This may have been a run of the mill first person shooter that didn't offer anything new or innovative, but it was still an enjoyable game.
This version of Turok has been reconstructed in a darker and more realistic sci-fi setting with no supernatural elements, so it feels very different from previous titles. In the future, Native American Joseph Turok is a space marine recently transferred to Whiskey company, which is on route to a strange, terraformed planet to kill war criminal Roland Kane, who is also Turok's mentor. On route, Whiskey companies ship is shot down and crash lands on the planet, discovering that it is inhabited by genetically engineered dinosaurs. Now, Turok and his comrades must fight to escape the planet and take down Kane once and for all.
The game successfully emulates some of Halo's features, such as limiting Turok's armament to only four weapons, with two slots permanently taken up by your knife and bow. Speaking of which, the weapons are more conventional, consisting of handguns, SMGs, shotguns, rocket launchers, and others. Turok also has unlimited health, so long as you give him time to recover from damage. And you had the option of using stealth and surprise to kill your enemies rather than simply blasting your way through the game.
The gameplay was solid and action packed, with challenging enemies to kill, and 11 extensive levels that were fun to explore. But there were some pretty annoying elements, such as button mashing at certain points and Turok isn't particularly quick on his feet, making evasion and maneuvering difficult.
Half the time, you'll battle vicious dinosaurs and other prehistoric monsters, like Utahaptors, Dilophosaurus, Giant Scorpions, and Lurkers. The other half, you'll fight Kane's troops. And every so often, you'll encounter a huge T-Rex named Mama Scarface. You can't have a Turok game otherwise.
The graphics were the best part. The levels were beautifully designed and are fully detailed, from lush jungles, rocky valleys, military bases, and others. The enemies and characters looked good too. The sounds were impressive, with crisp weapon sound effects and intimidating dinosaur noises and ambient sounds that help bring the game to life. There was a remarkable voice cast too, involving the talents of Ron Perlman, Donnie Wahlberg, William Fichtner, and Timothy Oliphant.
While I enjoyed this game and consider it a step-up from "Evolution", it still paled in comparison to the franchises N64 days. Today, the series has sadly remained all but dead since this games release if you don't count the remasters on Steam.
