01-29-2008, 10:42 PM
I downloaded the demo so I thought I would share my impressions. It is a long download (~1.2 GB) and offers about 20 minutes of single-player gameplay.
This Turok is, as expected, much better than its predecessor. The gameplay mechanics here are pretty solid, although it won't challenge the bar set by other top FPSs like Halo 3 or Call of Duty 4. Perhaps the most interesting addition is the hunting knife which allows you to pull off violent, cinematic stealth kills and finishing moves.
Of coursethe most important part of Turok is the dinosaurs. They both look and act realistically: as violent, blood-thirsty carnivores looking to eat you. They provide a fairly formidable challenge to bring down, especially the bigger ones (there is only one big dino in the demo). Strangely, it also takes a lot for them to bring you down. You have to take a lot of damage before you die. There are also smaller dinosaurs and larger herbivores who wander around, minding their own business, but still add to the organic feel of the environment.
On the technical side of things, the graphics are fairly impressive. The dinosaurs look outstanding, but the human characters could use some work, particularly their faces. Environments look good, but have some noticable last-gen shortcomings. I also noticed a few times that the framerate chugged under some action sequences. The music is good and the sound effects are usually very atmospheric. That is until you are in battle. I was disappointed to find that the gunfire sounds strangely quiet and hollow, and in the intense up-close battle sequences, the dinosaurs sound similarly distant and uninteresting. Perhaps they are petty shortcomings but I felt they take away from otherwise intense encounters. Maybe these things will be improved in the final version of the game.
Anyway, I am convinced to at least give this one a rental. The dinosaur FPS scenario is way too cool to pass up and is clealry done better than ever in Turok from what I've seen. I'm also very curious to see how the online multiplayer will turn out with 16-player matches in dinosaur-infested maps.
This Turok is, as expected, much better than its predecessor. The gameplay mechanics here are pretty solid, although it won't challenge the bar set by other top FPSs like Halo 3 or Call of Duty 4. Perhaps the most interesting addition is the hunting knife which allows you to pull off violent, cinematic stealth kills and finishing moves.
Of coursethe most important part of Turok is the dinosaurs. They both look and act realistically: as violent, blood-thirsty carnivores looking to eat you. They provide a fairly formidable challenge to bring down, especially the bigger ones (there is only one big dino in the demo). Strangely, it also takes a lot for them to bring you down. You have to take a lot of damage before you die. There are also smaller dinosaurs and larger herbivores who wander around, minding their own business, but still add to the organic feel of the environment.
On the technical side of things, the graphics are fairly impressive. The dinosaurs look outstanding, but the human characters could use some work, particularly their faces. Environments look good, but have some noticable last-gen shortcomings. I also noticed a few times that the framerate chugged under some action sequences. The music is good and the sound effects are usually very atmospheric. That is until you are in battle. I was disappointed to find that the gunfire sounds strangely quiet and hollow, and in the intense up-close battle sequences, the dinosaurs sound similarly distant and uninteresting. Perhaps they are petty shortcomings but I felt they take away from otherwise intense encounters. Maybe these things will be improved in the final version of the game.
Anyway, I am convinced to at least give this one a rental. The dinosaur FPS scenario is way too cool to pass up and is clealry done better than ever in Turok from what I've seen. I'm also very curious to see how the online multiplayer will turn out with 16-player matches in dinosaur-infested maps.