In an homage to the beloved Timesplitters franchise, Homefront: The Revolution will let gamers play through the first two levels of Timesplitters 2 via an in-game arcade machine.

While many players are happy blasting their way through gamers around the globe in the online deathmatch modes of games like Call of Duty, there was a time when gamers got together on the same couch to engage in some good, old fashioned companion shooting. In the era of the PS2, Gamecube, and the Xbox, split-screen shooters reigned supreme, with the classic levels and iconic weapons cementing Halo as the de facto local multiplayer first-person shooter. But while Halo might have been the Xbox’s killer app, there was another shooter franchise that gamers grew to love: Timesplitters.

With its varied maps, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, and memorable weapons, Timesplitters grew from a humble PS2 shooter to a beloved way to kill an afternoon with some friends. And now, thanks to Homefront: The Revolution, gamers will get to relive those Timesplitters glory days by playing through the first two levels of Timesplitters 2 once more.

While the final entry in the Timesplitters series hit consoles all the way back in 2005, the developers of the fan-favorite series haven’t exactly been twiddling their thumbs. Timesplitters developer Free Radical Design would eventually shut its doors after the release of the sub-par PS3 shooter Haze, reemerging as Deep Silver Dambuster Studios. After Crytek Studios was hit with a financial crisis, the studio opted to sell the Homefront I.P. – and the in-development Homefront: The Revolution along with it – to Dambuster. While Homefront: The Revolution has been Dambuster’s primary focus, it seems that the studio has grown nostalgic for its classic properties, leading to the surprise inclusion of the aforementioned Timesplitters 2 levels in the upcoming shooter.

Eurogamer reports that the first two levels from Timesplitters 2’s time-jumping single-player campaign, Siberia and Chicago, can be accessed as an Easter egg within Homefront: The Revolution. The levels can be found by interacting with an arcade machine found inside of a makeshift prison that the player comes across. While gamers will likely be plenty busy battling North Korean troops in Homefront’s war-torn Philadelphia, the revolution will surely understand if players take a moment or two to walk down FPS memory lane.

Unfortunately, the Easter egg is simply a tip of the hat to the beloved franchise, and should not be read as a hint at the long-rumored Timesplitters 4. While Dambuster may have been primarily responsible for Timesplitters, Crytek still retains the IP rights to the franchise, so what comes next for the series will depend upon what Crytek opts to do.

With Game Rant dubbing Timesplitters 2 one of the PS2 games that should be brought to the PS4, it’s obvious that Timesplitters still has plenty of vocal fans. Gamers are preparing for Homefront: The Revolution’s upcoming May 17th release, but the news of the homage is sure to excite gamers even more. Hopefully, when the upcoming Homefront is on shelves, Deep Silver Dambuster Studios will have the opportunity work with Crytek to revive the much missed Timesplitters franchise. Although that may be wishful thinking at this point in time.

Homefront: The Revolution releases for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on May 17th

Source: Eurogamer