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(Image: DS)

Homefront: The Revolution is coming out this Friday and for anyone who's been following the game will know, you can find an arcade cabinet hidden in the city which lets you play the first two levels of PS2 classic, TimeSplitters 2.

If you can't work out why, then there's a very good explanation.

Well before the Nottingham-based developers behind Homefront became Dambuster Studios, they were more commonly known as Free Radical Design, the team behind the rather amazing TimeSplitters series.

The first-person shooter first arrived as a PlayStation 2 launch title back in 2000 and quickly established itself as one of the most unconventional, addictive shooters around.

However a series of difficult situations for the company meant that the 'Splitters brand quickly fell by the wayside.

Former Free Radical employee Martin Wakeley told Eurogamer a few years back: "We tried to do TimeSplitters 4 with everyone, but they (Publishers) weren't interested. People say they love it, but no-one wants to sell that game."

And during a brief spell of ownership under Crytek, CEO Cevat Yerli told VG247 that the company was gauging the popularity of the TimeSplitters franchise.

However he also noted that that while the “volume of responses” is quite high, “it’s not high enough” to warrent a new release.

"When we finished TimeSplitters 3 it was, at the time, a very hard market," explains Dambuster's Studio Head & Game Director Hasit Zala.

"Call of Duty had really taken off at that stage and it was hard for publishers and money people to look beyond that genre of games.

"Publishers were really focussed on the Halo's and Call of Duty style games - and for many of them it was difficult to see past that style."

Zala tells us that right now, Dambuster's staff are fully focussed on the release of Homefront: The Revolution.

Not to mention the teams ongoing committment to add new content to the game up to a year after release.

But when we ask if he thinks a series like TimeSplitters could return in the future, he offers an interesting perspective:"I think what you start to see over time, is that many gamers get IP fatigue," explains Zala."You can see more recently that people's mind sets are changing and the things they want are changing as well.

"We're starting to see people wanting different styles of gameplay [in shooters] and I think the great thing is, as time goes on, opinions change and the fashion changes within gaming culture.

"You look at a game like Overwatch, I think that's a really good example of something that eight years ago, with that art style, within the shooter genre, could have run into the same problems TimeSplitters 3 faced."

Before we leave the studio, we ask Zala one more time if he thinks there's room for another TimeSplitters game in today's crowded FPS market.

Zala pauses and then tell us: "There's always opportunity for different games and aesthetics to come through."

Lets hope it's not another eleven years before those gun-wielding monkeys make a comeback.

(Image: DEEP SILVER)

Homefront: Revolution is due released May 20 2016 in Europe on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

For anyone wanting to push the boat out, you can still pick up the extravagant limited edition version of the game that comes with all the bells and whistles.

Alongside a boxed copy of the game, the Goliath Edition includes:

• A radio controlled scale replica ‘Goliath’ Drone, with working lights and six-wheel suspension.

• An exclusive Steel Book

• A 32 page Art Book featuring Resistance-themed concept art and cutting edge Apex weapon and vehicle technology

• The ‘Revolutionary Spirit’ pack (details below)

• The Homefront: The Revolution Expansion Pass, entitling access to major single-player expansions

For more information and to see the full list of pre-order bonuses available, head over to www.homefront-game.com