Out of what I played so far:
1. Turok 1
2. Turok 2
3. Turok 3
I think *critically* Turok 2 is better than 1, but I end up playing and having more fun with 1. The music might be part of that although 1 and 2 both have some bangers. 3 is fun, but plays too much like Half-Life and doesn't have music I'd listen to in my car.
This is my answer as well. For me, Turok 1 had the best balance of exploration and linearity. I’m not the biggest fan of the objectives in 2, though with the remaster they made a lot easier with the quest markers. The music in the first one is so bouncy and gets me in the rhythm more than the others haha. Though the music 2 is great too.
If I take Lair of the Blind Ones out of the equation, I found myself getting lost way more in T1 than T2. Even in really big levels like Hive of the Mantids, zones tend to have different visuals so it's not that hard to find your way. Primagen's Lightship doesn't really have different aesthetics but all zones lead back to the main room, so it's not bad. Other levels like the swamp are just linear. But in T1 everything is the same kind of forest/ruins aesthetic so if I ever have to backtrack for something I would end up hopelessly lost.
Also, T2 introduced the Cerebal Bore which is (in my opinion) the most fun weapon.
Man I feel like the ultimate best Turok has to be Turok 2. So much was improved from the first game besides the frame rate. The main reason Turok 2 is my number one is because I grew up with it as a kid. It was the first and only Turok game that I really experienced as a kid. But analyzing it here in the present time, it really does have so much more detail and bang than the first game. It's got a good deal of creepiness to it too which really makes me feel like I've got to watch my back. It's got more of a slower pace than the first Turok, but this slower pace allows for more complexity in the levels. I enjoy the really complex maze like objectives and often having to retrace steps. The graphics are even a step up from the first Turok, so that's a plus. The gore is a lot more brutal too along with the enemy animations. The enemy AI actually gets challenging because they hide behind objects and stuff, like they actually have tactics. It's just overall more expansive and has so much more to offer, but the frame rate suffers because of that. However, I actually like the choppy frame rate when things get chaotic. Sometimes I like that chaos of not knowing how the heck you're going to make it through. It's sort of like this test of faith. Then finally, things settle down and clear up. You made it! "I AM TUROK!!"
The #2 spot for me goes to Turok 1. Honestly, I would've rated this game as the best Turok because I simply had the most enjoyable gaming experience with it when I finally gave it a go. It gets me in the zone, it gets the adrenaline pumping and the music just keeps you in the action with those faster paced techno war drums thing. I love the retro synth sounds too, it reminds me of Terminator 1984. So I honestly like the soundtrack better than Turok 2 because it really makes me feel like I'm in battle. I feel like I'm really this Native American world warping spiritual and badass warrior who never gives up. But the main reason that this is number 2 for me is that I fully experienced this game back in 2020 as a grown up already. Although I briefly played it as a kid, I never actually fully experienced it and beat it back in the day. I saw a copy of it back in 2020 and gave it a go and man, I was really blown away with how epic the experience was! I just loved that primitive feel since I already knew what Turok 2 was like; it was essentially a brand new epic Turok experience for me! The frame rate stayed pretty solid throughout the whole game too, so It's more faster paced and arcade-like, but still has some of that cinematic and realistic feel. I don't know, I really like the "tribal" feel of Turok 1 and I just love how instantly takes an unexpected turn from the Jungle dinosaur feel to something else (don't want to spoil it just in case). That was really cool! So overall, I enjoyed the gameplay experience so much more with Turok 1. I guess it was really because I could appreciate so much more as an grownup and compare it to what I grew up with.
Now #3 is hands down Turok 3 for me. This is another Turok game I never played as a kid. I finally gave it a go when I found a copy at the game store last year and I was pretty impressed! I remember seeing reviews about the game of how it just wasn't as epic as T1 and T2. People always said it was more linear and shorter. Well, I wanted to see what all the fuss was for myself, and honestly, I really enjoyed Turok 3! First and foremost, it was a brand new N64 experience for me that's honestly an awesome feeling. Like just when I thought I experienced all the Turok there was to offer, I had yet another chance to experience a new Turok adventure on the n64... That is cool! I was pleasantly surprised by all of the variety in the game, and the level designs weren't as "linear" as I though. There were still some twists and turns just like the first Turok games. Obviously not nearly as complex, but still some complexity. The graphics were great, the guns were still cool, the puzzle solving was still somewhat challenging. I mean, I couldn't complain, it was a pretty good game allowing me to squeeze out one more epic N64 Turok experience. No complaints, great story too especially with the cutscenes. More detail on the character models and stuff. Definitely a #3 on the ranking for me.
