Turok: Evolution [GC]

Over a half decade ago, a developer by the name of Iguana Entertainment broke onto the scene with Turok: Dinosaur Hunter for the Nintendo 64. It was an impressive first-person shooter for home consoles at the time, offering up a mix of gory visuals, exaggerated weaponry, and even platform elements. Thanks to some notable sales, it wasn't long before Acclaim had Iguana start on the sequel Turok 2: Seeds of Evil. It is largely regarded as the most ambitious Turok, because it brought unprecedented "high-rez" -- as Acclaim coined it -- 640x480 visuals, stunning animations, massive environments, and a multiplayer mode onto a sizable N64 cartridge. Only Turok 2's unbalanced game design held it back from complete greatness.

It managed to simultaneously surprise and disappointed fans of the franchise, which left them frothing at the mouth for a more perfected sequel. Of course, Acclaim was intent on delivering on that and did indeed release Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion for the N64 in mid-2000. However, it was largely viewed as a step backward in the series, as it further strayed away from the Lost Lands roots and dinosaur themes that the franchise was popular for. This could be attributed to the fact that Iguana Entertainment had seen changes to the staff and company restructuring whilst it gathered under the new name Acclaim Austin.

This wasn't the end of Turok, though. Acclaim Austin wanted to bring the Dinosaur Hunter into the next-generation. After over two years of diligent work, the major installment in the series is complete. Called Turok: Evolution, it is a return to the lush, dino-infested jungles that fans grew attached to since the series' inception. Acclaim Austin once noted that it would be the best Turok yet, with more gore, better graphics, and new variations on gameplay such as flying. But, is it? Read on.

Features

• Storyline follows the original conflict in the Lost Lands
• Single-player mode takes players on a lengthy 15-chapter quest
• Players can run, jump, climb, swim, or use stealth throughout the game
• All-new flight sequences send gamers soaring in intense shooting missions
• Squad-based AI creates diverse battle grounds
• All-new weapons including Variable Payload Cruise Missiles, Gravity Disrupter Beams, and the Swarm Bore each with unique traits and damage
• Weapons are upgraded for further functionality, a pistol becomes your sniper rifle
• Scripted event sequences keep you on your toes
• Dozens of different types of prehistoric and indigenous life
• Destructible objects and environments: shoot down trees onto enemies and collapse massive rock spires onto dinosaur
• Unique multiplayer mode developed by a dedicated team of designers, programmers and artists
• Graphics engine offers up lush, living jungle environments and moody, dimly lit indoors
• A superb range of sound effects, offered up in Dolby Pro Logic II
• Epic sound score compliments the action wonderfully

Gameplay
Acclaim Austin knew that it had to bring that that old-school Turok feeling if it hoped to salvage the franchise name as respectable in the ever-competitive realm of first-person shooters. Having said that, Turok: Evolution is a story of origin, complete with everyone's favorite Turok, Tal'Set, who was lead in Dinosaur Hunter. In fact, this is a prequel that tells the story of how Tal'Set became the man he is, and the story opens with him fighting with his nemesis Captain Tobias Bruckner in 1886 Texas. In their tussle, the two fall into a rift between their world and the Lost Lands, a mysterious place full of civil upheaval and much danger. Thus the adventure of Turok: Evolution begins as Tal'Set continues to seek revenge on the wicked Bruckner in the middle of the tumultuous world.

As Tal'Set, you begin with nothing but your heavy Warhammer and trusty bow in hand. The first world is a verdant jungle with but a few warriors lining its paths. It's basically a training level, but one that's very needed to adjust to the new controls and massive worlds. There is no objective initially laid out before you, but in classic Turok fashion you will likely receive a few shots to the body to thrust you angrily in the right direction. After killing the foe, you realize you'll need to collect the object that has appeared in his wake. Naturally, this sends you testing out your first-person platforming skills as you climb to the top of a small peak. There you will find a pistol and, of course, the mystery object. What's most interesting is that you are forced to jump out onto a tall pillar to collect the item and subsequently open a new path. The catch is that there's no pathway back down. You're just left standing high above the ground, and leaping down might cause your death. Looking around, you find a large body of water below. What's left to do but plunge in and press onward? Indeed, this clever mix of platforming and long-range first person shooting is something we remember fondly in the first Turoks, and it's executed quite well in Evolution.

That said, the design definitely pays tribute to the original. This has its benefits for nostalgia, but also its drawbacks when being compared to modern first-person shooters. The design of Evolution calls for the usual elements: kill all enemies to open a door, pull the available switches, etc. There's a whole crop of highly regarded first-person shooters that have set new standards in the modern day. For the home console, Halo is easily the most highly held, and Turok has to attempt to live up to that. To try to push the envelope forward, Acclaim Austin has implemented a few key elements in hopes to improve the gameplay experience.

The most mentionable is the all-new airborne shooting element, which Acclaim has wanted to include flying missions since it came up with the idea for Turok. Taking to the air on the back of an ancient bird is now a major part of the gameplay, and breaks up the ground-based, first-person shooting action every several chapters. The controls are fairly intuitive and the action reminiscent of titles like Star Fox, but in the end it's just a distraction from the main line of gameplay. In concept, it's designed to serve as a refreshing break from the ground-based gameplay. In execution, however, it can become quite tedious. Turok: Evolution's engine is designed for running along the ground at slow speeds, not flying over them quickly, and it shows. The game frequently stops in the middle of your flying missions to save and load the next area. It's pretty disorienting, and, if you're not careful, you're likely to even lose your bearings enough to crash your bird. Considering this much, we were pleased to see Acclaim Austin's attempt to inject a fresh gameplay concept into Turok's new adventure, but it could have been better executed.