Template:Turok2008 Turok, originally titled Turok: Rebirth, is an action-adventure first-person shooter video game and the fifth installment in the first-person shooter Turok franchise. It acts as a total reboot to the series, serving as the first installment in a new continuity.
Turok was developed by Propaganda Games and published and distributed by Touchstone Interactive in North America, Ireland, and the United Kingdom and by Capcom in all other territories. Development of the game began in 2005 shortly after Buena Vista Games' purchasing of the Turok license. The developers conceived the game as a reboot and a modern, fresh start to the franchise while drawing story and design inspirations from James Cameron's 1986 film, Aliens.
The game was scheduled to be released in North America for the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in November 2007 but was delayed until February 5, 2008;[1] however, it was instead released on January 31, 2008. Critical reception towards the game was mixed, with critics divided on the game's design and gameplay, while criticism was directed at the story and writing. Several critics, however, praised the game's atmosphere, concept and ideas.[2][3][4]
Despite mixed reception, Turok was a commercial success, selling over 1 million copies throughout all platforms in just two weeks. The game's sales allowed the developers to begin work on a direct sequel, simply titled Turok 2, but the project was eventually cancelled due to layoffs at Propaganda Games.
Development
Shortly before E3 2005, the first official announcement of the game's development was disclosed. Buena Vista Games announced they had obtained the video game rights to Turok from franchise owner Classic Media. The agreement included developing Turok games for both consoles and handheld devices. The announcement also stated that Buena Vista's new studio, Propaganda Games, would oversee development of the new games.[5]
Later in the year, in September, more details on the title were disclosed. It was announced that the new title would not only be on next generation hardware but would also be utilizing the Unreal Engine 3, the same engine that would power Epic Games' Gears of War series.[6]
The next bit of news on the title came shortly before E3 2006, where IGN sat down with Josh Holmes, Vice President and General Manager of Propaganda Games, for an interview on the new title. Josh was able to disclose some information on the nature of the studio itself, talking about its makeup with regards to staff.
Following this, Josh went on to say that the studio threw around the idea of making the game third-person in nature, but stuck to first-person gameplay with additional third-person elements. The idea of an open world, mission-based game was also shot down. Holmes then went on to give a brief description of a scenario for the gameplay, which would be presented in a demo at the then-upcoming E3 2006.
It was also confirmed that the story would be all new and would not center around a comic arc from earlier in the franchise. At the time of this interview, the game was slated for late 2007, with its first appearance being a closed-doors demo at E3.[7]
E3 2006
Turok was then teased at E3 2006, where the aforementioned demo was present. While no gameplay footage was revealed to the public, IGN provided an in-depth description of the build playable at E3 '06, which held some key differences from the final product.
The game was very similar to the final retail build; however, things like dinosaur encounters were triggered solely by the character's actions, rather than independent AI, which was added in at a later time. Also, unlike the final title, in which the Tyrannosaurus rex antagonist moved on a set path, the dinosaur was originally able to be lured to fight other creatures or enemies, or could even be left alone to consume a deceased prey item.[8] It was also noted early on that destructible environments would be included wherever they were possible, something that had changed dramatically later on in development.[9]
Following E3 2006, a slightly expanded demo for the game was shown at the Games Convention in August 2006. It included the demo shown at the E3 presentation, but also had a segment dedicated to the Water Beast boss battle, where the ESUS Hellfire Flamethrower was shown alongside its secondary function. It was also stated that both demos were based off of old code and that a graphical overhaul was underway.[10]
On October 9, 2006, IGN released the first trailer of Turok, titled the "Carving" trailer. It depicted multiple audio cues over still images of art from the game before switching to a fast paced "run and gun" trailer, with Turok running through the forest only to meet a Tyrannosaurus rex, which roars into the night as "Turok" flashes onto the screen.[11]
Two days after this trailer's release, Josh Holmes posted a development diary on IGN, which focused on the game's AI systems. Some rudimentary gameplay behavior for the AI was explained. This included how enemies will act based on what weapon they hold. For example. An MG Grunt would make more use of cover due to their use of the ORO FP9 SMG, whereas an MG Heavy Weapons would forgo cover due to their ORO War Horse Chaingun and just lay the hate with their superior firepower.