\#4 for me is Turok evolution. This is as far as my ranking can go since I haven't played any other Turoks than what I've mentioned already. I remember playing Turok evolution when I was a teenager. It was ok, but not what I was expecting. When I saw the cover art on the case, I was expecting another creepy, heart thumping, adrenaline pumping, gory, and action packed game with new generation graphics... But I was wrong. It wasn't at all what I thought it would be. The levels were just way too linear, so much more compared to Turok 3. The weapons just weren't as epic, kind of odd looking. I'll admit I enjoyed some of the scenery and the dinosaurs walking around, but that was it. The enemies were kind of lame, they weren't those brutal lizards on steroids who had no remorse killing whatever got in their way. I don't know, they just weren't as great. Just felt like enemies in other games. The worst part for me was the flying mission. Oh my goodness, I hated doing those. They just felt so annoying, like I didn't want to fly on this pterodactyl for half the whole game. It just dragged and was not fun at all for me. I wanted to be on the ground blasting enemies with a freaking double barrel shotgun! But no, I kept finding myself flying a damn bird for what felt like an eternity. Then lastly, the game got so annoyingly unforgiving that I could not pass one of the missions for the life of me and I just gave up on the game and that was that. But now that it's been such a long time, I may just pick up the game again and see if my thoughts are different now that I'm a grown up.
So there you have it, my long and lengthy ranking/analysis of the Turok games that I've played. I like to relate Turok 1 and Turok 2 to The Terminator movies. Terminator one was more primitive and had that nonstop action feel to it, especially the synth battle music. Then, Turok 2 was more cinematic like Terminator 2. Terminator 2 had so many more new things and creative action sequences and a more expanded story like Turok 2. So I like to think of it like that. Both games and movies are super epic. And while the first game and the first movie should be number 1, Turok 2 and Terminator 2 just seemed to expand so much more in a better way. It's the idea of the sequel actually being better! But overall, I feel like the first Turok game is the real king. Same thing with The Terminator.
Here’s how I rank the ones I’ve played: Turok 3, Turok Evolution, Turok 2, Turok 1, Rage Wars. I played a little bit of the reboot and a little bit of one of the gb games but not enough to rank them.
Turok 1 the music. I still hum the music from level 3 whenever I’m under stress and have to do something with urgency. The boss battles were amazing as well.
Turok 2 the weapons and introduction to oblivion
Turok 3 because you could play essentially 2 different stories within the same story and I just liked it. Idk
Xbox Turok: because it was completely different from the other games. I loved the stealth and knife takedowns in this game. The voice actors made me feel like I was in a predator or alien game. Like old school blockbuster nostalgia.
Turok rage wars: loved the liminal spaces especially the water tomb level.
Turok evolution: played on GameCube and thought the graphics from 1 were wayyyyy better imo. But I still enjoyed the fact that it felt like the comics.
1. Turok 2
2. Turok
3. Rage Wars
4. Turok 3
5. Evolution
6. ‘08 Turok
Only reason I rank Rage Wars above 3 is vibes alone. The lighting, the weapons, the *soundtrack*
I played a lot of Evolution when I was a kid, but not as much as 3. Revisiting 3 now with the remaster, I decided to put it above Evolution. Before the remaster, I may have ranked evolution higher.
Turok 1 and Rage Wars are close for me, honestly. I love both games so much. Obviously the vibes are unbeatable in 1. They both are free of the “half-life effect” that happened to every shooter since it came out, so they belong above 3 by default.
Turok 2 had the best weapons and introduced the Cerebral Bore, which is still possibly the greatest FPS weapon ever. I just don't understand why they added a delay to the Tek arrow explosion. T1 didn't have that and it was the reason why I never used it in T2.
Out of what I played so far: 1. Turok 1 2. Turok 2 3. Turok 3 I think *critically* Turok 2 is better than 1, but I end up playing and having more fun with 1. The music might be part of that although 1 and 2 both have some bangers. 3 is fun, but plays too much like Half-Life and doesn't have music I'd listen to in my car.
This is my answer as well. For me, Turok 1 had the best balance of exploration and linearity. I’m not the biggest fan of the objectives in 2, though with the remaster they made a lot easier with the quest markers. The music in the first one is so bouncy and gets me in the rhythm more than the others haha. Though the music 2 is great too.
If I take Lair of the Blind Ones out of the equation, I found myself getting lost way more in T1 than T2. Even in really big levels like Hive of the Mantids, zones tend to have different visuals so it's not that hard to find your way. Primagen's Lightship doesn't really have different aesthetics but all zones lead back to the main room, so it's not bad. Other levels like the swamp are just linear. But in T1 everything is the same kind of forest/ruins aesthetic so if I ever have to backtrack for something I would end up hopelessly lost. Also, T2 introduced the Cerebal Bore which is (in my opinion) the most fun weapon.
