Looking down the Dam, from the top of the TS2 Level. The Mi-24 Hind Boss seen at the bottom.
Oblask Dam is a fictional Soviet military base in Siberia. It provides its own hydroelectric power and is believed to be near a military airfield, due to flying MiG-29s and Mi-24 Hinds.
On TimeSplitters 2, it is home to the first Story level (set in 1990), while TimeSplitters: Future Perfect has an Arcade version of the dam.
History[]
In around 8,000 BC, the TimeSplitters visited the future location of Oblask Dam on Earth in an attempt to stop Humanity at its genesis. Fortunately, their plan failed, but their fossilised remains were preserved in the rocks and ice for thousands of years.
After World War II, there was dispute over which side should take the conquered Germany. This sparked a 45 year tension between the West and the Communists, known as the Cold War. Primarily, the United States was afraid of the spread of communism, due to the wide influence of the Soviet Union. It was during this period that Oblask Dam was built, as a base of operations for defending Russia. In the late 1980's, the Soviet Union began to crumble, before it disbanded completely in 1991.
Layout[]
Although it is the same dam on both TS2 and TSFP, its layout is dramatically different.
On TimeSplitters 2, the map consists of 4 main sections: the communications centre, the dam, the main headquarters and the digging site. Despite the fundamentals of hydroelectricity, the generators are placed within the main headquarters, not within the dam itself.
In TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, the map is based on the frozen lake behind the dam, away from the military base. Despite this, there are a few corridors within the rocks, that suggest military occupation. However, the shape of the dam (which now has towers) and inconsistent floor plan with the original map, suggest that the military base has since been closed off and the level is in fact based on a more peaceful period, when the dam is being used purely to generate hydroelectricity.
Story[]
1990, Siberia
- Main article: Siberia (Story)
The AH-64 Apache/Mi-24 Hind Gunship.
In 1990, Cortez visited Sibera (disguised as Ilsa Nadir) in search of the Time Crystal. With Gregor Lenko, he infiltrated the base, taking out guards as he went.
During his visit, he discovered that Soviet scientists had unearthed the Reaper Splitter remains underneath the dam and had tried to develop biological weaponry from it, with horrific results. As a result, Special Forces were sent to deal with the problem, however the Mutants and Zombies encountered were too much for them to cope with.
Cortez swiftly destroyed the Biohazard Container, housing the TimeSplitter, before finishing off any Mutants that remained. He also burned the evidence in the file cabinets, ensuring a repeat of this scenario would not happen again.
On escaping to the roof, Cortez encountered a helicopter Gunship, which he soon destroyed, before escaping through the time portal.
Arcade[]
- Main article: Siberia (Arcade) (TS2)
Shooting Lt. Frost with a Sniper Rifle.
Despite not actually having a map in Arcade Custom on TimeSplitters 2, the communications centre from the Story Level appears in Arcade League. In the first level (Shrinking from the Cold), Lt. Frost is playing a game of Shrink against Nikolai and Sgt. Shivers. In the other (Golden Thighs), Kitten Celeste tries to win back Harry Tipper in an Elimination game against The Jungle Queen.
The map itself consists of 5 small buildings and the tunnel where you start the story level. Exactly why this map is not available in arcade custom is unknown, but it would be great for smaller games (like in Compound).
Present Day, Siberia
- Main article: Siberia (Arcade)
The new Oblask Dam.
Due to irregularities in the layout (similar to the Lost Temple of T'hochek), the TimeSplitters: Future Perfect map is probably set after the events of 1990. The new map is the largest on the game and is also the only default map to feature a Zeep.
As mentioned previously, the map consists of a large frozen lake, with the dam at one end and 4 tunnels through the rock. The three gun emplacements on top of the dam have now been extended into two large towers and an observation deck in between.
The map, due to its size, is clearly a sniper map and, as a result, features the Sniper Rifle, Vintage Rifle and Sci-Fi Sniper in its recommended weapon set.
Anaconda[]
Screenshot of Anaconda.
One of the Game Cartridges on TS2 is found on any difficulty inside the main headquarters of the Story Level. Anaconda is based on the 1978 game, Snake. It is found in the form of a classic game cart on a shelf in the first room of the building. It can be played on the Temporal Uplink, despite expected compatibility issues. Unlike in NeoTokyo and Robot Factory, the Anaconda game is not considered an antique at the time it is found, as it would have only been 12 years old, as opposed to 40 or over 300 years old.
To play, the player (or players) must steer a snake around the screen, collecting points in the form of red or blue crosses. After every cross the snake 'eats' it will get longer in length. The game ends when the anaconda eats the side of the play area or its own tail.
The game is accessed by either selecting a cart from the weapon select screen, or by pressing the reload button on the Temporal Uplink.
Trivia[]
- Since 'Oblask' isn't a real word, the name is most likely taken from the Russian term 'Oblast', which is an area or region that has been delineated for administration in Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, or other surrounding countries in that part of the world.
- The Oblask Dam is a nod to the first level of Goldeneye 007, where Bond has to infiltrate a Soviet Dam in the 1990s. The Timesplitters team originally worked for Rare and developed Goldeneye 007 before leaving Rare to create their own studio.
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