It was also stated that Propaganda's current milestone was having a gameplay thread that consisted of combat against dinosaurs and humans, which would lead into an on-rails sequence of the game, something that was later dropped entirely. It can be noted that two on-rails sequences existed in the game's development: one involving the game's T. rex antagonist Mama Scarface, and another involving a large number of Soldier Bugs. Both ended up hitting the cutting room floor.[12]
A new burst of information would come on April 19, 2007, in the form of another interview with Josh Holmes. The interview contained a general reiteration of known facts, but took the time to debunk a point regarding the game's squad system: Holmes elaborated that, while Turok would be fighting alongside his allies, he would not be commanding them. Some other interesting but vague answers to questions also involved the concept of a cooperative campaign experience and playable dinosaurs in multiplayer.[13]
Shortly before E3 2007, a new IGN post detailed a playthrough of a demo for the title, detailing the then-untitled level "Reunions" and speaking on multiple gameplay elements from the game, including luring, quiet kills, and quick time events. It was also at this time that the game's multiplayer was confirmed to contain dinosaurs, and a player count of 16 at the max.[14]
E3 2007
During E3 2007, Turok was once again showcased, and yet another trailer was released, showing some of the game's story, including scenes which involved the stranding of Whiskey Company. It also showed multiple shots of gameplay involving multiple dinosaurs, such as the Utahraptor, Dilophosaurus, and even the Giganotosaurus.[15]
In the month following E3, IGN had another interview with Josh Holmes. It centered around the game's downscaling and its delay to 2008. Ultimately, the reasons behind the downscaling of Turok's gameplay elements dealt with how the developer felt it hampered gameplay cohesiveness. With this downscaling came a hunkering down on what remained important: the gunplay and the AI encounters. Holmes stated that the player would need to replay the game multiple times in order to see the various ways the AI could handle seemingly basic situations.[16]
When asked what made the AI so good, Josh reiterated that the AI's dynamic nature made it so. It was also at this time that it was stated that dinosaurs attacking one another, or other creatures, turned out to be an unintentional byproduct of the AI decision tree they had created. Due to this, the team had to go back and create animations for things that were entirely unintentional, but added to the gameplay.[16] It was also stated that the number of scripted events had been cut down as well due to the lack of inherent replayability present with them. The combat as a whole was unscripted.[16]
On the aesthetic side of the coin, Joseph Turok's changing design was also addressed. Josh spoke on how they wanted to create a hero people would enjoy and see themselves playing as. He also spoke on how he wanted to keep the background in line with the Native American heritage without coming off as offensive.[16]
When asked about inspirations, and where they came from, Holmes spoke on how the team avoided super futuristic weapons and designs, opting for a gritty yet realistic tone. This resulted in the dismissal of the Cerebral Bore from the title. It was also noted that prior games and comics did not influence the team much.[16]
Finally, the delay was touched upon. One reason given for the delay was a lack of foresight into how development for the title would pan out. A secondary reason given was due to the lack of competition from an early 2008 release. Holmes admitted that the rest of 2007 belonged to the then-upcoming Halo 3, and that Haze also looked promising. Holmes noted Lost Planet as a game that benefited greatly from a post-Christmas release.[16]
As October 2007 rolled around, a new article went out detailing the game's extensive voice cast. Notable announced cast members included Ron Perlman, Donnie Wahlberg, Powers Boothe, and Timothy Olyphant.[17]
At the end of October, news broke on a demo for Turok. The method of obtaining the demo was also elaborated on, with buyers needing to pre-order the title from retailers such as GameStop and Best Buy to receive a demo disc. Specifically, five dollars at GameStop would grant the player a 30 minute demo and an exclusive Turok t-shirt.[18]
Details on the game's multiplayer were also spoken on during the article. Here, it was noted that Turok would launch with seven maps for competitive multiplayer and three for the game's co-op side of things.[18]
Finally, some new creatures in the game were also revealed at this time: the Lurker and the Soldier Bugs. The Soldier Bug segment also displayed the secondary firing option for the game's chaingun, which was that of an automatic turret.[18]
IGN's hands-on impressions for the demo came out a week later on the 29th. While most of the demo consisted of July's demo, it was noted that the demo also spent its beginning time in a dark cave. Graphically, it was noted that the outdoor environments looked great, whereas the indoor, underground environments were not anything to write home about.[19]
In early November, news broke about Turok's release date, which was said to be February 5, 2008. A PC port, developed by Aspyr, was also confirmed to be in development for Spring 2008.[20]
One month later on December 3, 2007, news on the game's multiplayer segment came out. The article went over the game's control scheme, noting it was the same as the campaign's, and also went over the wealth of options available to the player for game setups. At the time, the team played the game over three maps: "Testing Grounds," "An Invasion," and the now-renamed "Firestorm." They also played the game with a full, eight on eight, sixteen player lobby.[21]
Later, on December 20th, a new article arrived detailing a new level in the game: "Mother Superior." The level was noted as being difficult, and also one to demonstrate the game's AI well, as squads were seen properly flanking, distracting, and reinforcing each other. Killing an MG Elite leading a squad of Grunts would have the effect of scattering the remaining group and pushing them into chaos, allowing for the player to pick off the remains.[22]
A demo of the game's co-op segment was also presented at the time, where Propaganda's staff played through "The Lost Valley." Here, it was noted that the game featured much more in the way of enemy resistance, and also featured a system involving a pool of lives for the group. Respawning would take lives from this pool, and once they were gone, it was game over.[22]
Finally, a new map and gametype was showcased: "Spire," on which the War Games gametype was played. War Games was noted to be a hybrid of Team Deathmatch with the added objectives of powering up a terminal and preventing the enemy team from doing the same thing.[22]
The following month, in January of 2008, Propaganda began to release a series of behind the scenes videos labelled Awakening the Giants: The Making of Turok. Each episode dealt with various parts of the game's production and went in-depth into portions of the game that had little light shed on them.
