Acclaim Turok 3 : OBLIVION
(MPN: 64195) Description: Turok: Dinosaur Hunter's legacy on the Nintendo 64 is undeniable. While the pressures of being both a commercial and (more often than not) a critical success would have tempted series of lesser quality to churn out mediocre sequels, Acclaim has not a.... Read MoreDescription: Turok: Dinosaur Hunter's legacy on the Nintendo 64 is undeniable. While the pressures of being both a commercial and (more often than not) a critical success would have tempted series of lesser quality to churn out mediocre sequels, Acclaim has not allowed this to happen. Now with the second "official" sequel (not counting Rage Wars) wreaking havoc in Nintendo land, it's time to see if the legacy is fulfilled. Visually, this is by far the best in the series. While the graphics on the N64 can only go so far, they're best utilized in the amazing cutscenes displayed throughout. Plus, the action is accompanied by an amazing soundtrack, which greatly enhances the game's atmosphere. The weapons are basically the same as those in previous Turok games, so things may seem familiar. There are new weapons, but most of them are just upgrades of the current ones you have. The only time that weapon selection will be important is during boss battles, where the rocket launcher packs a bigger punch. Not only can you save your game anywhere, but you can also continue from many checkpoints throughout the level. As you progress, you will pass checkpoints where the game pauses, and the title of the area appears on the screen. This feature is great, because when you suffer that oh-so-sudden death, you only have to go back as far as the last checkpoint instead of your last (and possibly distant) save. With the single-player mode thrown back in for the third Turok adventure, the multiplayer mode in Turok 3 doesn't seem to flow as well as it did in Rage Wars. This might be excusable, but with Rare showing how fun a single/multiplayer title can be, not once but twice (GoldenEye, Perfect Dark), it's a bit disappointing. Still, Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion is a great first-person shooter for Nintendo's aging machine that doesn't embarrass the series. --Todd Mowatt Pros: Minimize | 
