10 Insane Video Game Secrets You Had To Cheat To Unlock

8. Unlockable TimeSplitters 2 - Homefront: The Revolution

homefront the revolution timesplitters 2
Free Radical

2016 FPS Homefront: The Revolution will likely either be remembered as a pretty middling affair in its own right or, rather strangely, as the most up-to-date way to play a much older, all-time classic.

When you reach the Restricted Zone, the game will take you to the ramshackle safe house The Bourse. On the second floor is a dusty old arcade machine that, when examined, will pause the revolution and let the player get some nostalgic kicks playing through two stages of 2002 FPS legend TimeSplitters 2.

It took five years before the truth behind this Easter Egg came out though when developer Matt Phillips admitted in 2021 that there was more to this TimeSplitters port. A lot more. Like, “the rest of the game” kind of more. However, it was all locked behind a cheat code that he had unfortunately completely forgotten, due to how complex it was.

Originally, he had given the cheat to a friend to leak onto a Discord server but in a hilarious twist of fate said friend had been banned for dealing out phoney info. However, in the wake of the news, that friend (who turned out to be Xbox software engineer Stephen Perreault) re-emerged with the code after all this time.

Considering the lack of official rereleases for TimeSplitters 2, this may well be one of the best unlockable surprises for long-time fans of the genre.

Contributor

Coming from a content creation background that now spans over two decades, Psy cut her teeth on personal video production and community radio. Originally joining the team as a writer and presenter, she added video editing duties to her responsibilities over time and became the longest-standing editor of the irreverent gaming show Tues Your Own Adventure. Psy has worked on many previews and reviews, long-form editorials (either her own, or supporting as an editor), as a frequent quizmaster and more. Praised for the two-pronged attack of her hard work ethic and light-hearted editing style, Psy is otherwise known as a font of retro video game knowledge which has caused her to rack up many gaming quiz wins. Outside of WhatCulture, Psy runs First Aid Spray Podcast - a long-running channel that focuses on Resident Evil in all of it's forms. You can follow her on BlueSky at http://psywhite.bsky.social and Instagram at http://instagram.com/therealpsywhite