In short, you win some and lose some.

Turok: Evolution is a drastic departure from the direction the series was headed. No more sci-fi, no more aliens, and no more of Joseph, his children, or the original Turok. Instead, Evolution is more like a regression to the series' original aesthetic and a progression into new gameplay mechanics, while keeping enough "Turok" there to remind you of what you're playing.

Take the story for instance. You play the part of Tal' Set, an unfortunate soul who gets yanked into the prehistoric world we all know and love, and is put to work in a human resistance group to stop the tyrannical...uh...Tyranis and his Sleg hench...things. Plot movements take place in real-time cut scenes and clean FMV clips. Things start off on a grand scale and never really stop, so it's a shame that the story pace is a mile behind the rest of this expansive experience.

Think of it this way - ever play Turok 2? It was easily the largest game in the series - the levels were unfathomable in scale, the objectives were numerous, and the saves were very scarce. Turok: Evolution follows this structure to a tee, with one saving grace - stages (or chapters) are broken down into multiple parts so you'll get to save often.

It's very fortunate that Acclaim put in periodic saves since Evo is larger than all other Turok games before it - even the infamous 2. There are ten chapters total, which each spanning anywhere between 5 to 10 different sections and each section ranging from a small jaunt to a long marathon across enemy territory. With such a large task at hand one needs a large arsenal and boy does Evolution deliver. You have the standard fare of shotguns, bows, and pistols at your disposal, but there are also rocket launchers, gravity disruptors, plasma cannons, and - when all other things don't cut it - the nuke. So you're looking at 15 different chapters, tons of area to explore, a horde of foes on all sides, and a bevy of weapons at your side....

...so how does it play?

Quite well actually. The control scheme is same as anything you'll find in console FPS's, and if that doesn't sound too appealing, you can configure the button layout to your heart's content. Once things get underway, you'll be amazed at how fast the action flows. Unlike the slow deliberate pace of 2 and the platform-happy antics of the first, Turok: Evolution is a straight up run-and-gun affair, with so much opposition to face that you'll wonder how it's possible to get from one save point to the next. It's doable, but quite a workout - and it doesn't hurt that the AI is dumb as a rock. Scratch that - it is a bad thing. Sometimes you'll face off against foes who can out-maneuver you, back off and wait for support, and all sorts of deft battle reactions. Then there's time where the AI is so lame you'll be left scratching your head in amazement. If every enemy was as harsh as the 10% that are, I'm sure the game would be impossible to finish, but going from a gaming workout to a puny challenge really throws things off. If the difficulty were evened out, Evo would fare much better in long-term play - and aside from that, everything else is butter.

Well, almost everything. Contrary to popular belief, the GameCube version does not run at a constant 60 frames per second. In areas with tons of architecture, vegetation, or both, the game grinds down to 30. All other things graphical are impressive though, from the heat waves given off by explosions, to the ethereal blasts from tech weapons, right down to small groups of wildlife running around. Honestly the whole game is a spectacle, but I'm starting to doubt the GameCube edition is doing anything the Xbox version isn't. Maybe the textures in here are sharper, but there's not much beyond that.

So is Evolution the kind of game for you? Personally, I've been a fan of the series for awhile (although the lengthy chapters are a turn-off), the save points make things much more comfortable. Moreover, it's a much more fast-paced venture than the previous installments, the primary reason why I recommend it. Now if you'll excuse me, that Stegosaurus is acting up again.

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