Jump to content

Turok (video game)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Cjcamilla (talk | contribs) at 13:57, 3 February 2008 (→Demo: who spells it like that?). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Turok (video game)" redirects here. For the first video game in the Turok series, see: Turok: Dinosaur Hunter.

Turok
Developer(s)Propaganda Games
Aspyr Studios (PC)
Publisher(s)Touchstone Studios
EngineUnreal Engine 3
Platform(s)Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC[1]
Release


PC Release Date:

Spring 2008 (Worldwide)
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single player
multiplayer

Turok is the latest installment in the first-person shooter Turok video games series based on Acclaim Entertainment's comic series under the same name. The game scheduled to be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on February 5, 2008, however, Gamestop had an exclusive deal to release the game on January 31st, 2008, and in the spring for the PC[1]. It is being developed by Propaganda Games and published and distributed by Disney Interactive Studios under the Touchstone banner.

Gameplay mechanics and features

The gameplay will be similar to that of most first-person shooters, with a strong focus on survival in dangerous natural environments. The human enemies, under the leadership of Kane, will be the main threat to the player, although dinosaurs may often be found wandering throughout the game. Propaganda Games stated that the dinosaurs will act as a neutral force and, if the player chooses, can be used as a sort of tool to help them. This may be done by attracting roaming dinosaurs to a firefight (via: flares, gunshots, etc.) to aid the player and help dispatch the enemy, with possible other ways depending on the situation. The dinosaur A.I will not be limited in attacking specific enemies, so other dinosaurs and all humans, including the player's allies and enemies, may be attacked.[2]

Propaganda Games has included an additional, stealth mechanic in the game. Because Turok takes place mostly in jungle environments with a focus on ambiance, the player may kill enemies with a bow or knife without being heard or use dinosaurs to attract the attention of other enemies and slip by unnoticed. These gameplay elements have been made optional, meaning the player is never forced to use stealth to their advantage if they wish not to. Well-known among Turok fans, the games generally feature a large, creative arsenal, with unconventional futuristic weaponry, much unlike that found in typical first-person shooters. Propaganda assures that they will stay true to the franchise's roots and create inventive and memorable weapons for the players' use. However, the cerebral bore will not be making its return in Turok.[3] This Turok will use a heavily modified version of the Unreal 3 Engine, with modifications on realistic textures, A.I, and particle effects. Propaganda chose the Unreal engine for its flexibility in multiplayer capabilities.[citation needed]

Multiplayer

Online multiplayer support will also be available. There is a Team Deathmatch,CTF,Wargames,and Assult CTF. Multiplayer will support up to 16 people. A feature in the multiplayer - randomly spawning computer-controlled dinosaurs that appear in various locations in levels - adds a new factor to the gameplay, and has not appeared in first person shooter games since Doom. While players must worry about the opposing enemies, they must now also worry about enraged dinosaurs that will be attempting to kill them.[2] Capture the flag has also been confirmed through developer videos interviews [4]. Official Xbox Magazine also hinted that there will be several variants of Capture the Flag, including one with dino attractants in the flag to give the game an added twist. Split screen multiplayer is not supported in any form, to the disappointment of many long time Turok fans, although a possible sequel may contain it if development time allows.

Originally, the Xbox 360 version of Turok was set to feature an Achievement called "Grab Bag", which required players to kill at least one enemy, one dinosaur, one teammate, and themselves, all in the same match.[3] This caused controversy on the internet as the achievement essentially rewards players for team killing. Josh Holmes, a representative of Propaganda Games, described the creation of the achievement by saying "What we found was that players playing their first match in Turok - almost every player - was (accidentally) killing himself, a team mate and an enemy with a grenade or a Stick Bomb gun and so we thought 'hey, we should give them an achievement for that', as kind of a joke." He went on to say that developers were planning to release a patch removing Grab Bag if excessive team killing became a problem after launch.[4]

Demo

A single-player demo of Turok was made available January 15, 2008 for Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Marketplace[5] and on PS3 via PSN on January 17. However, this excludes North America as Gamestop and EB games have an exclusive deal where one receives the demo and a Turok T-shirt by pre-ordering the game. Prior to this, the only way to get the demo was to pre-order the game from EB games and Gamestop inside the store locations. The demo was finally released to North America via the Xbox Live Marketplace on January 29, 2008.[6].

The Turok Demo can now be found in the February issue Demo Disk of the Official Xbox magazine.

