That's really not too surprising to me. I guess they figured with the XBox they had to beef up the textures a little (maybe so screenshots look better), but that slows it down some. They figured the GC version didn't have to look much better than the PS2. The GC gives the engine a little more breathing room than the PS2. Am I making any sense? :)

Well, I got a copy yesterday. I am no game connoisseur by any means but I have had fun playing it so far. I am playing the Xbox version.

The graphics are pretty good & it is quite enjoyable to feel like you are in a living, breathing prehistoric jungle. The bushes shake when you walk past them (or over them) & the animals ramble around. When startled, they run in a circle or run away, etc. You can kill every animal friendly or not. I shot a beautiful parrot sitting on a limb. Feathers & blood went everywhere. (My wife was watching & got pissed...saying I should not be able to explode a bird.)

I am only a chapter 3 & the AI does not seem to be very intelligent so far (especially in the first chapter). You can kill a guy when sneaking up on him & his neighbor standing next to him doesn't even act like anything happened. This did change some in Chapter 3 though. The kill graphics are pretty cool. It is nice to see when you shoot someones arm off that they will try to still attack you or run away & do not die instantly.

The 5.1 sound is awesome. It is a big reason how you can get immersed in sneaking around the jungle. There is a flying level early on & once I got used to the flying controls, I had a lot of fun. There are generous save points so you don't have to go back & go over a ton of territory which is nice.

Haven't tried the multiplayer yet but plan to do that on Monday. No system link & so only up to 4 people can play on it. So far I am pleased. Will be playing on it a lot more over the weekend (after college football).

NO SYSTEM LINK?!?!?! Blasphemy.....guess i will boycott this game now too. What are game makers thinking making a multiplayer game that will not support system link at the very least..............

I just got the game and it looks great!!!

I wish it was cooperative play like Halo but it OK. The game has multiplayer and it's fun!

System link might take a good bit of work to implement and is a feature that's not used all that often, so they might have scrapped it for that reason.

I mean not many people are willing to lug systems and TVs around to play games.

Hmm...how many times have you or people you know played with the Xbox system link with Halo or Nascar?

If you have, then you would know plenty of people who have no problem "lugging" a system & TV to one place. I have friends who practically beg me to do it all the time and the only negative is getting everyone together in the same place at the same time.

just wanted to add a comment on Turok: Evolution. Rented the Xbox version and hafta so - the framerate is really solid, dunno either they tweaked the hell out of it or removed something because it's running really nicely. Only on chapter 3 right now, but gotta say they did good progression. Chapter 1 is short and sweet "getting acquanted to the controls" type of level, followed by Chap 2's flying, Chapter 3 the game really seems to kick it into gear, giving you large open fields and loads of enemies. Is a little odd though since Chap 1 and 2 have saving sections ever few seconds whereas they're pretty far apart in 3.

Hope the game keeps it up, I'm actually enjoying it quite a deal more than Halo single player (loved Halo in co-op but never really liked the single.)

Oh yeah, and it looks great in 480p, sounds great in 5.1.

I didn't say system links were not used at all, just not all that much. Especially by casual gamers who make up the vast majority of the gaming market. Most casual gamers probably don't even know about the feature, and would probably have difficulty hooking everything up even if they got motivated to get a bunch of people and some tvs and x-boxes all crammed into one room. It's just too much of a hassle for most people, and really only for hardcore gamers, so that's likely why some developers don't bother with it. It really isn't going to help sell a bunch of games, which is really all they care about.

Josh, for the most part I agree with you. System link is not a make or break with me at all. I really have enjoyed it on Halo but with online console gaming coming, I see the system link feature probably being utilized even more sparingly than it already has been which is sad. If you haven't tried it, it is hard to explain the sheer joy of Halo with more than one Xbox. It is just something completely different from playing online.

You can consider me a casual gamer as are all my friends though & all have enjoyed the link. I really believe that if more people tried it, it would catch on better. If the link would get some more support, that might happen (and also if the Xbox got more support).

Has anybody else compared the Cube vs Box versions?

Add me to the list of supporters for the X-box link. I've played Halo on the system link and it's soooo much better. The positives are that you get a larger screen, and the games don't suffer from player cheating (everyone looking at everyone else's screen to see when someone has them in their sights). I'll admit that I'm even tempted to look at the other screens whenever I play four-player Halo on only one TV. With system link, it makes it impossible and you get so much more room to scope out people in the distance. If you have at least two tvs and two X-boxes, you definitely need to try this out.

And back to the topic of Turok, has anyone played the multiplayer levels? I just want to know how it compares to multiplayer Halo (in the fun factor department). And how are the weapons and aiming in Turok?

