Score
Gameplay:	7
Graphics:	8
Sound:	7
FunFactor:	7
PlasmaFactor:	6
Overall:	7

Turok Review
December 31, 1969 by Mo Kazmi
The legendary, bow-slinging dinosaur hunter Turok is back in action and ready to roll. With a varied arsenal of weapons ranging from innovative guns and bows to the classic blades and knives, Turok is sure to please any weapon geek. The classic Turok fans out there will like this title, as long as they can learn not to expect too much from the game. Though the essential theme of a man hunting dinosaurs is present, it lacks the pizzazz that the classic Nintendo 64 Turok: Dinosaur Hunter brought forth into every gamer's life. Still, Turok is a game that every classic Turok fan should at least give a shot to show those dinosaurs that Turok still means business.

"Dinomite!" - Breaking the Game Down

Move over Geronimo - here comes the return of our favorite dinosaur-slashing warrior. The game starts off with Turok being thawed out in a spaceship by his cohorts. He is greeted by a new faction he has allied with known as "The Whiskey Company". Their goal is to fight against the old faction he was with known as "The Wolf Pack". Shortly after being jeered by his buddies on the ship, the ship undergoes enemy fire and your first goal is to evacuate it. This particular scene of the game reminded me greatly of Halo. As a matter of fact, the entire beginning of the game seems to lack originality and seems to have been a copycat to previous shooters. Your destination after evacuation is a strange, outlandish planet with dinosaurs roaming all over the place. So after finally landing on this planet, Turok embarks on his epic journey to stop the leader of The Wolf Pack, Kane, and rescue survivors.

The game is nothing beyond a normal first person shooter. The environments are nothing to be awed by. The feel of the game is not necessarily sluggish, but Turok feels slow compared to the pace the developers seemed to be aiming for. Often times you'll find yourself having difficulty maneuvering around small rocks and logs, causing ample frustration, especially when you're being chewed out by those nasty little raptors all over the place. Turok does not satisfy the hype that was displayed for it.

To Hunt or Not to Hunt - That is the Question

So after picking up a Turok game, you're naturally expecting to be in the center of this huge planet killing dinosaurs all over the place, right? Wrong. The beginning of Turok and a decent chunk of the entire game involves killing more human beings than killing dinosaurs. Quite a disappointment, as it makes Turok seem like more of an assassin than a dinosaur hunter. Shame on you, Turok, your Native American ancestors would be disappointed.

Say Hello to My Little Friend - The Weapons

The knife. The bow. 'Nuff said. These two weapons make the game worth playing. The knife can be used to execute dynamic stealth kills on enemies when you're close enough. It's interesting to see the different moves Turok will use on different species of dinosaur. The bow is excellent to take enemies out from a distance and can be used to pin enemies against the environment.

Where's the variety, though? Where are the automatic thrill-cannons and lasers that we fell in love with in N64's Turok? The SMGs and shotguns are a bore. They're not bad weapons, and are definitely necessary at certain parts of the game to clear through huge mobs, but they're extremely boring to use. Turok's weapons are petty and weak and don't give a very pleasing feeling when you use them. The rocket launcher is just your standard rocket launcher and the resulting explosion is disappointing. Dual-wielding against large groups or just shooting arrows against a single enemy are much more efficient than the rocket launcher.

The Sum of the Game

So it's pretty cool to be killing those prehistoric gargantuans and runts alike, but it's forgettable. At first it's pretty cool to see the different stealth kills and actions you can perform on all these creatures, but it's nothing that makes you jump out your seat. The storyline is mediocre, as many flashbacks are shown of Turok's history with The Wolf Pack, but it's never made clear who Kane, the leader, actually is. The game gets repetitive as you slash through similar enemies for long periods of time.

Melodies for Menace

The game's music is very immersive. The upbeat, in-your-face beat is constantly keeping the player on a roll with a thrilling sensation. The ambiance and the music combined created an overall atmosphere of sound that helps to put the player in the world. The dinosaur roars and squeals are creative and dynamic, making it interesting to slash more dinosaurs just for the sake of hearing what they sound like.

One very major draw back to the games sounds is the voice acting. It is not befitting a title with a decent budget and such seasoned actors. It seems the creators tried to make it so that the characters would be humorous and modern. They failed in doing so and only made them less comical.

PlasmaFactor

There's an online multiplayer mode added to the game. Nothing too fantastic, but it should allow you to kick in a few extra hours of gameplay. Those of you who like Rainbow Six 3 for the Xbox, such as myself, would probably like it more than others.

This is Not Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

Overall, Turok has its ups and downs. The lack of weapon variety and the lack of variation in gameplay may disappoint some fans. Although the multiplayer aspect may provide gamers with some fun, the game may have had a much better reception if it was priced appropriately.

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Gameplay: 7 Graphics: 8 Sound: 7  Value: 7 PlasmaFactor: 6 Overall: 7

 By: Mo Kazmi