Dinosaurs

  • Tyrannosaurus rex - Confirmed. The most powerful and dangerous dinosaur in the game. Serves as a boss on two occations.
  • Juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex - Confirmed. Smaller version of the Tyrannosaurus. They are stronger than raptors.
  • Utahraptor - Confirmed. There are different types of this dinosaur like the Spitter, a grey version, and an albino version.
  • Juvenile Utahraptor - Confirmed. Smaller version of the Utahraptor. Always attacks in groups.
  • Lurker - Confirmed. A fictional dinosaur created for the game. It is a cross between a dinosaur and a jungle cat in appearance and behavior. It can climb trees, and is extremely fast. It is a force to be reckoned with.
  • Dilophosaurus - Confirmed. Turok is one of the few games to posses a realistic Dilophosaurus, free of the inaccuracies popularised by Jurassic Park, such as the fictitious ability to spit acidic venom.
  • Compsognathus - Confirmed. These small dinosaurs are curious by nature, and only retaliate if attacked.
  • Parasaurolophus - Confirmed. These peaceful herbivores are harmless, and may be attacked by wandering raptors.
  • Spitter - Confirmed. These dinosaurs look very similar to Utahraptors but are grey in color, are more mutated and have the ability to spit venom.
  • Apatosaurus - Confirmed. This dinosaur is a background feature only, not having an effect on gameplay.
  • Gallimimus - Not Confirmed. Seen in early videos and screenshots.
  • Stegosaurus - Not Confirmed. Mentioned in reader review on IGN.[7]


Other

  • Soldier Bug - Confirmed. Giant arachnids that resemble scorpians. A powerful foe.
  • Meganeura - Confirmed. Giant prehistoric dragonflies that spit acidic venom and fly at great speeds.
  • Pteranodon - Confirmed. This animal is a background feature only, not having an effect of gameplay.
  • Sea serpent - Worm-like Boss - A giant fish-like creature resembling an eel.
  • Prehistoric Birds - Not Confirmed. Mentioned in reader review on IGN.[8]


The size of Tyrannosaurus rex - as the creature is displayed in the Turok trailer and screenshots - seems to be greatly exaggerated in the game. The Turok portrayal of the carnivore appears to have at least double the bulk of an actual Tyrannosaurus rex, based on a comparison between the size of the soldiers who face off with the dinosaur, and the Turok version of the creature. However, given that the events of the upcoming Turok game take place on an alien planet, this discrepancy (and others) can be explained within the game's universe. An interesting note, most of the carnivorous dinosaurs and creatures (notebly the Utahraptor and Tyrannosaurus rex) have a stranger, mutated look. It is unknown as of yet if these are mutations from their previous forms or something else but this also can be explained in the game's universe.

The games developers have stated that they designed the creatures to give a sense of horror and uniqueness, and drew inspiration from zombie and monster movies. [5]

Reception

As of now, Turok holds an aggregate score of 80% on Gamerankings and a 76 out of 100 on Metacritic[9].

In terms of individual reviews, it has received a 9/10 from Play Magazine and a 7/10 from both the Official Xbox Magazine and the Official PlayStation Magazine (Australia). Both praised multiplayer but commented on the "sketchy enemy awareness" and "dodgy textures". [10]

Game Trailers, which gave the game 8.3/10, highlighted the game's use of the Unreal 3 engine, believing it to be "the best use of the tech outside of Epic's own efforts" and praising the modeling and animation of the dinosaurs in particular.[11].

1up.com[12] gave the game a score of 6.5/10, specifically complaining about its stealth mechanics, the use of camera shaking, and occasional graphical glitches in the PS3 version.

X-Play gave it a 3/5, commenting on its aim-assist being woefully inadequate both in multiplayer and single-player, but praised its graphics and outlook.[13]

References

  1. ^ "'Turok' Heading To PCs THis Spring". Totalgaming.net. 2007-11-02. Retrieved 2007-11-02. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  2. ^ Rob Purchese (February 22, 2007). "Turok multiplayer details". Eurogamer. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Computer and Video Games "Turok gives achievement for team killing" Tuesday, November 20th, 2007
  4. ^ Computer and Video Games "Turok dev to scrap team kill achievement" December 12th, 2007
  5. ^ Major Nelson (January 15, 2008). "Demo: Turok". Major Nelson.
  6. ^ "Turok Demo on EBgames". January 16, 2008.
  7. ^ "Turok Reader Review". Febuary 3, 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "Turok Reader Review". Febuary 3, 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/turok
  10. ^ http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/930158.asp
  11. ^ http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30162.html
  12. ^ http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3165795
  13. ^ http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/reviews/1711/Turok.html
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Turok_(video_game)&oldid=188800267"