That's more than enough story for most first person shooters. The single player game is pretty straightforward most of the time: Kill all the bad guys on the level, pick up new stuff and move on. There are a few simple puzzles, but Turok doesn't try too hard to be anything more than a bloodbath. To assist in the bloodletting it offers a dizzying array of weapons, from plasma cannons and rocket launchers to hi-tech bows and remote control mines. There are 15 levels of savagery, so you'll have plenty of opportunity to use these goodies.

The multiplayer options are as varied as the weapon choices. A few versions of capture the flag, deathmatch, "kill-the-carrier," headshots only, etc. There are lots of maps to choose from and you're given control over variables like weapons and kill totals. The only drawback is the lack of support for system link (a feature of many Xbox games) and online play (soon to be available on many PS2 and Xbox games). It supports up to four players on the same screen, though.

One thing is clear from the moment of your first kill: Turok's Gore Meter reaches toward the top. Headshots are the norm, and blood spurts from open necks for a ridiculously long time. The bodies, unfortunately, disappear after a few moments. The game is rated "Mature," and does everything short of nudity to earn it.

The A.I. goes from very good to comically bad. Both dinosaurs and supposedly intelligent foes sometimes get caught on pieces of foliage or just run around in circles, oblivious to your presence. Conversely, many of the baddies will actually use cover and dodge attacks. Groups have an annoying habit of working together, flowing around terrain and generally making life difficult. So take the easy kills when you can get them.

One of the new features, fighting from the back of a flying quetzalcoatlus (mounted with machine guns and missiles), is a poor execution of a great idea. In the single player game, the controls themselves are your biggest opponent because you'll spend a lot of time trying to pull out of unintended dives and doing your best to avoid splattering yourself all over the closely confining walls. If the levels were designed with a little more thought and the challenges were more varied than trying to fly in a straight line, one might be more encouraged to master the art of steering a flying dinosaur. In multiplayer, which offers the option of fighting from the air, the control issues are compounded by the fact that it's nearly impossible to find your opponents. The third person perspective results in very little screen room that isn't taken up by your wing-flapping mount, and you'll be more relieved than anything else when the battle is done.

The environment, graphically and from a gameplay perspective, is fantastic. A lush tropical dungeon has never been done better than here. You'll see plants react to people and dinosaurs as they walk by, but you'll also be able to knock over rock formations and trees to crush enemies if your timing is right. The scenery is really part of the game, not just eye candy. It's also refreshing to be plunked down in a wilderness setting and not be forced to kill every living thing you see. The wild animals here might be mostly dinosaurs, but they aren't all interested in you. Many will leave you alone if you return the favor.

The sound is top-notch, with descriptive sound effects for the fighting and a score that helps bring the jungle atmosphere to life with strong drums and a sometimes manic, sometimes subdued pace. If you're lucky enough to have surround sound, Turok takes full advantage of the equipment and uses it to immerse the player in the experience.

If the theme intrigues you, high tech weapons in a dinosaur setting, or if you're a fan of the previous installments of the series, this version of Turok will probably meet your expectations. It's a decent first person shooter with many multiplayer options, lots of gore and several flaws. None of those flaws make the game unplayable, they just keep it from standing head and shoulders above other, similar games.

Ed's Note Check out Brian's review/comparison of the Xbox, GCN and PS2 versions of Turok Evolution, HERE.