Turok is the latest installment in the first-person shooter Turok video games series based on Acclaim Entertainment's comic series under the same name. The game was scheduled to be released in North America for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on February 5, 2008, however, it was instead released on January 31, 2008. It will be released on April 22, 2008 for the PC. It was developed by Propaganda Games and published and distributed by Disney Interactive Studios under the Touchstone banner in the US and UK and by Capcom in all other territories.

Plot

Despite being titled "Turok", the title is treated as a series reboot and bears no relation to the continuity of the previous games or to the comic books.

The player takes the role of Joseph Turok, descendant of the original Turok, Tal'set. Previously, Turok was a member of the Wolfpack, a specialized military detachment whose members were trained in black ops by General Roland Kane. After a falling out with the group, Turok was reassigned back to the military and was eventually made the newest member of Whiskey Company—a team that has been assembled to apprehend his former mentor and return him to Earth. Formerly 'General' Kane, he had supposedly disappeared two years earlier only to have surfaced once again on a world under the jurisdiction of the Mendel-Gruman (M-G) Corporation.

At first, the crew shuns him thinking that he is an inexperienced fighter, untrustworthy, and a liability. One particular member, Slade, has a grudge against Turok because his brother was killed in the same battle from which Turok had reputedly fled from, earning him his dubious reputation. Unbeknownst to the team, Roland Kane is in command of a secret paramilitary force working for Mendel-Gruman.

On approach to their target, the starship they are in is shot down from orbit and crash lands on the terraformed surface where Turok quickly learns that the dinosaurs inhabiting its jungles were created with accelerated evolution. Through several adventures, Turok and the surviving marines eventually discover that Kane has created a Soldier bug-based biotoxin with deadly and immediate effects that disperses harmlessly after use, making it an ideal first strike weapon. Whiskey Company comes up with a plan to stop Kane and escape the planet but in the ensuing battle, most of the crew are killed although the survivors manage to penetrate Kane's defenses and sabotage the base. Only Slade, Shepherd, and Turok manage to make it to the spaceship and make ready to leave, but Turok is left behind at his request to head back into the ruins and face Kane. After an ensuing battle, Kane is defeated by Turok in a knife duel.

Shortly after Kane's death, an attacking T-Rex charges into the scene which Turok is forced to fight with weapons scattered across the landing area where the battle had taken place. Defeating the T-Rex, Slade and Shepherd return to pick up Turok and leave the hostile world for Earth.

Gameplay mechanics and features

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 Kane, is 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 (via: flares, gunshots, etc.) 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 has 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. These gameplay elements have been made optional, meaning the player is never forced to use stealth to their advantage if they wish not to. Well-known among Turok fans, the games generally feature a large, creative arsenal, with unconventional futuristic weaponry, much unlike that found in typical first-person shooters. Propaganda assures that they will stay true to the franchise's roots and create inventive and memorable weapons for the players' use. However, the cerebral bore didn't make its return in Turok. This Turok uses a heavily modified version of the Unreal 3 Engine, with modifications on realistic textures, A.I, and particle effects.