Turok Review

The original Turok series was a fun weapon based first-person shooter. I say weapon based because that was the thing I found most memorable about it, that and a man who used time-travel and wound up fighting dinosaurs. When a new Turok was announced I didn't know what to think. Yay? I didn't buy it for awhile but when I did, I didn't expect much. The review scores were pretty average, but I promised myself I would play through and beat the game. I did and I was pleased.

The games story has been criticized for not really being there. I agree the games story is pretty thin and could have been so much more. You play has Joseph Turok, a Native American who has joined the ranks of the Whiskey Company on a mission to track down and capture a man named Roland Kane, Turok's former mentor. When your ship is shot down and you crash on a mysterious planet overwhelmed by dinosaurs you are separated with the Whiskey Company and you have to reunite with them. The whole game is based around reuniting with comrades such as Slade and then taking out the big bad boss Kane.

Gameplay is semi-similar to the old Turok games but I felt a connection in gameplay with the Unreal Tournament franchise. The game mixes stealth and assault game types. You can use your bow and knife to take out enemies quietly or take the alternate approach and go in Rambo style guns blazing. A cover system would have been nice but overall it's a basic FPS with some stealth thrown in. The game also has bosses that kind of seem out of place, these boss battles are repetitive and really not the most fun. Your teammates aren't very helpful and usually just sit around. An offline co-op would have made up for this. Fighting dinosaurs isn't as fun as it used to be because they are now just pests. Soldiers are the main foes you'll face this time around and this takes away from the dinosaur theme. Killing people is also made easier in close-combat, by the press of a button you can take them out easily. Something that disappointed me allot was that most of the cool guns from the older Turok's were missing. Sure each weapon still has a second firing mode and dual weapons can be used but it's not the same. The weapons could have been improved on.

The graphics in the game are good. The Unreal Engine makes its return and defiantly benefits the game. Lighting effects are done well and the character models look great. One scene that impressed me is when Turok is looking out into the distance and sees the dinosaurs roaming by. The gun effects are simple and not as flashy as they could be. The sound is alright and the voice acting is decent. The soundtracks aren't the most memorable but when you hear a dinosaur screaming behind you defiantly feel there.

The online in the game is simple and doesn't bring much to the table. Deathmatch and Capture the Flag are the modes you'll see yourself entering the most. The online co-op missions are alright and fun for a tiny bit. After you beat the game once you can try to get all the achievements and play on the harder difficulties but it's not that big of deal.

The stealth is fun at some points and some of the action shines but overall the game is just another FPS and is a game you'll want to buy only if it's cheap. Rent it first and if you love it by all means, buy it.

- SmellyDeadHobo