Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remastered

If you were a fan of Lost back in the mid-2000s, then you probably knew somebody who tried to get into the series mid-way through and was utterly confused. “I thought this was a show about surviving a plane crash,” they would say. “Why is there time travel? What’s up with the smoke monster? And did that guy just move an island with a steering wheel? What the hell is going on here?” This is how I felt when jumping into Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remastered for the first time. As somebody who played the original, but missed out on Turok 2 and Rage Wars, I went into this game fully expecting a first-person shooter full of dinosaurs. What I got instead was a game with cross-dimensional creatures and children that can morph into massive monsters straight out of Resident Evil. What the hell is going on here? That’s what we’re about to find out when I review Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remastered.

While I may not be the biggest Turok fan, I absolutely love the concept. The idea of a first-person dinosaur hunting game was intriguing enough to get me to go all-in when the first installment clawed its way onto the Nintendo 64 in 1997. Unfortunately, while the idea was solid, the execution left a lot to be desired. I don’t know if it was the lack of familiarity with the brand-new hardware or a developer that was not used to making first-person shooters, but that first game left me disappointed. I was so letdown that I didn’t even bother with the better-received Turok 2, so by the time Turok 3 came around, I figured that I was too far behind and finally let go of my dream of being a dinosaur hunter.

But, as they say, some dreams will never die.

After hearing so many good things about Nightdive’s job at remastering the first two games, I decided to give the series one more chance. And I’m glad that I did, because even though I was thoroughly confused by some of the story beats, what I found was an action game that scratched an itch I had completely forgotten that I even had. Thanks to the fine work done by Nightdive, I can finally say that I genuinely enjoyed a Turok game.

This is a game that surprised me on pretty much every level. Right from the get-go, I was surprised to see that the hero from the second game, Joshua Fireseed, is killed right at the start of this sequel. But not before he has a vision of a kid being tormented by a bunch of demon creatures. Now it’s up to either Danielle or her brother, Joseph, to step up as the next Turok and save the kid from a bunch of trans-dimensional brutes.

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Now, this was the exact moment when I first said: “Hey, isn’t this a series about dinosaur hunting?” I don’t know if all this was explained in the second game or if this third installment takes a hard turn, but there aren’t very many dinosaurs in this Turok game. In fact, I would argue that the events play out a lot more like Half-Life than Turok, which definitely caught me off guard. Once I got used to the idea that I would be battling big alien monsters, I was fully on board. But the more futuristic locations feel a bit out of place for the franchise.

The good news is that Turok 3 eventually becomes the dinosaur game I was expecting. There are some pretty fun bits towards the middle that more than hint back to the original game, which is a real highlight in this sequel. I also had a good time with the goofy story, which is weird and over-the-top in ways I could not have predicted. I may have been confused at where the game was taking me, but I was always ready to go on the ride.

A lot of this comes down to how much fun Turok 3 is to play. If you’ve played a first-person shooter on the Nintendo 64 recently, then you’ll know that a lot of them are hard to go back to. Thankfully, by giving this remaster a modern control set-up, you can enjoy the spectacle without it feeling too outdated. This is a reminder of a time when first-person shooters were quick and full of weapons to collect, and that’s exactly what you get in this game. You’re practically sprinting through these levels, even with the big alien guards getting in the way. And with multiple handguns, shotguns, assault rifles, bazookas and even a vampire gun that will suck the life right out of the enemies, there’s plenty of firepower to choose from.

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As I said at the top, Turok 3 allows you to play through the story as either Danielle or Joseph, which will change up the gameplay a bit and add some replay to this surprisingly short game. Both fight through the same batch of levels, but sometimes their paths will slightly diverge. For example, Danielle will use her grappling hook to get to hard-to-reach areas, while Joseph will be able to sneak into cramped sections that are only accessible to him. This doesn’t change up the action all that much, but when the story only takes a few hours to complete, you might as well give the other character a go.

As remasters go, this is yet another great update from Nightdive. This is a company hat is really making a name for itself, thanks in large part to their high-quality remasterings. It’s easy to overlook the challenge involved in updating these games, but recent examples like Grand Theft Auto and Metal Gear Solid are a stark reminder that it’s harder than it looks. Nightdive has this thing mastered, and Turok 3 is another great remaster. If you were a big fan of this game back on the Nintendo 64, then you’re going to love the amount of options and freedom this game gives you to have the exact experience that is perfect for you. Hell, even if you weren’t that fond of the N64 original, this version is so good that it might just win you over.

Even though it’s more than twenty years old, the levels look fantastic. The graphics are sharp and there’s just something about the low-polygon look that works for me. These stages are big and complex, but they aren’t overly designed or cluttered. They perfectly fit a game this fast and exciting. The only time when the game truly looks dates is in the cinemas, where you can’t help but notice the low-polygon bodies and stiff animations.

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The few problems I do have with the game largely revolve around some of the design decisions made in the original game. While I like most of the different locations we fight through, the game’s final act is surprising boring, with a lot of bland corridors and samey guards. Visually, it’s the least interesting part of this sequel. I also wish the game was more generous with the ammo drops. And even though I enjoyed the silly story, I spent most of the game wishing there was more dinosaurs to shoot. These alien guards are cool and all, but with their guns, it just felt like I was playing every other first-person shooter. The promise of Turok was fighting dinosaurs, and there’s just not enough of that in this game.

Obviously, I’m not saying anything new here. Turok 3 is a known quantity, and there’s a good chance that you’ve already made up your mind about this franchise. If you played the first two remastered re-releases, then you’ll be happy to know that Nightdive has done an excellent job bringing this final chapter of the Turok trilogy into the modern age. Everybody else should probably start with one of the earlier titles, especially if you’re looking for more dinosaur action. Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remastered is not what I expected, and maybe that’s a good thing.