A screenshot of early developmental footage.
One episode specifically dealt with the development of the dinosaurs and the AI surrounding them. During development, the team began doing research on dinosaurs and ultimately decided to portray them as bloodthirsty animals. The team used their imaginations to determine how the dinosaurs would react with modern man, even though much of it conflicts with scientific evidence. The dinosaurs would use a sandbox-based system in which the A.I. could decide to either attack the player or the enemy. MG Soldiers' A.I. were programmed to flank the player.[23]
In addition, the audio team would take screenshots, early test footage, and concept art and would begin the process of producing the audio of the game from there. The sounds of the dinosaurs would be taken from animal sounds such as dogs, lions, walruses, and even humans. The music of the game was meant to give the game a mysterious environment.[24]
Campaign
The campaign to Turok consists of 14 levels and a prelude mission and tells the story of Whiskey Company stranded on a terraformed planet full of enemy MG soldiers and dinosaurs.
| Image | Mission | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Prelude | "Joseph Turok is introduced to Whiskey Company." |
|
The Lost Land | "Turok is tasked with reuniting with his fellow Whiskey Co. members, all while meeting the vicious wildlife of the planet." |
|
Bad Blood | "Tensions begin to rise between Slade and Turok as they progress through the jungle, eventually making their way through an MG base." |
|
Death Valley | "After pushing through the MG base, the duo are forced to trek across a valley and a cave system to make their way to the smoke on the horizon." |
|
Reunions | "Having met up with Reese, the new trio begin stalking their way through a massive crash site." |
|
Ghost in the Shadow | "Turok succeeds in finding the remnants of Whiskey, but is forced to go in search of the comm unit, somewhere in the jungle." |
|
Mother Superior | "After bearing witness to Cowboy's injury via arrowhead, Turok, Foster, and Gonzales are all pushed into the deep jungle to continue their search for the comm unit." |
|
Killing Fields | "Turok, having survived the Tyrannosaurus rex encounter, returns back to base without Gonzales or Foster, much to Whiskey's disbelief and sadness. As tensions rise again, MG forces arrive for a night of conflict." |
|
The Shortest Straw | "Logan sends Turok, Slade, and Carter on a mission to discover what is causing massive light beams to arc into the sky, leading the trio to an MG facility with a deadly new adversary." |
|
Down and Out | "Slade and Turok find themselves underground, separated, in a lair filled to the brim with Soldier Bugs. As Turok searches the winding caverns for his partner, he encounters something worse than anything on the surface." |
|
Heroes End | "After finding their way back to the surface, Slade and Turok fight their way through the dark jungle, encountering MG forces and dinosaurs alike, before reuniting with their company to attack an MG base, with the intent of piloting a ship off the planet." |
|
Salt in the Wound | "Whiskey, shortly after the loss of Jericho and Logan, fight their way to one of the last sources of escape on the planet." |
|
End of the Road | "Having discovered that their ride off of the planet was, in fact, destroyed, the remnants of Whiskey then move towards a massive MG complex in the hopes of finding another way out." |
|
Into the Breach | "As the last few survivors find themselves deep within the thralls of an MG base, Wolf Pack's forces are not far behind. |
|
An Eye for an Eye | "With Turok, Slade, and Shepard being the final survivors after their encounter in the MG complex, Turok finally confronts Kane for one final showdown." |
Plot
Prelude
Prelude starts off with a flashback, which introduces black ops group Wolf Pack and protagonist Joseph Turok. The cutscene presents a montage of attacks on a Colombian drug cartel, with Wolf Pack slaying every member. Turok, now in the present day, is startled out of the flashback sequence, finding himself in a cryopod. He and the other members of Whiskey Company gain their bearings after waking from cryosleep, with certain members of the company beginning to prod at Turok's presence, verbally with Shepard cracking a joke.
Turok joins the rest of the company in the war room, meeting Slade in the process, whom states "he's heard all about him". Cole briefs the unit on their objective, which is to apprehend Roland Kane, leader of Wolf Pack, who had gone rogue three years earlier, not seen again until now on a remote planet to which they were heading. Cole then introduces Turok to the men, of whom his name provokes questions and a suppressed laugh. Turok, being a former member of Wolf Pack, was attached to Whiskey company to help track his former mentor down, being familiar with Kane's tactics and methods of operation. Slade interjects with some banter on Turok's reputation, causing Cole to reprimand him, before the former leaves, shoving Turok aside and stating that he cannot be trusted.
The briefing is finished and Whiskey company begin drop preparations. Heavy weapons trooper Jericho leads Turok to the armory, meeting weapons specialist Logan. Turok's, and indeed Whiskey company's, prep was cut short when their cruiser is hit with orbital missiles from the planet. Some of Whisky company were vented out to space before the damaged sections were sealed. Chaos erupts as the ship breaks apart during the crash and everyone tries to get to more secure sections of the ship. Turok is knocked out during impact.
The Lost Land
A flashback is shown of Turok in a military prison uniform, among other prisoners under guard. Roland Kane is offering recruitment into Wolf Pack as a chance for a pardon. Kane states that while others may see them as violent and destructive reprobates with no future, in his eyes they are perfect candidates to become the best of the best. Turok makes a vituperative and sarcastic comment and Kane singles him out. Kane acknowledges that Turok is Native American, a member of the Kiowa tribe. Turok make a subtle threat in response, and a prison guard attempts to subdue him with a shotgun stock to his head. Turok effortlessly dodges the attack and headbutts the guard, knocking him out. Kane looks on with interest, having found a new recruit.
Turok is suddenly brought around by a Whisky company trooper, yelling at him to get moving. No sooner does Turok get to his feet than the trooper is killed by an explosion. Turok rushes to escape from the rapidly unstable wreck, meeting up with another trooper who guides him to a sub deck before getting caught in another explosion. He then spots Sergeant Henderson who calls him over to help free a trooper trapped under wreckage, which proves futile as another explosion kills the trapped soldier. Turok and Henderson narrowly manage to escape via a service ladder as another explosion finally rips the wreck apart while catapulting them away. It is only outside that they find that the ship broke apart on re-entry and that they had been in the engineering deck.
Henderson, being the only one armed, takes point and leads Turok to find the rest of Whisky company. Navigating their way through long grass, Henderson is shocked to see a small dinosaur-like creature run ahead of them from its hiding place. Upon clearing the grass and arriving at a small plateau, Turok and Henderson are stunned to find a lush jungle valley, complete with Brachiosaurus over the tree lines and Pteranodons flying overhead. From their vantage point, they could see the trail of destruction that the rest of the ship created during the crash, the end of which is marked by rising smoke. Henderson then tries to hail Whiskey Company on his radio but gets only static, prompting him to get to higher ground. Turok follows and just as Henderson gets a signal, a Utahraptor ambushes him. After a brief struggle, Henderson is dragged into the bushes and killed. Turok moves further up the path until he comes to a grass clearing and finds Henderson's body being devoured by Mini-Raptorss, who upon seeing Turok retreat into the long grass. Turok braves the long grass to retrieve Henderson's ORO FP9 SMG, fending off the Mini-Raptors and escaping the ambush through a massive hollow log. At the other end, Turok comes across a long dead Whisky Company trooper and acquires an ORO P23 Combat Knife. Further along the path and coming to a small cliff, Turok comes across another crash survivor who was then promptly gunned down by an unknown soldier.
Bad Blood
Death Valley
Turok and Slade, having made their way out of the MG base, now find their way outside in a massive, shadowed valley. As the two travel forward, they encounter more Parasaurolophus, Utahraptors, and even a fearsome Giganotosaurus. The two safely make it to the cave on the other side of the valley and subsequently drop into it. However, they are then stalked by multiple Albino Utahraptors who end up revealing themselves once Slade uses a flare from a discarded ORO Enforcer Shotgun to lure them out. However, this leads to the entire pack attacking, en masse, and Turok and Slade begin to run through the winding tunnels.
This eventually leads to a rocky bridge which collapses, leaving Turok stranded deeper inside the cave system. Slade is able to advance, however, warning Turok that if he does not hear anything from him by the time the sun descends, he is moving onward entirely. Turok, upon moving forward, encounters multiple pockets of MG Soldiers, who are all being overrun by Utahraptors. However, past them, he is able to climb out of the cave and find his way back into the sprawling jungles.
Turok radios Slade, who tells him to keep following the smoke in order to catch up, before he drops into a small area, only to crawl through a log. A Dilophosaurus then appears from the brush and suddenly kills a Utahraptor, before Slade arrives to distract it with a flare, stating that Turok "owes him one." The duo then have to contend with multiple Utahraptors which drop into the depression in the area, before Slade finds a way out in the form of another vine-covered wall.
However, as Turok ascends it, a Utahraptor suddenly lunges at him and pins him to the floor, before it is in turn killed by a single sniper shot from Reese. Slade and Reese exchange cheerful banter before they both begin walking away, with Turok following.
Reunions
Ghost in the Shadow
Mother Superior
Killing Fields
The Shortest Straw
Down and Out
Heroes End
Salt in the Wound
End of the Road
"End of the Road" begins with Turok and Shepard walking outside of the MG facility, only to be bombarded by volcanic material. It keeps raining down as the duo encounter Parasaurolophus running from both the volcano and a large pack of Dilophosaurus. Turok and Shepard subsequently push through the massive carnivores, killing them all, as the volcanic activity increases, with massive streams of lava present in the immediate area. The two then reach a small, isolated outpost, which is host to an infestation of Razor Wings, a species of dragonfly-like insects, native to the planet.
Turok holds the insects off, as Shepard opens a large bulkhead behind the base, giving the duo an opportunity to escape the swarm. They then link up with the rest of Whiskey and regroup outside of the massive MG complex. As Reese surveys the area with his sniper rifle, an arrow suddenly pierces his skull, killing him instantly, much to everyone's shock and dismay. Whiskey then begins to assault the complex, with Mama Scarface suddenly appearing, only to begin devouring the MG soldiers who are unlucky enough to be nearby. She then vanishes as quickly as she appears, which allows Whiskey to move into the base. Slade and a small subsection of Whiskey make it to the top before Turok and his group does.
Turok, however, is forced to go up three floors to regroup with them. Once he reaches the top alongside them, he fights off the remaining MG presence, which leads to an MG Chopper suddenly arriving. However, Redfist RPGs put the threat down. Whiskey then detonates the massive ventilation shaft leading into the complex, and head inside.
Into the Breach
After entering an MG complex, Turok and the rest of Whiskey moves further into the complex and finds a locked door. Slade then plants a charger, and as soon as it explodes, Turok pries the door open and encounters a large room where Mendel-Gruman makes the Soldier Bug toxin, only encountering one MG soldier.
Turok and Whiskey are spotted and have to fight their way through massive corridors filled with Mendel-Gruman soldiers. As soon as Whiskey clears the corridors, a giant security door closes in front of Turok, stopping him from proceeding onward. Turok and the rest go through another room and enter the power station control room. Cowboy looks at a console and tells the rest of the company that they need to shut down the security system. Shepard responds that its the power station that they need to destroy in order to destroy the system. Turok volunteers to destroy the power generators. Hearing a bang at the entrance, Slade says, "Looks like their backup has arrived." Turok goes through another door leading to the generator. Cowboy tells Turok that they hear odd sounds in the ventilation shafts, also saying that he should get a chaingun for cover. Turok then goes up the ladder and encounters numerous Razor Wings that have barged through the ventilation shafts.
As soon as Turok plants all three bombs, Cowboy tells Turok to "get [his] ass out of there on the double." As soon as Turok makes it out of the massive room, he is flashbanged and knocked unconscious for a few seconds. Turok and the group have been captured by Kane and Grimes. Kane then talks to Turok about Whiskey Company's remaining members, saying that they cannot abandon their mission without getting everyone killed. Cowboy speaks up, stating that Kane is wrong, that without Turok they would not have survived this long. Kane quickly pulls out a pistol and shoots Cowboy in the chest, killing him.
When the charges detonate, the complex begins to fall apart. Debris falls on top of Grimes and a few other MG soldiers, but not Kane nor Whiskey. Turok, Slade, and Shepard are the only remaining survivors of Whiskey and have to escape the complex. They go through the giant door which opened and find themselves in another long room, with lava seeping up from the bottom of the room. Whiskey has to go from room to room, fighting MG soldiers as lava continues to climb each level. After escaping the Mendel-Gruman soldiers, Turok finds a door that is pryable and ends up on a catwalk which explodes, making him fall into a room with Utahraptors and a couple of Soldier Bugs. Finally, when Turok has killed all of the dinosaurs, he finds himself in a long corridor, at the end of which is a large door which begins to open.
