I’m not normally a shoot-em up fan, and when I got my PS2 for Christmas, I
was not best pleased when I found I had been bought Timesplitters, and was a
little sceptical. However, when I got round to playing it, I found it was
actually a great game, with stunning visuals, atmospheric sound, and a great
Arcade mode and Mapmaker. In fact, I have found that this is the finest game
on the PS2 so far, and until Dark Cloud makes its way onto the shelves, I
will have to be satisfied with gunning down my brother in Deathmatch mode.
Anyway, on with the FAQ. This time, I’ll give you the low-down on some of
the tactics which I have used for each of the guns in the game, and some of
the details on each. Whether that’ll be useful for you or not, I don’t know,
but hey, you might enjoy it. I have not included separate categories for
twin weapons – whenever a weapon occurs as a double, I will put (x2) after
it. If I say nothing about the double, you can safely assume that it is
twice as powerful – it has twice the ammo, twice the firing rate, and is
generally twice as dangerous.
ii) Guns
N.B. After each weapon’s title, there are two numbers separated by a colon.
The first indicates the maximum amount of ammo that one magazine of that gun
can carry, and the second indicates the maximum total ammo of that gun that
you can carry (not including the first full magazine.) If there is only one
number, then you can only fire one shot per reload, and that number is the
maximum ammo for that weapon that you can hold. Assume that if you can get
two of one weapon, then the other weapon can hold just as much ammo, and has
just as much ammo in each magazine.
1. Pistol (x2) 10:490
This is your bog standard, slow firing, pistol. On the other hand, you can
hold a lot of ammo for the pistol, and it is one of the best pistols you can
get (apart from the obviously superior Scifi Handgun.) If you are up against
somebody with this thing, it is better to tap R2 repeatedly rather than just
holding it down, because it fires faster that way. The gun reloads quite
slowly, so it is useful to be able to strafe behind some cover while you
reload. Pistol x2 is, obviously, 2 pistols, one in each hand, if used
cleverly, can be better than the Scifi Handgun. There is the advantage of
the increased amount of ammo, and also the increased rate of fire.
It is also possible to make the pistol fire just as fast as the Uzi, if you
use the correct tactic. Equip one pistol, and alternately press R1 and R2
very quickly, and bullets ought to come streaming out. Useful if you’ve got
lots of bullets to spare.
2. M16 (x2) 30:170
The M16 you can also obtain as either a single or double form. It is your
typical machine gun, and fires quite quickly, as well as having 30 shots per
reload, which is quite decent. The best tactic with this weapon is just to
blast a whole cartridge-worth into an enemy, and that should finish them
off. However, this weapon can also be used tactically in the Story levels
such as China, because when you go into Aim Mode, you discover that this
weapon has a very decent Zoom function, with which you can snipe enemies at
a distance. This is especially useful in Chinese, where you need to snipe
several of the enemies, and accuracy is often necessary because of the
shortage of ammo early in the level. The M16 x2 is a very powerful weapon,
and you can usually win many a firefight with these two. You’d only have to
strafe if the enemy was packing something super-powerful, such as a Minigun.
3. Assault Rifle 30:170
Another fine weapon, this fires quickly as well, and has a very nice Zoom
Function. You get the opportunity to use this in the Docks level, in which
it is one of the best weapons, and it is both useful for sniping the people
standing high up on the packing crates and metal structures, and for killing
the grenade slingers on the ground. It is easily comparable to the M16 and
the Uzi, but sadly, you can’t get 2 of it. If in a firefight, try to strafe
as much as possible, but you can also use the ‘madly running through throngs
of enemies firing wildly tactic’, and that usually works as well.
4. Sniper Rifle 5:195
This is sadly a wasted weapon in Timesplitters, especially in Arcade Weapon,
where everybody is running around wildly, and many have machine guns.
Obviously this weapon is useless in a firefight, due to its slow fire rate,
and its low rate of 5 shots per reload, so its best, if confronted with many
enemies, to either switch to anything else, if possible, or just run for the
nearest cover. However, in Story Mode, it does have its uses, as many of the
guards stand still, and you can simply Zoom right in (note that this weapon
has easily the best zoom rate of all of the guns in Timesplitters), and pop
their heads off, which is incredibly satisfying.
5. Raygun 20:180
This is a very odd weapon, and is also very rubbish. It is a bit like a
futuristic blunderbuss, and does tend to behave similarly to one. The fire
rate is quite slow, but the shots do a large amount of damage when they hit.
