Has Turok Evolved? (Turok Evolution (PS2))

Member Name: pbyron

Product:	Turok Evolution (PS2)
Date:	24/12/02 (372 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice multiplayer games, Good storyline

Disadvantages: Controls are pretty poor, Some graphical glitches

Turok is something of a legend as far as Nintendo 64 owners are concerned. So it now comes down to this new Turok game, on Gamecube, Xbox and PS2, to re-instate the power of the Dinosaur, can it do the job or will it become extinct before its time?

Story
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The premise of this new game is that our hero, Tal'Set, has been sent to a dimension of dinosaurs called the lost land and must find Tyrannus, who threatens to take over the place. Not exactly a new formula, but it worked for the previous games, so there’s no need to change it here. You start the adventure armed with a nifty bow and arrow, and get to pick up all manner of weapons from tomahawks to some serious firepower. These will aid you in your quest against the evil forces and some seriously angry dinosaurs that cross your path, and trust me, you'll need them!

It's obviously been given a lot of thought and means that you will find yourself in many different stages, from the early forest based settings to the later castle parts.

Graphics
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The graphics in this new Turok have improved immensely since the last outing, as you would imagine. There are plenty of lovely dinosaurs to stare at, great looking enemies to fight and some nice fire and water effects on show as well. The only niggle here is that the paths are pretty defined, and if you try to go too far you will come up against a 2D wall of plants, not very realistic! Still, despite that there are some beautiful sights here and you will often find yourself admiring the animation on the dinosaurs as they walk past.

The general air is pretty good though, but the developers could do with a few more classes in making bounderies more realistic. Look at Grand Theft Auto 3, it may not be perfect, but it feels in keeping with the game.

Music
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Music and sound effects are nicely done too, with some great use of surround if you have the equipment. It really adds to the e
ffect as you walk through the water and hear something swimming up behind you, or hear a large creature trampling the grass and snorting. You know that sooner or later you will have to turn around and confront it!

It's nice that more and more games are utilising the surround technology now, it helps to create a better atmosphere for the games.

Controls
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The controls take some getting used to. It seems at first that they are too responsive. If you press up, then the view shoots upward, allowing for some tricky aiming at times, but as you progress you’ll find it easier to control the character and get those accurate shots in. There are, however, still little niggles with the control system that prevent the game from being as easy to pick up and play as it could be, but it’s worth putting up with this to get to the luscious later stages or the great multiplayer.

As with all First Person Shooters, the multi-player modes are where you will find the longevity, and Turok gives you these in abundance. All sorts of modes are on offer here, each with multiple weapons and much slaying action. Everything from the usual Deathmatch mode to the fan favourite Capture the Flag is there and waiting for you to inflict multi-player mayhem on your fellow Dinosaur Hunters. This is where the game really stands out and you’ll find yourself coming back to the deathmatch modes again and again.

Conclusion
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Does Turok manage to live up to it’s N64 hype? Well, it does have problems with the controls and the single player can get a bit boring, but with the help of some lovely graphics and many modes of play it certainly does the trick in multi-player. Turok is indeed alive, well and kicking butt.

Score 7/10

Summary: