Turok: Origins Preview: A Dinosaur Shooter That Misses the Mark

Turok: Origins Preview: A Dinosaur Shooter That Misses the Mark

For collectors and enthusiasts who grew up blasting dinosaurs in the legendary N64 Turok games, the upcoming Turok: Origins on PS5 might not deliver the nostalgic thrills you're hoping for. Based on recent hands-on time at Gamescom, the co-op shooter appears to be settling for "bang-average" status rather than capturing the innovative spirit that made the original series such a beloved classic.

Turok: Origins positions itself as a three-player cooperative first or third-person shooter where players tackle sentient dinosaurs across a sprawling campaign. On paper, it sounds delightfully absurd—the kind of "daft premise" that could make for genuinely fun multiplayer mayhem, reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoon energy like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers or Xiaolin Showdown. That foundation alone should theoretically create entertaining moments with friends.

However, the preview experience suggests the game struggles to capitalize on this inherent potential. While the concept delivers an excuse to "do cool stuff in video game form," execution appears to be where Turok: Origins falters. The approximately thirty minutes of gameplay showcased at Gamescom didn't spark the excitement one might expect from a franchise revival on current-generation hardware.

For game collectors specifically, this news carries weight. The original Turok (1997) remains a significant piece of gaming history—a landmark first-person shooter that pushed the N64 to impressive technical limits and established a cult following that endures today. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (1998) further cemented the series' reputation for ambitious level design and creature variety. When a legacy franchise gets revived, especially on powerful modern platforms, there's an expectation that developers will either honor that heritage or meaningfully innovate.

Turok: Origins seems to do neither particularly well, at least based on available impressions. In an increasingly crowded cooperative shooter market—where games like Deep Rock Galactic, Darktide, and Left 4 Dead 2 have set high bars for engaging, replayable multiplayer experiences—a "bang-average" offering struggles to justify its existence.

This doesn't necessarily mean Turok: Origins is irredeemable. Full game reviews could reveal hidden depth or surprising enjoyment in extended play sessions. However, initial signals suggest collectors hunting for the next great dinosaur-themed shooter might want to temper expectations. The game's success may ultimately depend on whether the final product manages to course-correct before launch and capture even a fraction of what made the classics special.

Source: Push Square