Editing TimeSplitters (section)

=== ''TimeSplitters'' and ''TimeSplitters 2'' (1999–2002) ===
The ''TimeSplitters'' games were developed by [[Free Radical Design]], a development company based in the [[Midlands|Midlands, UK]].<ref name=":17" /> Free Radical was founded in 1999 by five people, all of whom had previously worked for [[Rare (company)|Rare]] on the [[Nintendo 64]] first-person shooters [[GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game)|''GoldenEye 007'']] and ''[[Perfect Dark]]'' for a year and a half of development, but before its release:<ref name=":29">{{Cite web|last=Barnes|first=Adam|date=2021-04-28|title=The history of TimeSplitters: "We naively thought that EA are better at selling games than Eidos"|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-history-of-timesplitters/|access-date=2021-04-29|website=[[GamesRadar+]]|language=en}}</ref> directors David Doak and Steve Ellis set up the company,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stanton|first=Rich|date=2012-05-04|title=Free Radical vs. the Monsters|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-05-04-free-radical-vs-the-monsters|access-date=2021-05-21|website=[[Eurogamer]]|language=en}}</ref> and were then followed by director Karl Hilton, soundtrack composer Graeme Norgate, and Lee Ray.<ref name=":29" /><ref name=":14" /><ref name=":16">{{Cite web|last=Perry|first=Douglass|date=2000-06-16|title=Timesplitters Interview|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/06/17/timesplitters-interview|access-date=2020-11-24|website=[[IGN]]}}</ref><ref name=":17">{{Cite web|date=2002-10-11|title=Interview: Free Radical Splits GameCube|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/10/11/interview-free-radical-splits-gamecube|access-date=2020-11-24|website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> As a result of this shared development team, gameplay similarities, and occasionally overlapping settings (such as a Russian dam, as featured in ''TimeSplitters 2''), the ''TimeSplitters'' franchise is often compared to these predecessors,<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" /> and considered to be their "spiritual successor."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Porter|first=Jon|date=2021-05-20|title=Acclaimed TimeSplitters franchise set to return under reborn Free Radical studio|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/20/22445699/timesplitters-free-radical-design-deep-silver|access-date=2021-05-21|website=[[The Verge]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Machkovech|first=Sam|date=2021-04-09|title=Goldeneye successor unofficially unlocked as free bonus inside another game|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/04/timesplitters-2s-hd-port-unlocked-thanks-to-long-lost-debug-code/|access-date=2021-05-21|website=[[Ars Technica]]|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Santa Maria|first=Alex|date=2020-11-17|title=TimeSplitters 2 Remake Hopes Turn Out To Be Misunderstood Easter Egg|url=https://screenrant.com/timesplitters-2-remake-easter-egg-not-real-cancel/|access-date=2021-05-21|website=[[Screen Rant]]|language=en-US}}</ref>

Free Radical made an agreement with [[Square Enix Europe|Eidos Interactive]] in February 1999 to "work for roughly three years on a novel FPS".<ref name=":29" /> Although it was not the first game worked on by the team–the first being an FPS with the working title of ''Redemption'':<ref name=":29" /> what would later become [[Second Sight (video game)|''Second Sight'']]–<ref name=":14" /> ''TimeSplitters'' began development after the company received approval to obtain a PlayStation 2 [[Software development kit|devkit]], which were difficult to obtain<ref name=":29" /> and decided to focus on creating a more straightforward shooter whose pace would suit the new console's power,<ref name=":14" /> and which could be developed in time for the PlayStation 2's delayed launch date.<ref name=":29" /> The team approached the project with the intent of increasing not just pace, but also the quantity/variety of enemies compared to ''GoldenEye'' and ''Perfect Dark''.<ref name=":16" /> In the words of David Doak:<blockquote>"Steve [Ellis, lead programmer] got something up and running really quickly. I think Sony were really impressed; their experience had been that people would take six months, eight months, a year to get anything working at all on PS2. It was down to Steve's technical ability: he had a first-person thing up and running fairly quickly."<ref name=":29" /></blockquote>In October 2000, following initial development under the working title of ''MPG'' (''Multiplayer Game''),<ref name=":29" /> the completed ''TimeSplitters'' became Free Radical's first game release,<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":8" /> and was the only PlayStation 2 launch title developed in Europe.<ref name=":14" /><ref name=":29" />

This was followed directly by ''TimeSplitters 2'' in October 2002,<ref name=":29" /><ref name=":2" /> which was developed in less than two years and released simultaneously for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube.<ref name=":29" /> Like its predecessor, ''TimeSplitters 2'' was published by Eidos Interactive.<ref name=":15">{{Cite web|last=Bramwell|first=Tom|date=2003-09-04|title=No TimeSplitters 3 for Eidos|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/news040903eidosts3|access-date=2020-11-23|website=[[Eurogamer]]|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":14" /> Eidos had originally stated that they would not support a GameCube version, claiming it "had no relationship with Nintendo"; however, they reversed that decision once Free Radical offered the publishing rights to [[Activision]].<ref name=":29" />

David Doak described ''TimeSplitters 2'' as "what we thought the first game should have been ... all the ideas we'd had along the way."<ref name=":20">{{Cite web|last=Wise|first=Josh|date=2018-08-24|title=TimeSplitters creator interview: GoldenEye, Future Perfect, and the Koch Media acquisition|url=https://www.videogamer.com/features/timesplitters-creator-interview-goldeneye-future-perfect-and-the-koch-media-acquisition|access-date=2020-11-24|website=VideoGamer.com|language=en}}</ref> This included strengthening the single-player mode, which had received criticism for its lack of depth in the multiplayer-focused original.<ref name=":17" /> Development for the sequel had begun the very next day after the game was completed in September 2000, and would ultimately include enhancements such as a new animation system and improved special effects.<ref name=":17" />