An Eye for an Eye
"An Eye for an Eye" begins with Turok, Slade, and Shepard finally finding a way home. As Shepard urges the former two up onto the ship, Turok sees Kane fleeing. He states he cannot let Kane get away, and Slade nods to him, telling him to "go get him," as the former nods back and runs off into the facility. After fighting through the last of the remaining Mendel-Gruman troops in the area, Turok runs into Kane, who has gotten onto his own ship. As Kane rains fire down upon Turok in an attempt to kill him, Turok downs the ship, resulting in a crash that sends both into the arena below, surrounded by wreckage.
As they begin to recover, Kane berates Turok for allowing emotions to cloud his judgment, while Turok states that he is not a soldier, but a warrior, as he follows his heart. Kane brings out a knife, and the two engage in a brutal conflict, with Turok on the defensive as he lacks a knife. However, after a few moments, Turok manages to turn the fight on its head and stabs Kane in the heart. Turok stands, only to feel the ground rumble as Mama Scarface suddenly approaches through the fires raging around the arena.
Turok, lacking any weaponry past his Perforator Bow and Combat Knife, then combats her, picking up weaponry around the area. Scarface is more resilient and more persistent than in their previous encounter, able to chase him down over the open area easily. However, both of these traits are not enough, as Turok manages to wound her enough to send her to the ground once more. He then jumps onto her face and primes a grenade, before planting it in her eye socket. As she stands, it detonates, killing her instantly. As she collapses, deceased, Slade and Shepard arrive to pick up Turok, with Slade questioning whether Turok actually thought they would leave without him.
In the epilogue, Slade and Turok, seemingly friends now, give each other approving nods, before Shepard warns them that it would be a long ride back to Earth, ending the game.
Gameplay
Turok runs off of a heavily modified version of Unreal Engine 3. The gameplay is 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 Roland Kane, are the main threat to the player, although dinosaurs may often be found wandering throughout the game.
The dinosaurs act as a neutral force and, if the player chooses, can be used as a tool to attack enemy soldiers. This may be done by attracting roaming dinosaurs to a firefight to aid the player and help dispatch the enemy, with possible other ways depending on the situation. The dinosaur A.I. is not limited in attacking specific enemies, so other dinosaurs and all humans, including the player's allies and enemies, may be attacked. The game does not utilize an aim-assist feature.
Propaganda Games 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. A promoted new feature of this game is the Quiet Kill, which is done by drawing then knife and then attacking a human or unaware dinosaur from behind.
The kill can be utilized against dinosaurs and humans alike as a finishing blow and can be executed from any side. The knife is also utilized as a self-defense weapon during phases known as "mauls," where the player is attacked by a dinosaur or bug and must rapidly press the given buttons in order to fend off the attack.
Multiplayer
Online multiplayer support is also available. Turok supports several standard FPS game-types, such as (Team) Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Assault Capture the Flag. War Games is a new game type introduced in Turok that consists of one enemy team stealing bases from another and eventually arming a bomb, ending the game. Multiplayer supports up to 16 people, and four players for three co-op missions. Split-screen gameplay is not available. A feature in the multiplayer—randomly spawning computer-controlled dinosaurs and insects that appear in various locations in levels—adds a new factor to the gameplay. There can be up to four A.I.-controlled dinosaurs or insects on any map at one time.
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. This caused controversy on the Internet as the achievement essentially rewarded players for team killing. Josh Holmes, Vice President 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."
- —Josh Holmes[25]
Holmes went on to say that developers were planning to release a patch removing Grab Bag if excessive team killing became a problem after launch. This, however, was not the case. At launch, the achievement had been modified via patch so that one does not need to kill a teammate along with themselves, an enemy, and a dinosaur in one match for the achievement.
Co-Op
- Main article: Turok (2008) Co-Op.
Co-Op is a new game mode in Turok. The gametype involves 1-4 players going through various missions, completing objectives, and fending off enemies, much like the single-player campaign. It can be accessed via player or private matches in the menu, and it requires an online connection to play.
