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TUROK: EVOLUTION (PS2)
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Publisher: Acclaim.
Developer: Acclaim Studios Austin. Released: November 2002. Genre: FPS. Other versions: XBOX; GC; GBA; PC. Posted 20th July 2021. By Shane Battams © 2021 |
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Arguably one of the Nintendo 64’s most noteworthy exclusives, Turok enjoyed a significant run of success on the platform with three well-received instalments and a multiplayer spin-off. But by 2002, with three competing formats on the market and Acclaim suffering financial woes, a multi-platform dino-venture seemed inevitable and Turok: Evolution, a prequel to the original, would mark just such a game, as well as the series debut on a Sony console. However, it doesn’t live up to the lofty expectations of its predecessors, largely due to technical woes and frustrating gameplay.
The story has never been a focal point of Turok, but by serving as a prequel to the 1997 original, Evolution seeks to change that. As Tal’set battles with Captain Bruckner, going as far as to hack his arm off, as both are dragged into a wormhole that drops our protagonist into a jungle canopy, nearly killing him. When a village tending to his wounds is attacked by reptilian monsters known as the Slegs, it’s up to Tal’set to accept the mantle of Turok and fight in the war against these predators. It’s barely worth mentioning though, because the story is thin in the extreme, littered with bland and poorly voiced characters. It feels almost non-existent, with scant cut-scenes adding little to the game.
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Despite some busy-looking levels, the visuals are a weakness of Evolution, with bland textures and poor models
Taking place across a whopping 15 chapters spread into 65 levels, Turok Evolution contains a mix of tighter shooting sequences, more expansive levels which can lead to stealth and some flying sections where you partake in dogfights. It’s a lengthy game, but not necessarily one which keeps you engaged. None of the lone elements are particularly bad, but they can be compounded by sometimes broken AI. Enemies will not respond to you shooting them, dinosaurs can be fooled with circle-strafing and stealth can often be achieved by simply running back to a previous area, causing the AI to reset. The dogfights don’t really suffer from this issue, offering some neat shooting galleries to spice up the action.
What Turok lacks in AI finesse, it makes up for with guns. The selection of weaponry here is satisfying, with a large range of guns that keep the action fresh. You come equipped with the Tekbow, offering standard quivers as well as poison and explosive, as well as meaty pistols, shotguns and rocket launchers. There’s a lot of bizarre weaponry too, including Dark Matter Cubes which suck enemies into a vortex, the electric Plasma Cannon and a Flechette gun, which doubles as a mini-gun. The way many of the guns turn enemies into bloody chunks, the gruesome headshots and visceral gunplay make Turok’s combat stand out. The more expansive levels offer an opportunity for stealth, including a bow for silent kills, and these have a neat sense of scale.
What Turok lacks in AI finesse, it makes up for with guns. The selection of weaponry here is satisfying, with a large range of guns that keep the action fresh. You come equipped with the Tekbow, offering standard quivers as well as poison and explosive, as well as meaty pistols, shotguns and rocket launchers. There’s a lot of bizarre weaponry too, including Dark Matter Cubes which suck enemies into a vortex, the electric Plasma Cannon and a Flechette gun, which doubles as a mini-gun. The way many of the guns turn enemies into bloody chunks, the gruesome headshots and visceral gunplay make Turok’s combat stand out. The more expansive levels offer an opportunity for stealth, including a bow for silent kills, and these have a neat sense of scale.
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Unfortunately, it’s undone by a woeful technical performance. At times both ambitious and nauseating, Turok’s large levels and intensely packed scenarios often cause the game to drop to a crawl. It can adversely affect gunplay, making it very hard to shoot your target. This is compounded by an unforgiving checkpoint system, which means that upon dying, you’re sent back to the start of a mission, meaning dozens of minutes of gameplay can be lost. Some of the later levels, involving death traps that can kill you instantly, are particularly painful. Instead of feeling a sense of satisfaction, you feel relieved to escape Evolution’s frustrating moments and it becomes a slog even to reach the game’s conclusion.
It feels like these technical hiccups are more due to the density of the levels, rather than the quality of the graphics. Nothing looks particularly impressive here, with flatly lit environments, dated textures, bland enemies and wildlife, and drab shading and effects. The only plus point is its progression in terms of eliminating fogging, as it’s almost absent in comparison to that found in the N64 releases. The audio doesn’t fare much better, with muddy sounding effects dampening the auditory experience, bland voice acting and generic music which adds nothing to combat. The guns, when not audibly muddied, do pack a punch though.
It feels like these technical hiccups are more due to the density of the levels, rather than the quality of the graphics. Nothing looks particularly impressive here, with flatly lit environments, dated textures, bland enemies and wildlife, and drab shading and effects. The only plus point is its progression in terms of eliminating fogging, as it’s almost absent in comparison to that found in the N64 releases. The audio doesn’t fare much better, with muddy sounding effects dampening the auditory experience, bland voice acting and generic music which adds nothing to combat. The guns, when not audibly muddied, do pack a punch though.
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There's a cool array of weapons and some satisfying combat, but be prepared for frustrating checkpointing
There is some solace to be found in a side dish of multiplayer, though. The selection of levels have been designed exclusively for skirmishes, and while it’s limited to two players, the inclusion of wildlife that can attack you and unique weaponry is pretty cool. It would offer a nice sidebar but isn’t ultimately enough to rescue the solo campaign.
Ambitious and frustrating in equal measure, Turok: Evolution can only be seen as a disappointment next to its predecessors. Its concepts are sound, but it’s undone by a woeful technical performance that dogs the gameplay at every turn. There are too many frustrating moments to count and a general air of blandness, whether it’s the forgettable story, drab visuals or uninspired sound. Fans may be able to stomach the flaws, but anyone unfamiliar with Turok would do well to avoid this one.
Ambitious and frustrating in equal measure, Turok: Evolution can only be seen as a disappointment next to its predecessors. Its concepts are sound, but it’s undone by a woeful technical performance that dogs the gameplay at every turn. There are too many frustrating moments to count and a general air of blandness, whether it’s the forgettable story, drab visuals or uninspired sound. Fans may be able to stomach the flaws, but anyone unfamiliar with Turok would do well to avoid this one.
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VERDICT
"Ambitious and frustrating in equal measure, Turok: Evolution is undone by a woeful technical performance that dogs the gameplay at every turn. Fans may be able to stomach the flaws, but anyone unfamiliar with Turok would do well to avoid it.” OVERALL: 5/10 |