So after over a year of getting it, I finally finished Turok 1 on Switch. Despite obnoxious last two levels and having to turn on infinite ammo half way through level 7 in order not to sour this game on me forever, I have to say - it is very up there among some of my favourite games ever.
The labyrinthine levels and scanning each for the keys and pieces of chronosceptre was so much fun - some of the mid game stages like the Ruins or Ancient City are among some of my favourites - It's like a Castlevania FPS on speed, or a really tasty mash up of Doom and Metroid Prime, before Prime even happened. I know it is a remaster but this is still a very impressive game after all these years and feels in some aspects really fresh - N64 games seem to age the best out of its generation. It is hard to believe that some of these animations and physics are from that era as well. Levels are also huge and while I am aware that it was covered originally in fog in order to run at all - it's still quite a feat. It runs so smooth on Switch and nowadays looks like it could be an indie release with an aesthetic.
There are some issues throughout and it is mostly because of then hardware limitations like checkpoints that turn platforming, especially in level 7 into an absolute nightmare. Level designers also had a penchant for corridor mazes which are some of the poorest and most boring levels I have seen in gaming. It's like a Final Fantasy late game tower, except in a form of an FPS. Otherwise, when the punishment is negligible like in bonus courses, the platforming is actually quite fun and again, last time I enjoyed jumping in first person was Metroid Prime actually. I didn't mind missing reticle in the game and helped myself with the map when I wanted cheap takedowns but the severe gasping for ammo in later levels made the gameplay progressively feel like a chore. In the final level, though I wish they could spread some of the ideas they packed into it (and there was A LOT of ideas in that stage which altogether kind of overstayed its welcome) across the rest of the game which by and large featured rather samey environments, the only gun that was actually viable to use was pulse rifle that incidentally had no ammo drops. Instead the game kept throwing grenades like a candy at you which, in maze like corridors and dubious collision detection made for quick death from your own blasts and cheap enemy placements.
I don't know if it's a game I can easily recommend to anyone, but at the best of times its exploration and general vibe was amazing and felt like a proto-Metroid Prime. What a game.
What to expect from Turok 2? It looks like the game overall features tighter level design (if less sprawling, platformer like) and better gunplay - does it have issues with fighting for ammo as well? People seem to be two minds about it.
The labyrinthine levels and scanning each for the keys and pieces of chronosceptre was so much fun - some of the mid game stages like the Ruins or Ancient City are among some of my favourites - It's like a Castlevania FPS on speed, or a really tasty mash up of Doom and Metroid Prime, before Prime even happened. I know it is a remaster but this is still a very impressive game after all these years and feels in some aspects really fresh - N64 games seem to age the best out of its generation. It is hard to believe that some of these animations and physics are from that era as well. Levels are also huge and while I am aware that it was covered originally in fog in order to run at all - it's still quite a feat. It runs so smooth on Switch and nowadays looks like it could be an indie release with an aesthetic.
There are some issues throughout and it is mostly because of then hardware limitations like checkpoints that turn platforming, especially in level 7 into an absolute nightmare. Level designers also had a penchant for corridor mazes which are some of the poorest and most boring levels I have seen in gaming. It's like a Final Fantasy late game tower, except in a form of an FPS. Otherwise, when the punishment is negligible like in bonus courses, the platforming is actually quite fun and again, last time I enjoyed jumping in first person was Metroid Prime actually. I didn't mind missing reticle in the game and helped myself with the map when I wanted cheap takedowns but the severe gasping for ammo in later levels made the gameplay progressively feel like a chore. In the final level, though I wish they could spread some of the ideas they packed into it (and there was A LOT of ideas in that stage which altogether kind of overstayed its welcome) across the rest of the game which by and large featured rather samey environments, the only gun that was actually viable to use was pulse rifle that incidentally had no ammo drops. Instead the game kept throwing grenades like a candy at you which, in maze like corridors and dubious collision detection made for quick death from your own blasts and cheap enemy placements.
I don't know if it's a game I can easily recommend to anyone, but at the best of times its exploration and general vibe was amazing and felt like a proto-Metroid Prime. What a game.
What to expect from Turok 2? It looks like the game overall features tighter level design (if less sprawling, platformer like) and better gunplay - does it have issues with fighting for ammo as well? People seem to be two minds about it.
