some new content."
The project has been a long time coming, after numerous setbacks that saw various project leads and programmers leave over the years. TimeSplitters Rewind is finally available in what its developer is calling "early access" but that already includes a huge amount of content ranging from 28 multiplayer maps, 96 playable characters, 41 weapons, a new team elimination mode, and the full story mode of the original TimeSplitters. Future updates will include additional story campaigns, maps, characters, game modes, and "other community-requested features," according to the TimeSplitters Rewind website.
"Sorry it's taken us so long," the project's website reads. "We've only been making the largest free video game ever."
Those interested in checking out TimeSplitters Rewind can download the fan-made game via its official website. Official re-releases of the TimeSplitters trilogy were added to PlayStation 4 and PS5 last year and are included for free as part of PS Plus Premium.
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TimeSplitters, TimeSplitters 2, and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect were a trio of well-liked FPS titles created in the early 2000s by UK developer Free Radical. The developer was working on TimeSplitters 4 when it went bankrupt in 2008 and was later absorbed by Crysis developer Crytek.
A few years later in 2013, Crytek gave its official blessing to a TimeSplitters fan project looking to keep the franchise alive, even going so far as to provide original TimeSplitters assets for the project. The IP would later be transferred to THQ Nordic (now part of the Embracer Group), which honored Crytek's original agreement for the fan project, even as it briefly resurrected Free Radical with the intent on bringing the TimeSplitters franchise back to life.
That never became a reality and Free Radical shut down for a second time in 2023, but the fan project continued, finally resulting in the newly released TimeSplitters Rewind. Far from a typical remake, TimeSplitters Rewind is instead described as a "greatest hits" collection of maps, modes, leagues, and story content from across the TimeSplitters trilogy, remade from the ground up.
"Rewind is not a traditional remake in that there aren't three separate executables, [but rather] it is one game that, as closely as possible, captures the spirit of three games in one," according to the project's "About" page. "So, unlike a traditional HD collection or remake, it is its own title. By the end of this game's development, the goal is to have extensive content spanning three games but our initial launch will focus on a subset of both existing content from the original games and some new content."
The project has been a long time coming, after numerous setbacks that saw various project leads and programmers leave over the years. TimeSplitters Rewind is finally available in what its developer is calling "early access" but that already includes a huge amount of content ranging from 28 multiplayer maps, 96 playable characters, 41 weapons, a new team elimination mode, and the full story mode of the original TimeSplitters. Future updates will include additional story campaigns, maps, characters, game modes, and "other community-requested features," according to the TimeSplitters Rewind website.
"Sorry it's taken us so long," the project's website reads. "We've only been making the largest free video game ever."
Those interested in checking out TimeSplitters Rewind can download the fan-made game via its official website. Official re-releases of the TimeSplitters trilogy were added to PlayStation 4 and PS5 last year and are included for free as part of PS Plus Premium.
Source