Turok review: extra thoughts

I couldn't come right out and say it in my review, but I'll admit I was surprised at how much I liked "Turok." When a huge corporation like Disney decides to attack a new market -- like M-rated action games -- I expect something completely derivative and soulless. And sure, as I wrote, "'Turok' won't exactly revolutionize the game biz." This is "Halo with Dinosaurs," no doubt about it.

But coming even close to the bar set by "Halo" is no small feat for a first-time developer. By and large, Propaganda did it (at least in the campaign -- nothing comes to close to "Halo 3" multi-player). The graphics are just as good, the gameplay is just as deep, the story is much less ridiculous, and the audio and A.I. are arguably better. Overall, it's a solid package.

As always, you can read it all in the review, but here are a few extra tidbits that didn't make my final draft, along with reactions to some other reviews:

-The third person knife kills are awesome to see (though sometimes difficult to trigger). And the concept of having the camera flow back into Turok's head to re-establish the first-person POV looks great. However, it can be really annoying when, during the animated knife kill, Turok turns in a different direction. When you go back to first person, suddenly you don't know which way you're facing. Especially in the midst of an intense fight, this can be super annoying.

-I turned the camera speed down to the slowest possible setting and I still found that the reticule moved way too fast for me. Aiming at small targets is tough when you can't move the cross hairs precisely.

-Why the hell can't I run? Given how similar all the other controls are to "Halo 3," I kept pushing in the left analog stick expecting to dash, but got an an arrow telling me where to go instead as Turok kept walking at a normal pace.

-IGN dismisses the game's A.I. by calling the enemy soldiers "idiots," which I think is a bit harsh. They're at worst average in their cluelessness. But it's unfair to dis "Turok" on that front without noting how fantastic the dinosaur A.I. is. I loved how they would notice me if I got too close to them or made too much noise, but could also be drawn to the enemies when they start firing their guns. Not to mention the fun of attracting them to a group of opponents by firing a flare, then watching a velociraptor do my work for me. Eminently satisfying.

-1Up, to its credit, asks a question so obvious that it never occurred to me: "What the hell [are] dinosaurs  doing on this planet?" Sure, you could reply that it's so basic to the concept that it's not worth asking (like wondering why Bowser can never get over his freakish inter-species obsession with Princess Peach), but it would have been nice if the game took a second to provide an answer.