Sadly, when up against an enemy packing a Scifi Autorifle or even a Pistol,
this weapon just doesn’t stand a chance. You’ll get a chance to use this
weapon in Story Mode in Spaceways, but try not to use it if possible, since
the alternatives are the ultra powerful Scifi Autorifle, Minigun, and the
Rocket Launcher.
6. Raygun Carbine 20:180
This weapon is no better than the Raygun. It fires very quickly, and you can
get the shots to bounce off the walls, but each shot does negligible amounts
of damage. If up against an enemy with this weapon, just try and get as many
shots into them as possible, while dodging their shots. It also looks cool
(I am told.) However, that won’t help you in a battle with a Scifi Autorifle
wielding madman, I am sure.
7. Scifi Autorifle 50:150
This is quite possibly the best weapon in the game. Why? Because this weapon
can either be used as a machine gun (press R2), or a high performance
grenade launcher (press R1). You get 50 shots per reload, which is decent in
itself. However, each grenade launcher shot uses 10 shots, so you only get 5
grenade shots per reload, which is fair enough really. Since the grenade
shot takes up so many shots, I advise only using these against people
packing machine guns, as many machine guns have faster fire rates than the
Autorifle, and you’d probably die if you didn’t just blast them out of the
way. For people packing weak weapons and rocket launchers, it is best to gun
them down while strafing. You can get through most of the Spaceways and
Planet X story levels using this weapon, as just a general purpose machine
gun.
8. Scifi Handgun 20:480
Another fine weapon from the Scifi range, this is perhaps the best pistol.
It has an extremely quick rate of fire, comparable with a machine gun, and
two fire modes – normal pistol fire (R2), and ricocheting shots (R1), which
bounce off all the walls, usually killing everyone, including you. The
ricocheting shots are useful in a small room which is frequented by everyone
(such as the kitchen in Chinese.) Here, the shots will ricochet around and
kill everyone in the room. In all other situations, you should use normal
shots, and strafe if necessary.
9. Rocket Launcher 30
This is another super powerful weapon, and this too has two modes. Pressing
R2 will release one rocket that has reasonable homing powers, while pressing
R1 will release three rockets that usually just fly straight forwards. You
should usually just use the normal shots when encountering a single enemy or
a group close together. Point the launcher at whoever you want to kill, make
sure you’re not too close to that enemy, and fire the launcher. Usually, the
three rockets are useful to fire down a large tunnel or alleyway, because
anybody in the tunnel will be hit by the shots. In Story Mode, you get the
Rocket Launcher in Cyberden and in Spaceways. It is very useful to take out
the autoguns, as well as just being used to blow enemies away, simply use
Aim Mode, get the cursor over the autogun, and blast it. You have to be
especially wary of the grenade launching autogun in Hard Spaceways – you
should strafe and fire rocket launcher shots at it.
10. Mauser Pistol (x2) 15:485
The Mauser Pistol, despite being an ancient weapon, is actually quite a
decent pistol, and is very similar to the normal pistol. The fire rate is
not too bad, it reloads quite quickly, and you get 15 shots in your magazine
– which is a lot better than many other pistols. In Story Mode, you can get
this weapon in Tomb, and it should serve you well until you get the Tommy
Gun. When using the weapon, you should try to strafe as much as possible, if
the enemy has a powerful weapon.
11. Minigun (x2) 60:140
The Minigun is, of course, a hugely powerful weapon with an enormous fire
rate, and at 60 shots per reload, you probably won’t have a problem of
reloading during a firefight. Strafing is usually unnecessary since an enemy
won’t get a chance to fire at you before you fire about fifty shots into his
lower abdomen. Your biggest problem will probably be running out of ammo,
since the weapon can only hold 200 shots in total, so always be on the
lookout for more ammo. However, in the Story Levels where you encounter the
Minigun, there is more than enough to keep you firing until the level’s end.
It is possible to get Minigun x2, though how the characters manage to
support the immense weight and cope with the kickback is beyond me. Two
Miniguns are just powerful to the extreme, and usually nobody will be able
to stop you, except somebody else with a Rocket Launcher, two other
Miniguns, or somebody who has snuck up behind you and blown your head off
before you could turn round.
