Turok Evolution (PS2)

Publisher:Acclaim
Developer:Acclaim
Genre:Sci-Fi First-Person Shooter
ESRB: MATURE
ESRB Descriptors:Blood and Gore, Violence

Mixing first-person shooting action with suitably threatening creatures from the Jurassic past, Turok: Evolution is a welcome step forward in the franchise. Its secret? Nothing major, just that the developers have gone back to what made the series so fun in the first place. This latest sequel is a clear beneficiary of that decision. Thus, the game's action returns to the Lost Lands, albeit with smarter visuals and some excellent, moody audio effects. The gameplay itself, while primarily action based, does reward occasional stealth, although more fun will be gleamed from the broadened arsenal of hardware and choosing when to use them. There's a lot to explore, and the enemy AI puts up a far harder fight than the game's predecessors, all of which count as sizeable marks in the plus column. Turok: Evolution is no classic, though. Its levels are frequently a little too sprawling, and despite the generally enjoyable gameplay, a little more urgency wouldn't have gone amiss. That said, it's a title that's going to reward expectant fans of the franchise, and while it's not cutting edge stuff, Turok: Evolution does offer good value for money, and a challenging, lasting single player mode, with an equally enjoyable multi-player segment bolted on. Bottom line: it's a flawed game, but still an entertaining one. And thanks to a generous smattering of levels, tight controls and a sizeable game world, there's enough on the disc to keep the player immersed for some time. --Simon Brew

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