Gaming Target - Xbox: Turok: Evolution

Written by Nick Doukas on April 05, 2002

First Impressions: FPS fans, lock and load... it's open season on VelociraptorsЕ

Being an Xbox owner, as well as a huge fan of First Person Shooters, has proven to be extremely beneficial. Halo had me up late for months, exploring every conceivable method of offing Covenant troops. With titles like Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter and Medal Of Honor: Allied Assault coming to the box, you can rest assured that there'll be plenty of virtual carnage to go around. Into the fray steps Turok: Evolution, a prequel to the events chronicled in Turok: Dinosaur Hunter(and it's sequels) for the Nintendo 64. Having played the Turok games, I must say that I've always found them to be on the cutting edge of graphics, sound and play mechanics. Back when my gaming setup consisted of a PSX and an N64, I spent many an hour blasting away with Turok's impressive arsenal of weapons (I was always a big fan of the automatic shotgun, but who could forget the Cerebral Bore?) Well boys and girls, the same developer who brought you the original (previously Iguana, now Acclaim Studios Austin) is back for another go at putting some serious dinosaur meat on the table!! It looks like they've got something special in store for gamers everywhere.

Set in Texas, circa 1886, Turok: Evolution explores the origins of the Turok lineage. Players begin the game in control of Tal'Set, a warrior battling his nemesis, Captain Tobias Bruckner. During the battle, both men are swept through a dimensional rift into the Lost Lands. Tal'Set is rescued and tended to by the inhabitants of the River village, a people desperately trying to escape the cruelty of Lord Tyrannus and his army of reptilian mutants. Tal'Set becomes involved in the war against Tyrannus and comes to learn that the new General of the Lords armies is none other than Bruckner himself. The stage is set for a terrific showdown.

To quote David Dienstbeir, Turok's creative director (and the man behind the original): УWe are working to put Turok not just ahead of the first person shooters currently on the market, but to blow away anything that comes out over the next year.Ф To this end, the team has been working diligently to ensure that the world of Turok comes to life like never before. Sources reveal that the game, running on the Xbox hardware, looks quite impressive. The jungle teems with life: compys move about the thick underbrush searching for food, insects flutter over swirling pools of water and pterodactyls cruise by overhead. Traversing beyond the jungle, Tal'Set's adventure will take him to suspended cities, a fortress and a dinosaur graveyard. Battling vicious creatures, as well as Tyrannus's forces, gamers will have their work cut out for them. Fans of the series will be pleased to hear that the developers have assembled a frightening arsenal, which includes Gravity Disruptor Beams, Variable Payload Cruise Missiles and the Swarm Bore. Not to mention a few other choice implements of death. Each weapon will have alternate modes of fire as well. The team is utilizing a ground breaking Squad Dynamics System (S.D.S) to create realistic enemy and allied squad AI, as well as scripted event sequences to effortlessly advance the game's story. Turok: Evolution will also feature destructible objects and environments, enabling the player to drop trees onto unsuspecting enemies or collapse a massive rock spire onto a pursuing dinosaur. The game will also feature several flight sequences, in which Tal'Set climbs aboard a winged dinosaur and takes to the air, battling foes with a blaster and missiles. It's possible (though not confirmed at this time) that there will be other beasts of burden for our hero to take control of throughout the adventure. Reportedly, in game sounds are coming along nicely. Over 1,000 sound effects are being created for this title, along with 2,500 lines of script.

A dedicated team of designers, programmers and artists are working solely on the games multiplayer aspects. It has also been revealed that Turok: Evolution will have the player fighting alongside computer-controlled characters that are encountered during the adventure. Stealth and action based gameplay will be dictated by context-sensitive, mission-based sequences. If the developers remain true to their vision of УDinotopia meets Omaha BeachФ FPS fans are in for a real treat come August. Even if you've never played a Turok game before, this one promises to be an adrenaline pumping thrill ride that shouldn't be missed.