Downloadable content
Several pieces of downloadable content were released for Turok including the Velociraptor Pack, which contained two new multiplayer maps, one new Co-op map, and two refurbished maps, which now take place at night. Additionally, there were gamer pictures present at one point; however, due to the rights of the series reverting back to Classic Media, all DLC, including the Velociraptor Pack, was taken off of Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. [26]
Multiplayer shutdown and revival
In February 2011, the multiplayer servers for Turok were shut down by Disney Interactive Studios with Quazal Technologies having some involvement. With the shutdown, all DLC was taken off of all platform shops as well. Petitions were started to bring back the multiplayer. Disney stated that over 1,000 players were needed to bring the servers back online. The most popular movement to bring back the servers was the Turok Multiplayer Revival Campaign.[27] After having only 400 individuals and gaming businesses signed on, the servers were brought back online on July 1, 2011, but only for the Xbox 360 and PC. All DLC did not return.
| Image | Map | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Testing Grounds | Wolf Pack defend their stronghold from an attack by Whiskey Company, at the edge of a dense jungle. |
|
Spire | Whiskey Company has infiltrated a Wolf Pack Communication outpost and must work to destroy a crucial communications tower before Wolf Pack can call in reinforcements. |
|
A Heated Rivalry | Striking from the jungle, Whiskey Company attempts to cripple a Wolf Pack geothermal station by destroying the main power line. |
|
Power Struggle | Conflict erupts as Wolf Pack and Whiskey Company struggle to control three critical substations at the same time. |
|
An Invasion | After the crash, a group of Whiskey Company soldiers decide to assault a nearby Wolf Pack Refinement facility, located on pre-terraformed lands. |
|
Fire Storm | Wolf Pack defends their base from a Whiskey Company attack in the middle of a fiery wasteland. |
|
The Hard Place | Whiskey Company and Wolf Pack race towards a centralized crash site located in a remote valley, which is inhabited by scavenging raptors. |
| File:Placeholder | Inconclusive Tests (DLC) | Striking from the jungle, Whiskey Company attampts [sic] to cripple a Wolf Pack geothermal station by destroying the main power line. |
| File:Placeholder | A Rivalry Continues (DLC) | Wolf Pack defend their stronghold from an attack by Whiskey Company at the edge of a dense jungle. |
| File:Placeholder | Desolation (DLC) | In a remote corner of the deep jungle a new outpost is the site of a Whiskey Company raid. |
| File:Placeholder | Sentinel (DLC) | Whiskey Company assaults one of the pillars of the Mendel Gruman Orbital Defense Network. |
Achievements/Trophies
Like other modern games for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Turok has achievements/trophies. Players can earn these by completing certain tasks throughout the campaign and the multiplayer. Since the PlayStation 3 servers have been shut down, it is impossible for players, old or new, to gain any more multiplayer-based trophies.
List of appearances
| Characters | Enemies | Bosses | Harmless wildlife | Weapons |
| Items | Locations | Organizations and groups | Vehicles | Miscellanea |
Characters
|
Enemies
|
Bosses
|
Harmless wildlife
|
Weapons
|
Items
|
Locations
|
Organizations and groups
|
Vehicles
|
Miscellanea
|
Cut content
Creatures
|
MG unitsVehiclesWeaponsOther |
Soundtrack
- Main article: Turok: Original Soundtrack.
While a soundtrack was never officially released, the soundtrack can be ripped from the PC version of Turok and includes all the music in the game along with track names.
Promotional items
- Main article: Promotional items of Turok.
Several retailers offered several pre-order bonuses for Turok. Some retailers would give customers a demo disc along with a special item such as a shirt. UK customers would receive Turok in a steel tin cover with an art book, though the PS3 game would also come in a steel tin; however, the Xbox 360 version still came in the standard Xbox DVD case. The promo items are available through various online stores such as eBay and Amazon. Only a few pieces of merchandise were made, such as an Xbox 360 faceplate and a strategy guide.
The Art of Turok
- Main article: The Art of Turok.
In the UK, a limited edition version of Turok was available. It was essentially the same as the PS3 version as it had a steel case, though it came with a short art booklet containing various concept art pieces.
Retail editions
| Features | Xbox 360 | PlayStation 3 | PC | Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image of contents | 
|
|
|
|
| Game disc | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Instruction manual | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| The Art of Turok | UK only | UK only | UK only | No |
Critical reception
Turok was released to a mixed critical response by critics. The game was praised for its atmosphere, concept and ideas, multiplayer, and designs choices, but it was criticized for its weak story and script, several gameplay choices, unbalanced difficulty, repetition, and visuals. On MetaCritic, the game's PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC versions hold scores of 67/100, 69/100, and 65/100, respectively, indicating "mixed or average reviews" by the site.[2][3][4] On GameRankings, the game's PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC versions hold scores of 68.74%, 69.92%, and 64.25%, respectively.[28][29][30]
1up.com gave the game a score of C+, specifically complaining about its stealth mechanics, the use of camera shaking, and occasional graphical glitches in the PlayStation 3 version.[31] Gameplasma gave the game a 7 out of 10 claiming that "the storyline is mediocre" and "forgettable".[32]
Turok received 3/5 from X-Play, commenting on its aim-assist being woefully inadequate both in multiplayer and single-player, but praised its A.I. and "atmosphere."[33] In its G-phoria episode, it won the category of "Game Deserves An Uwe Boll Movie".[34]
Elsewhere, Turok was criticized to a further extent. Honest Gamers awarded the game 5/10, citing the unforgiving checkpoint system, badly contextualized story, and poor A.I. as reasons for the mediocre mark, and PC Gamer UK awarded the game 57%, calling it "weary and uninspired."[35]
On March 26, 2008, Touchstone announced the game had sold more than 1 million copies.[36]
Sequel
- Main article: Turok 2 (cancelled).