Brian, I'm sure it's awesome. I wasn't saying it was a useless feature, I was just saying I can see why they didn't take the time to implement it because it is an under-used featue, even though it's awesome.

Shilex,

I love the fact that you can look at other peoples screens. It makes the games faster paced and eliminates sniping. I hate it when some one just finds a good hiding spot and snipes everyone.

I'm sure all the hardcore PC FPS fans are screaming blasphemy, but that's the way I like it. I'll take split screen any day. It turns them into party games anyone can play (goldeneye and perfect dark were a blast) rather than games where the person that's played the most and has every board memorized will win every time because they know where to hide.

You have a pretty good point here. Existing maps can be very unforgiving on newbies. Thats one of the reasons Im gonna be there day one for UT2003, Unreal Championship and DIII. I got in late on Day Of Defeat and I was just ripped to shreads so badly I never really got my bearings and quit in frustration.

But the other side of the coin is 20 experienced players going at it is never going to be matched by bots or AI. When its good its one of the best videogaming experiences you can have.

My friend got this game and I'm kind of pissed at the lack of customization offered for the controls. Why is it that only Halo gives you so many control options? I don't WANT to turn with the left joystick. I want to move backward, forward, and STRAFE on the left joystick. I like turning with the right one. I guess I must have a weird preference because most games don't seem to support it.
OK played it, and the AI is definitely pretty sad so far. Sniping guys that are next to each other, the head blows off, and the other guy just stands there? I think they worked so much on the death animations that they seemed to forget everything else. It just feels like a rushed game.

Yeah...this was one of my complaints for Chapter 1 but it seems to improve on chapter 3. The guards seem to react more & shoot better. Maybe 1 was so simple to get you started.

In regards to comparing it to Halo on controls...I thought it was just about the same. No major control differences that I or my friend saw. The biggest difference is that you can carry as many weapons as you want with you.

Tried the multiplayer maps today & they are outstanding. Very large maps with tons of goodies at every corner. Really there are too many goodies & health. It is actually tough to get killed. The maps are really for 4 or more people. It screams for the system link unfortunately. I definitely look forward to trying it with 4 people. Oh yeah...there are no bots for those who are wondering.

Anyone have the Ps2 version out there? Any real reviews yet from sites?

Ok, I just got the X-Box version of the game and so far it's not too bad, but it's not great either. I'm not completely done yet so this is just an early look at the game:

It plays a lot like the first Turok in both the positive and negative aspects. Like the N64 Turok, this one can get a little boring after a while because the levels are so large and you tend to be doing the same thing over and over again (kill enemy, get save point). It wouldn't feel so boring if it actually seemed like there was some urgency to what you were doing. What also extends the playing time are the controls. If you are used to Halo controls, you might not like Turok too much. Instead of the aiming being quick and smooth, it's slow and clunky. To accurately aim at something takes time and skill because the analog doesn't respond well to light touches. When you move the analog in any direction it will feel like you are moving through molasses at first, and then all of a sudden it will zoom forward in the direction you were pointing. It really becomes frustrating when you are trying to aim at specific body parts of the enemy (which help for a quick kill). Don't expect to tear through this game on a killing spree (at least not when you first start) because aiming and killing is tough even at close distances.

Jumping also has some minor annoyances. The fact that you can stop in mid-air and reverse directions doesn't make sense. When jumping it helps if you let momentum carry you forward, but in Turok physics are thrown out the window. If you jump forward you need to make sure you are holding the up button on the analog or you will stop like a brick in mid-air and fall.

The graphics in Turok are a lot better than I expected. Everything is very well detailed and the frame rate moves along at a good speed (although I may have mistaken frame rate slowdown for slow controls). If you get motion sickness from first person shooters, be warned. I really enjoy running around in the jungle and looking at the details in the trees and bushes. The level of detail in Turok is extraordinary. In a swamp level I saw small frogs hopping along the ground. Other wildlife can also be found inhabiting the levels, and can range from tucans, lemurs, butterflys, and of course dinosaurs. Try zooming in on the deer with your weapon and you could swear that they were almost real by the way they moved and looked. You can also see pretty far off in the horizon, which is a plus when it comes to immersing you in the game. The dinosaurs look good as well, but there is some clipping when you get too close to them. My only problem with the graphics are that the designers (in order to make the game look better) put an awful lot of bushes and tall grass on the plain. When you are running through them they can interfere with your line of sight and block out almost everything in front of you. This can lead to confusion (especially when you are in a gun fight) and you'll immediately start running around like a chicken with his head cut off trying to find a clearing.

