TimeSplitters Rewind: The Community Picks Up The Pieces

The official resurrection of TimeSplitters is dead. When Embracer Group shuttered Free Radical Design in December 2023, they took the prototype of a new series entry with them, effectively burying the franchise for a second time. For the corporate rights holders, the property is now just another line item on a distressed balance sheet.

For the community, however, the work has continued.

After thirteen years of development hell, engine switches, and legal uncertainty, the team behind TimeSplitters Rewind has finally released a playable Early Access build (v0.3). While the official studio floundered under the weight of corporate mismanagement, a volunteer team has managed to ship a functional, standalone product that attempts to consolidate the best elements of the original trilogy.

A Greatest Hits Collection

Unlike the cancelled official reboot, which was reportedly struggling with an identity crisis involving battle royale mechanics, Rewind is a purist’s project. It is not a simple remaster of one game but a "best of" anthology built on modern architecture.

The initial Early Access release is substantial. It features the complete campaign from the original TimeSplitters, fully playable in single-player or co-op. For multiplayer enthusiasts, the build includes 28 maps drawn from across the series, 41 weapons, and a staggering 96 characters.

Crucially, the "feel" of the game appears to have been the priority. The aiming acceleration, the frantic movement speed, and the specific weight of the gunplay have all been tuned to replicate the PlayStation 2 era experience, rather than adapting to modern military shooter standards.

Surviving the Industry

The release of Rewind is statistically improbable. Fan projects of this scale usually die quietly when the volunteer developers burn out or receive a Cease and Desist order. Rewind has survived both. They secured permission from Crytek (the previous IP holders) years ago, and so far, the current owners at Embracer have not intervened.

The project is free. It does not require the original games to run, nor does it contain microtransactions. It stands as a preservation effort as much as a game; a playable archive of a series that the industry seems determined to forget.

While the "MapMaker" feature is present in the menu (though currently limited in functionality) and bugs are to be expected in a v0.3 build, the mere existence of a playable build is a victory. It serves as a reminder that while publishers own the copyright, the fans often own the legacy.

Projects like TimeSplitters Rewind prove that the community often does it better than the corporations. To keep up with the latest in preservation and fan-projects, subscribe to our weekly briefing at https://retrogamingnews.substack.com/.