A sequel was in development, but layoffs at Propaganda Games resulted in the project being cancelled. It was simply known as Turok 2 before it was ultimately cancelled.[37]
Notes and references
- ↑ Alexander, Jem (February 10, 2008). "PS3 Responsible for Turok Delay". Engadget. Accessed 27 April 2016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Turok Critic Reviews for PlayStation 3". Metacritic. Accessed 27 April 2016.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Turok Critic Reviews for Xbox 360". Metacritic. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Turok Critic Reviews for PC". Metacritic. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Adams, David (May 13, 2005). "Turok Captured by Buena Vista". IGN. Accessed 1 October 2017
- ↑ Thorsen, Tor (September 28, 2005). "New Turok to be Unreal-powered". GameSpot. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Dunham, Jeremy (May 3, 2006). "Pre-E3 2006: Turok Premiere Interview". IGN. Accessed 1 October 2017.
- ↑ Rorie, Matthew (May 10, 2006). "E3 06: Turok Impressions". GameSpot. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Staff (May 12, 2006). "E3 2006: Turok". IGN. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Clayman, David (August 24, 2006). "GC 2006: Turok reinvented. IGN. Accessed 1 October 2017.
- ↑ Staff (October 9, 2006). "Carving Trailer". IGN. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Holmes, Josh (October 11, 2006). "Turok Propoganda: The A.I. System". IGN. Accessed 1 October 2017.
- ↑ Holmes, Josh (April 19, 2007). "Turok - Welcome to the Jungle". IGN. Accessed 1 October 2017.
- ↑ Miller, Greg (July 3, 2007). "Pre-E3 2007: Turok Hands-on. IGN. Accessed 1 October 2017.
- ↑ Staff (July 12, 2007). "E3 2007 Trailer (Off-Screen)". IGN. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 Burman, Rob (August 29, 2007). "Avoiding Extinction With Turok". IGN. Accessed 1 October 2017.
- ↑ Hatfield, Daemon (October 2, 2007). "Turok Hunts Hollywood actors. IGN. Accessed 1 October 2017.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Miller, Greg (October 22, 2007). "Turok Blowout". IGN. Accessed 1 October 2017.
- ↑ Miller, Greg (October 29, 2007). "Turok Hands-on". IGN. Accessed 1 October 2017.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedReleaseDate - ↑ Miller, Greg (December 3, 2007). "Turok Multiplayer Hands-on". IGN. Accessed 1 October 2017.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Miller, Greg (December 20, 2007). "Turok Progress Report". IGN. Accessed October 2, 2017.
- ↑ Staff (January 24, 2008). "Return Of The Gwangi (HD)". IGN. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Staff (February 1, 2008). "The Sound of Thunder (HD)". IGN. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Jackson, Mike (12 December 2007). "Turok dev to scrap team kill achievement". CVG. Archived from the original on 2 February 2015. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Staff (1 February 2008). "Turok Video Game, Review". Game Trailers. Archived from the original on 10 June 2012. Accessed 28 April 2016. [dead link]
- ↑ "The Turok Multiplayer Revival Campaign (TMRC)". Facebook. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ "Turok for PlayStation 3". GameRankings. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ "Turok for Xbox 360". GameRankings. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ "Turok for PC". GameRankings. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Rybicki, Joe (31 January 2008). "Turok (Xbox 360)". 1UP. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Kazmi, Mo. "Turok Review". Gameplasma. Archived from the original on 16 March 2008. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Staff (1 February 2008). "Turok Review". G4TV. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Staff (7 August 2008). "G-Phoria 08: Game Most Deserving of an Uwe Boll Movie". G4TV. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Denby, Lewis (21 August 2008). "Turok (PC) review". HonestGamers. Accessed 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedMillion - ↑ Staff (30 January 2009). "Turok Sequel Canned". IGN. Accessed 28 April 2016.
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