My favorite aspect, so far, are the flying missions. At first it was pretty hard to control because every small movement on the analog leads to a drastic movement on the screen. Also, the changing camera angles will tend to pull you into a wall if you're not careful. So be prepared to fly into walls at first (at least until you get the hang of it). Aiming is also somewhat difficult but that doesn't matter much since there tends to be a lot of activity on the screen and enemies tend to be somewhat stationary. The graphics during the flying missions really put you into the game and there is hardly any slowdown, even when there are many enemies on the screen. I loved the feel of gliding through trees and mountain caverns all while trying to take out enemies. It definitely put a smile on my face.

The multiplayer would definitely have benefitted from a system link. As it currently stands though, it is enjoyable. You can choose from games that are similar to most other FPS games (with the exception of the flying multiplayer matches). The levels are pretty well detailed, large, and allow for many hiding spaces. The weapons you can use are original and fun, and most weapons have alternate features you can test by pushing the Left Trigger. It's definitely a welcome change (although I still mash the left trigger button, to no avail, hoping for a grenade to come lobbing out ala Halo) The controls are once again at fault for making the multiplayer games feel a little stagnant (falling into water can be a slow and frustrating experience). However, if you get three or four people together you will most likely have fun because of the weapon selection and level design.

Since I haven't finished the game yet, this is just some observations I've made so far. If I hate a game I normally would just stop playing it. I'm still playing Turok and aside form some annoyances I'm slowly getting used to it. After some more playing - who knows. I might just end up really liking this game. One thing I know for sure is that if you enjoyed the earlier Turoks, then you'll enjoy this one.

I'm sure it's great, but it's really only for hardcore fans of a particular game. I'm usually playing several games at once, and don't play multiplayer all that often, so I like multiplayer games that are easy to pick up and play. The split screen makes FPS death matches more friendly for us casual fans for the reason I said above.

It's great that there are options for both types of fans though. Split screen for the casual and system links and online play for the more devote players.

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/369/369926p1.html


http://xbox.ign.com/articles/369/369950p1.html





The Gameboy version got the highest score


http://pocket.ign.com/articles/369/369906p1.html

Anyone looking to get Turok could go to Target. Saw a sign there today that said the game is $49.99 and you get a $5 Target gift card. This was for PS2 version, didn't look at others.

uH?
 

Why don't you post the scores yourself? I don't have insider with them and I'm sure many people here doesn't either.

write them down!

Well let me explain my complaint. In Halo you can change which joystick does what functions. If you don't know what I mean set your controls to legacy for the left stick, and default for the right stick. I believe that's how I set them. It allows me to strafe with the right joystick instead of the left one. I prefer that, and I just get frustrated when I can't play like that. It's a small gripe I guess, but I hate playing games that don't let you set the controls the way you like to.

Re: uH?
 

Ok. But only because you asked so nicely.



Closing Comments - Gamecube
Being the Nintendo 64 fan that I am, I've been a fan of Turok since the original. Running around in the foggy jungle environments, climbing vined walls, and warping into futuristic settings to slay the hulking, dinosaur-themed beasts always sat well with me. Of course, this was back in 1997 when I was just getting used to first-person shooters that didn't look as dated as Wolfenstein or Doom. So many years have passed and it seems that Turok has had a hard time keeping up with the high standards that recent first-person shooters have set.
As a matter of fact, Turok's best appeal right now is the gore. It's very amusing to decapitate a slimey dinosoid or to blow six of them sky-high with a multi-firing rocket launcher. The sniper elements of Turok have always been a strong point too. In just the first few levels of Evolution, I got to upgrade my pistol to a sniper rifle and take out enemies from great distances. This is always fun. But, more of the same just isn't enough in this case. Turok had great potential to leap into to the next-generation market with its excessive gore and unique theme. Unfortunately, the title seems like it wasn't fully thought out and even rushed to completion. Many of the ideas such as the flying missions and advanced AI seemed to have only met the once-grand concept halfway.

Having said all that, I found Turok: Evolution to be a mix of enjoyment and frustration. At times I was thoroughly amused, sniping enemies and causing mayhem, while at other moments I was frustrated and in a state of pure tedium. I can only recommend that the most hardcore of Turok fans pick the title up. Everyone else will want to stick to a rental, because it's definitely worth checking out, especially given that the multiplayer mode is quite entertaining.

-- Fran Mirabella III


X-box:

Turok is incredibly uneven, which makes it clear to me that the game was rushed in the end. If Acclaim had sat on the game for a couple of months and given it some more development time, it could have been a fantastic game. There are just too many moments where the AI decides to stop being great, where the game itself gets too hard or too easy, that it can't be highly recommended.
If you love the series, you'll want the game. Especially on Xbox, where the graphics and sound really shine. The first few levels are pretty plain and boring, but the game definitely picks up later on. The guns are great and some of the animations are wonderful to watch. It's basically a shoot-em-up, which is fine. If that's what you want, Turok maybe the way to go. But, while I can see that someone might want to play all he way through the game, I can't imagine they'd feel compelled to replay it again. Especially those flying levels. A good try, but it falls short of what it needed to be.

