NOW! That's what GR calls crap music

TimeSplitters 2

TimeSplitters 2 's circus level has some particularly nasty music in it. Perhaps it's meant to sound scary, what with its trills on alternated semitones and descending modulation and all... but the only thing it's actually descending into is crapness. Technically, it's quite impressively structured and there's a nice variety in its textures, but this can't disguise the fact that every new bar is another musical cliché.

It doesn't even fit the action. Listening to it now, we can't imagine the composer was ever thinking about shoot-em-up gameplay when it was composed. Clowns with knives and dancing jugglers with human heads as balls, maybe. And remember, kids - when you run out of ideas in your music compositions, you can always repeat the main theme again! Your teacher will love it. But we won't.

Hear it here

Above: If you're lucky, he'll make it quick. If you're unlucky, he'll make you listen through again first

Above: If you're lucky, he'll make it quick. If you're unlucky, he'll make you listen through again first

Justin Towell

Justin was a GamesRadar staffer for 10 years but is now a freelancer, musician and videographer. He's big on retro, Sega and racing games (especially retro Sega racing games) and currently also writes for Play Magazine, Traxion.gg, PC Gamer and TopTenReviews, as well as running his own YouTube channel. Having learned to love all platforms equally after Sega left the hardware industry (sniff), his favourite games include Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, Zelda BotW, Sea of Thieves, Sega Rally Championship and Treasure Island Dizzy.