12. Grenade Launcher 8:12
This weapon is similar to the Rocket Launcher, except that it does not have
such a great range. Pressing R2 will launch a Grenade that explodes on
impact, and pressing R1 launches a Grenade that bounces around before not
exploding. The R1 grenades can be used by the professional to kill enemies
beneath you and round corners by bouncing them off the walls and the like,
but I rarely use them. The Grenade has a disadvantage against the Rocket
Launcher in that the Grenade is not self propelled and so will fall to the
ground eventually and explode. However this is not a great disadvantage,
since many of the enemies you face aren’t that far away anyway. In a
firefight, simply point and shoot, and that will usually sort out the
problem. In Story Mode you get a chance to use the Grenade Launcher in
Chemical Plant, where you can use it to blast a lot of the guards there. It
is especially useful against the guards toting Shotguns, because you want to
kill them before they see you.
13. Scifi Sniper Rifle 10:190
This weapon is similar to the normal Sniper Rifle, except that it is more
powerful, and you get more shots per reload. It is still useless in a normal
firefight, because of its slow fire rate, and the only time you really need
to use it is at the beginning of Planet X, where you can use the Zoom to
snipe some aliens on a ledge. I advise against using this in a normal
firefight, however.
14. Proximity Mine 10
The first of the three mines, you should probably know how this works. If
not, you attach this weapon to a surface (a wall, or a floor) and if anyone
comes near it, it’ll blow, taking the enemy with it, and adding one to your
kills total. Personally my favourite mine, this is best used in narrow
tunnels, or near power ups – the enemy will be blown up just as they near
their treasured prize. You can also be very sneaky and attach one of these
to an enemy’s back – if the enemy gets near a wall, then they will blow up.
You should change weapon if an enemy approaches – throwing the mines wildly
at an enemy with a Minigun is not a good idea. You get the Proximity Mines
at the beginning of the Cyberden Story level, and it is best to use it in
the pit in the first large level outside the ventilation duct you start in –
a lot of enemies drop into this, and the mines will usually deal with them.
15. Remote Mine 20
The second mine, you can throw these out using the R2 button, and detonate
them using the R1 button. It is best to put these at strategic points in the
level, and lie in wait, detonating them when people come near. I prefer the
Proximity Mines, because you can just throw them out and run off, whereas
you have to lie in wait with the Remote Mine, which wastes you time.
16. Timed Mine 10
This is probably the worst mine, since it goes off after a set time period,
so the only way you’re going to kill an enemy with this is to stick the mine
to them, or put the mine onto a wall with an enemy following close behind.
Mind you, they are good to just stick to walls in a place which is
frequented by people, and try to kill some people as they enter.
17. TNT 20
This weapon is simply a stick of TNT which you throw, it bounces around, and
finally explodes. This weapon is largely unsuitable for firefights because
of its unpredictability and slow fire rate. It is good just to lob into a
chamber or off a ledge, and see if it hits anyone below. You can obtain this
weapon in Tomb, and you can use it to lob into the various different
chambers of the Tomb to kill the Cultists, but it isn’t that effective, to
be honest.
18. Tommy Gun (x2) 32:468
An ancient machine gun, this weapon is still quite effective, especially in
its double form. Admittedly its fire rate isn’t quite as high as you might
expect from a machine gun, but you can hold quite a lot of ammo for it (an
incredible 468 shots, plus 32 in your beginning magazine – that’s a lot for
a machine gun.) Also, you can fire 32 shots before you have to reload. In a
firefight, you should try to unload as many shots as possible – you might
need to strafe if the enemy is packing a Minigun or the like. You get a
chance to use this weapon in Story Mode, in Tomb, and in Village. The weapon
comes into its own in Tomb, and you will use it to gun down most of the
Cultists, Skeletons, and Timesplitters you encounter. In Village you will
probably use it less due to the presence of the Shotgun, but when the
Shotgun runs out of ammo, it is the next best thing.
19. Assault Shotgun 8:92
This is an extremely powerful Shotgun, which fires a small spray of bullets
towards the target. In a firefight, a single shot from this baby will
usually kill the target, even if he is packing a Minigun, unless it strafes
out of the way. The advantage of this weapon over the normal Shotgun is the
larger amount of shots per reload (8, compared to 2 in the Shotgun.) However
this is a great advantage, because the Shotgun has only two shots per
reload, and the character is very vulnerable when reloading, since reloading
with the Shotgun takes ages. However, this gun is inferior to the double
Shotgun, which is just incredibly powerful. You can use this weapon in Docks
in Story Mode, and it comes in useful for disposing with the autoguns, and
the guards with Autorifles.
20. Uzi (x2) 20:480
The Uzi is another stereotypical machine gun, and is useful due to its quick
fire rate, and the enormous amount of ammo which you can carry, but sadly
suffers because you can only fire 20 shots before having to reload. It is
very useful to gun down enemies as you run past them, or to shoot enemies
while ducking behind structures. It comes in useful in the Chinese Story
level as a general purpose weapon to machine gun down goons. The double
version of the weapon is useful, not only because of the larger reserves of
ammo, but because you can fire 40 shots per reload, which eliminates the
reloading problem.