In the end, I wanted more from Turok. There were lots of little things I liked, but they never lasted or weren't used enough. And there's just too much that annoys me (some of those textures are terrible upclose and then at other times look great, for example). This is a definite rental, but probably not the best choice to buy sight unseen.

- Hilary Goldstein


PS2:

Acclaim's game comes at a time when the PS2 is packed with first-person shooters that range from better than average to downright great. On the PS2, we've got Red Faction, Half-Life, Medal of Honor: Frontline and Deus Ex to name a few, while the Xbox has, well, one of the best FPS games around, Halo -- more than enough to brag about. Turok: Evolution doesn't stack up against these systems' best games by a long shot, and though it has indeed evolved from its earlier days, diehard FPS fans won't be swayed by the game's initial lure of pretty CG and highly detailed worlds.
The problems lie in various places, and the sum total of their affects is troubling. The enemy AI is wacked, sometimes reacting relatively smartly, while other times acting with complete stupidity. The voice acting is horrible and reminiscent of 3DO's Portal Runner. The story is cornball, but it's hard to decide whether that's due to the comic book theme itself or Acclaim Austin's take. And the level design is tired, nearly rail-based stuff. The worlds are indeed large; there is a neat sense of size and space when you get to look from the top of a mountain peak down at the bottom of a valley where you began, but size and space are ordinary these days, they're just not enough of a wow factor any longer. Likewise, the world's "living" zoo of dinosaurs is also an excellent addition, but again, the giant lizards don't make up for predictable, linear level designs. Snore.

If you really MUST buy this game then by all means please don't get the PS2 version, which shows all of the game's biggest graphic defects, longest load times, worst fade in, and more, while the GameCube and Xbox offer better framerates and textures and lighting, respectively.

Turok: Evolution comes together as a better-than-average game, but underneath its pretty exterior and impressive CG work is a mediocre, linear game, replete with erratic AI, annoying voice acting, an over-reliance on weapon animation and kill animations, and, at least on the PS2, some eye-opening fade in. Get it if you must on either the GC or Xbox, but we don't recommend it on PS2.

- Douglass C. Perry


X-Box Scores:

Presentation
Nostalgic Turok jungle themes mixed in with an advanced culture. Front-end and in-game load times are lengthy. 7.0
Graphics
Great lighting and some nice textures and good animations. But sometimes everything looks better far away, and up close...yech. 8.0
Sound
Fantastic use of 5.1 sound with a solid score. Easily the best part of Turok. 9.0
Gameplay
A slightly above average FPS experience that can go haywire at times. Somewhat of a roller coaster ride of thrills and frustration. 7.0
Lasting Appeal
Lots of challenge here, 15 chapters, and lots of hours await. Few will want to play this twice. Unique multiplayer mode is a big plus. 7.0
OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 7.1



PS2 Scores:

Presentation
Lots of work went into the CG and cutscenes. Generally, the presentation doesn't falter. 8.5
Graphics
On the PS2, fade-in and load times annoy. On the flip side, the living worlds, moving bushes and trees, and animations are impressive. But not that impressive. 6.0
Sound
The music is better paced, offering a variety of fast and slow jungle beats to mix things up. The voice acting is wretched, while the death sounds are good for a laugh. 7.0
Gameplay
Tired game design, boring, often linear missions, and some erratic dumb-ass AI hurt this game big time. The flying additions are neither great not horrible, they're just there. 5.5
Lasting Appeal
Turok is a big fat game, with enough single player levels to satisfy almost anybody. But the lack of a four-player deathmatch is weak. 6.5
OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 6.3


Gamecube Scores:

Presentation
Nostalgic Turok jungle themes mixed in with an advanced culture. Front-end and in-game load times are lengthy. 7.0
Graphics
Impressive lush environments, fluid animations, and fast framerate. Low-res textures and a lack of proper lighting make it look washed out, however. 7.0
Sound
Brilliant and varied in design, but compression takes its toll. Some balance issues are cause for muddiness. 8.0
Gameplay
A slightly above average FPS experience that can go haywire at times. Somewhat of a roller coaster ride of thrills and frustration. 7.0
Lasting Appeal
Lots of challenge here, 15 chapters, and lots of hours await. Few will want to play this twice. Unique multiplayer mode is a big plus. 7.0
OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 6.9

Thanks ten41, I've been looking for a GC specific review.

hmmm...
 

I feel so much better to have a review about turok. I'm at the 6 chapter in turok and I truly believe what the review says.

oh, and thank you.-wink-