Turok: Evolution [PS2]

Finally, we should mention what is one of the most important aspects of any first-person shooter: the artificial intelligence. Acclaim Austin has been toiling away on what it calls Squad Dynamics System (S.D.S). It revolves around the idea that you are not just fighting a group of mindless fools. Some of them are thickheaded and others are tactical leaders. So, as Tal'Set, you have to make decisions whether you want to storm into an area and use powerful weapons, or if you want to try to approach things more slowly, picking off the more powerful foes first. We experienced quite a few instances where a weakling troop dropped his gun when injured badly and to go alarm more units to seek us out. If taken out in time, this situation would have been averted. Even more impressive is that the enemies were very good at dodging your shots and ducking for cover. It's quite common to see them run away from you to crouch behind a tree or large object, whereupon they will take care to peek out and fire off shots. Occasionally, it even serves as a distraction from enemies that will flank behind you. It's all pretty stellar most of the time, but you can't make it through a level without encountering some buggy AI. You can shoot down an enemy right in the sight of another and he seeks no cover. On an even more extreme level, we've even managed to sling arrows into enemies from a great distance and see no reaction at all.

This seems to be a pattern with Turok: Evolution; with the good comes the bad. On a very general level the four edition to the series is actually a solid first-person shooter, but it seems to be caught in the past and even unfinished in some regards. There's a very odd glitch in the game where you must destroy enemies spawning in a room to open a set of doors to move forward. After you destroy all the enemies, the doors swing open, and there's an invisible wall blocking your progress -- you can shoot through it, even toss grenades through it, but Turok cannot pass. The reason why is that the doors were apparently not supposed to swing open until you physically destroyed the spawning mechanisms in the room. It sounds like a "puzzle," but invisible walls have no context in the situation.

Then we have the control scheme. This has improved greatly, and now draws on the dual analog system that most console shooters draw upon. The PlayStation 2 version, however, has one alternate setting that gives players the option to use the four face buttons for the old-school Turok-style controls, for those players who just can't adjust to the new style.

Closing on our thoughts here, we think Turok can best be summed up a slightly above average first-person shooter that is home to a number of flaws. Hardcore Turok fans will no doubt find the experience nostalgic and enjoyable, but for many, Evolution will feel ho-hum and even tedious at points. We think that if Acclaim Austin had several more months to polish out the gameplay, it could have definitely been a must-play and even worthy purchase. However, as the final version released to the market stands, it just isn't cutting-edge or polished enough to be considered as such. That isn't to say that Evolution is a bad experience, though. It has its fill of thrilling moments and monster boss battles, but in the scope of things, that will not be enough to appease more demanding gamers.

Multiplayer
Let us also briefly note multiplayer. It's actually been designed as a separate component from the main game. Meaning, there are themes and level concepts inspired from the main game, but pretty much all of the levels are totally unique. It also has a host of power-ups such as jump boots and armor plates that change the pace of the matches. There's an Empathy Chest Plate, for instance, that, when worn, will protect you 50% damage while reflecting the other half back at your opponent. Little extras along with the wide-open environments and insane weaponry definitely make for a compelling multiplayer experience.

PS2 owners are short-changed in the mutiplayer deathmatch, which enables only two players to to go head to head. Whereas the Xbox and GameCube versions each offer four-player simultaneous deathmatches.

Graphics
Huge, fogless, verdant jungle environments and dimly lit, moody indoors are the focus on the graphics engine. The jungles are very lush, packed with thick grass, innumerable trees, and lot of indigenous life. You actually feel somewhat claustrophobic if you step into an area that shrouds you in foliage. You can even lose your sense of direction if you're not careful. So, the ground covering is effectively designed. Equally, the indoor environments are usually large labyrinths, moderately textured and complex with geometry. Overall, though, Turok: Evolution isn't exactly an eye-popping game, save for some of the work the team did on Xbox.

Again, the PS2 version is the least polished and least pretty of the three versions. The PS2 version, while certainly offering the same basic visuals as the other two systems, also offers longer loading times and some eye-catching pop-in and fade-in that takes the shine off the otherwise lush environments. Out of the three, the PS2 version definitely looks the worst.

Sound
Like the past Turoks, the sound design is easily the most impressive part of the game. The soundtrack is wildly varied and does a brilliant job setting the mood. The sounds of screeching horns and pounding drums will have your heart thumping. This is perfectly complimented by the sound effects, too. Again, Acclaim Austin did a splendid job of recording the sounds of wildlife in addition to all the sublte effects of bullts clanking on the floor and even the "squishy" footsteps of the shoeless reptilians that chase you around.

The mixture of slow-paced and faster paced music helps to differentiate the moods of each level, and the dynamic music, which reacts to various actions in the game is enjoyable.

The PlayStation 2 version supports Dolby Pro Logic II for the full surround sound experience. The separation is nicely done, but compression of the effects and sound is a drawback.

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