21. Blunderbuss 100
This is more of a novelty weapon than a serious killer, but it can be used
quite effectively in certain circumstances. The weapon only has one shot per
reload, and the reloading takes ages, but that shot does a lot of damage to
the enemy – two shots is sometimes enough to kill them. The best way is to
blast an enemy, and then run off. As he follows you, you should reload, turn
round, and blast him, which will usually kill him, if your shots were aimed
in the right direction. If you simply shoot an enemy and then wait for your
weapon to reload, this will usually give him enough time to turn round and
gun you down, so this is not advisable. You get an opportunity to use this
weapon in Tomb, but I would advise against it due to your alternatives of
the Mauser Pistol and the Tommy Gun.
22. Colt Pistol (x2) 6:494
This weapon is perhaps the worst pistol in the entire game. It has a slow
fire rate, you only get 6 shots per reload, which is poor, even for a
pistol, and the reloading takes ages. Its only advantages are the amount of
damage you can do per shot (allegedly two shots can kill the target) and the
large amount of ammo you can get for it, but in many pistols, you can get
just as much ammo. I advise against using it for anything, and in the Tomb
level, you should not use it at all. It is just too slow to be useful. The
double version is slightly better, but still doesn’t improve it enough to be
worth using.
23. Shotgun (x2) 2:98
This is a superb weapon despite its age, and can be used to easily kill
someone in one or two shots. However, you should be aware of its slow reload
time, and be ready to duck for cover if your shots fail to kill your target.
However, the reload time stops you from wasting your ammo after killing your
target, so there is an upside to it, since Shotgun ammo is often precious.
You can get this weapon in Village and Mansion, and the weapon is ideal for
blowing the heads off the ghouls and zombies inhabiting the area. Indeed,
the Shotgun is the only weapon you can get in the Mansion, which has its
advantages (you can kill all the enemies in one) and its disadvantages (they
all have Shotguns too.) The best way to kill an enemy with a Shotgun is to
hide behind a wall, and shoot them as they come out (if they are playing
duck and cover) or to lure them out, run round a corner, and then shoot them
as they come looking for you. The double Shotgun is sublimely powerful, and
there are few enemies that cannot be eliminated using it – it is even
superior than the Assault Shotgun. However, it brings up the question again
– can somebody cope with the weight and the recoil of two Shotguns?
24. Brick (bonus weapon) 20
This weapon is uncovered by beating challenge 4C (Brick Flung High) in which
you have to knock out all the windows in the Chinese restaurant using just
some bricks. There are two crucial things you need to know in order to
complete the challenge. Firstly, there are some windows lining the top of
the wall in the room with the gong, which you may have missed. Secondly, the
two shoulder buttons do different things: R1 gives you a high lob which you
can use to break high up windows, and R2 throws a brick forwards – you
should use this to get the low windows. The brick is not really a suitable
weapon when mixed with proper guns – you will always lose with a brick. If
you use the ‘Brick’ weapon preset, then all the weapons are bricks, and it
is extremely amusing to watch everyone as they try to hit each other with
bricks. The technique when throwing a brick is simple – you have to be at
the right distance from the enemy. Too close, and the brick will just bounce
off them and hit you, and they seem to be not damaged at all. Too far, and
the brick will not hit them. If you are just the right distance from them,
the brick will smack into them and usually kill them in one. It takes a lot
of skill to be able to throw a brick effectively, and you should practice
until you can kill an enemy quickly and easily. Running after an enemy
throwing bricks sometimes works but is often reliable, and you will often
get the odd ‘bouncing brick’ problem.
Thanks to REking16@aol.com for his tips on the sniper rifle, colt pistol,
raygun carbine, shotgun, and the grenade launcher. Although I couldn’t
praise the shotgun enough, he managed to find a few more good points about
it, and PSXtreme2222@aol.com for his tip about making the Pistol fire as
fast as an Uzi.
You may put my FAQ on your website without asking, but you must do a few
things in order to be able to put this article on your site. Firstly, you
must not change anything. Secondly, you must accredit me as the author of
the article. Thirdly, you must send me an e-mail telling me who you are and
what website you have put my FAQ on. Lastly, if possible, you should put a
link to www.satsumaonline.com on your website.
Any further tips or techniques you have would be greatly appreciated.
