In case you missed it, earlier this week Sony updated its PlayStation Plus Classics lineup with a slew of new arrivals. Among them were TimeSplitters and its two sequels, TimeSplitters 2, and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, making the trilogy fully playable on PS4 and PS5 consoles.
However, it didn’t take PlayStation gamers long to realise something was missing. When Sony first added PS2 games to its growing PlayStation Plus Classics library, each of them (Tomb Raider: Legend, Sly Raccoon, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars) came with full trophy support. Subsequent PS2 titles including Ghosthunter and Summoner also touted this feature. For some reason, the TimeSplitters games don’t have any virtual silverware for retro FPS fans to collect.
Clearly disappointed, one PSN user (via TrueTrophies) reached out to TimeSplitters IP holder and publisher Deep Silver asking about trophy support. Their response was that “trophies are considered and should be available in a future patch” though “currently we do not have an official release date.”
Many trophy hunters will no doubt wait to pull the trigger on the TimeSplitters trilogy until then. Still, the temptation to blast through these time-hopping classics may prove irresistible. While they might pave the way for a welcome trip down memory lane, the trilogy’s return to PlayStation is also a painful reminder of the cancelled TimeSplitters projects that will never come to light.
For those who remember, developer Free Radical had been working on a TimeSplitters 4 though the studio was almost shut down following the PS3 exclusives flop that was Haze. The team was snapped up by Crysis and Hunt: Showdown publisher, Crytek, before later being bought by Embracer Group.
Sadly, Free Radical closed its doors for good earlier this year amidst a wave of devastating layoffs and closures that swept the industry far and wide. A project titled TimeSplitters Next was cancelled as a result – a modernised, trend-chasing take on the series that later pivoted towards being an expanded TimeSplitters 2 remake before the axe finally fell.
Let’s hope that TimeSplitters isn’t gone for good and that another studio can take a swing at restoring it to its former glory.
