Turok [X360]

Turok: The Creation

Touchtone is primarily known for its long list of theatrical releases, but this year the movie producer will turn its attention to the world of console gaming. Turok is an old video game franchise that has been revived and given the "big screen" treatment. This new incarnation of Turok will feature well-known actors in key roles, a cinematic storyline penned by real screenwriters and all the action of a summer blockbuster. Check out this series of videos for more details on the creation of the new Turok.

WATCH TUROK VIDEOS

Hands-On Preview

The first time we got a chance to take a glimpse at Vancouver-based Propaganda Games' Turok was over a year ago. Some of us were a bit cynical as to whether or not the franchise, which went from hero to zero during countless sequels under Acclaim's reign, could return to its former glory. Since then, we've gotten to check out more of the game in action. At E3 it impressed us quite a bit, and now at Games Convention we saw a new level and some freshly unveiled weapons. While we don't expect Turok to reinvent the wheel, we're now expecting it to nicely reinvent the franchise.

When we asked about dinosaur rosters, we got a laundry list of species. We've decided that rather than painstakingly breaking down every type of prehistoric creature around, it's easier to say that if it was in "Jurassic Park," it's probably in this game, too. Essentially, as Turok, you're stuck on a planet filled with both dinosaurs and a faction of soldiers. You're trapped between both, but we're not sure which one's the rock and which one's the hard place. Either way, it seems that Propaganda's strategy has been to create some very complex strands of AI. If you get caught in the crossfire of soldiers, they'll be smart enough to attack in numbers, and if you're not careful, you can get flanked. The dinosaurs are similar in that they will attack in packs, although team members cited "28 Days Later" as a major inspiration for the fast-running, relentless, rage-filled attacks the carnivorous dinos deliver. After dying twice during our demo at the hands of a furious Velociraptor, we would agree with that comparison.

At the end of our short demo, we walked away from Turok feeling pretty happy about it. It's got a good combination of solid visuals, intuitive gameplay, and some pretty over the top weapons. As of now, we know that it will support co-op play for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, although more details are mum for the time being. If we have any real issues with the game, they're largely on the side of marketing this game. We think it's a good-looking title, but it's going to have the challenge of standing out from the competition. We're not saying that it's going to get buried, but we'd like to see some sort of extra "umph" out of the experience that separates it from countless shooters on the market. Beyond that, we're still looking forward to watching bloody chunks of dinosaur autonomously flop around, and will have more coverage forthcoming.

More from Turok

• Previews
• Trailers and Gameplay Footage
• Screenshot Gallery
• News