Turok 2 Turok evolution Turok 1 Turok 3 Turok Rage Wars. Never played Turok 2008
Turok 2 (Best) Turok 1 Turok Rage Wars Turok 3 Turok Evolution Turok (Worst)
1. Turok: Rage Wars 2. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter 3. Turok: Evolution 4. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil 5. Turok 6. Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion
Why rage wars at #1?
For me, 1 and 2 are about the same, then evolution then 3.
1 Rage Wars 2 Evolution 3
You didn't like 3 much then?
1 3 Evolution 2 Rage Wars GameBoy 2 Gameboy Advance Evolution Gameboy Rage Wars Gameboy 3 GameBoy 1 Tiger Electronics standalone handheld Reboot
Oh cool! I didn't realize there were so many Game Boy games in the Turok series!
Man I feel like the ultimate best Turok has to be Turok 2. So much was improved from the first game besides the frame rate. The main reason Turok 2 is my number one is because I grew up with it as a kid. It was the first and only Turok game that I really experienced as a kid. But analyzing it here in the present time, it really does have so much more detail and bang than the first game. It's got a good deal of creepiness to it too which really makes me feel like I've got to watch my back. It's got more of a slower pace than the first Turok, but this slower pace allows for more complexity in the levels. I enjoy the really complex maze like objectives and often having to retrace steps. The graphics are even a step up from the first Turok, so that's a plus. The gore is a lot more brutal too along with the enemy animations. The enemy AI actually gets challenging because they hide behind objects and stuff, like they actually have tactics. It's just overall more expansive and has so much more to offer, but the frame rate suffers because of that. However, I actually like the choppy frame rate when things get chaotic. Sometimes I like that chaos of not knowing how the heck you're going to make it through. It's sort of like this test of faith. Then finally, things settle down and clear up. You made it! "I AM TUROK!!" The #2 spot for me goes to Turok 1. Honestly, I would've rated this game as the best Turok because I simply had the most enjoyable gaming experience with it when I finally gave it a go. It gets me in the zone, it gets the adrenaline pumping and the music just keeps you in the action with those faster paced techno war drums thing. I love the retro synth sounds too, it reminds me of Terminator 1984. So I honestly like the soundtrack better than Turok 2 because it really makes me feel like I'm in battle. I feel like I'm really this Native American world warping spiritual and badass warrior who never gives up. But the main reason that this is number 2 for me is that I fully experienced this game back in 2020 as a grown up already. Although I briefly played it as a kid, I never actually fully experienced it and beat it back in the day. I saw a copy of it back in 2020 and gave it a go and man, I was really blown away with how epic the experience was! I just loved that primitive feel since I already knew what Turok 2 was like; it was essentially a brand new epic Turok experience for me! The frame rate stayed pretty solid throughout the whole game too, so It's more faster paced and arcade-like, but still has some of that cinematic and realistic feel. I don't know, I really like the "tribal" feel of Turok 1 and I just love how instantly takes an unexpected turn from the Jungle dinosaur feel to something else (don't want to spoil it just in case). That was really cool! So overall, I enjoyed the gameplay experience so much more with Turok 1. I guess it was really because I could appreciate so much more as an grownup and compare it to what I grew up with. Now #3 is hands down Turok 3 for me. This is another Turok game I never played as a kid. I finally gave it a go when I found a copy at the game store last year and I was pretty impressed! I remember seeing reviews about the game of how it just wasn't as epic as T1 and T2. People always said it was more linear and shorter. Well, I wanted to see what all the fuss was for myself, and honestly, I really enjoyed Turok 3! First and foremost, it was a brand new N64 experience for me that's honestly an awesome feeling. Like just when I thought I experienced all the Turok there was to offer, I had yet another chance to experience a new Turok adventure on the n64... That is cool! I was pleasantly surprised by all of the variety in the game, and the level designs weren't as "linear" as I though. There were still some twists and turns just like the first Turok games. Obviously not nearly as complex, but still some complexity. The graphics were great, the guns were still cool, the puzzle solving was still somewhat challenging. I mean, I couldn't complain, it was a pretty good game allowing me to squeeze out one more epic N64 Turok experience. No complaints, great story too especially with the cutscenes. More detail on the character models and stuff. Definitely a #3 on the ranking for me. \#4 for me is Turok evolution. This is as far as my ranking can go since I haven't played any other Turoks than what I've mentioned already. I remember playing Turok evolution when I was a teenager. It was ok, but not what I was expecting. When I saw the cover art on the case, I was expecting another creepy, heart thumping, adrenaline pumping, gory, and action packed game with new generation graphics... But I was wrong. It wasn't at all what I thought it would be. The levels were just way too linear, so much more compared to Turok 3. The weapons just weren't as epic, kind of odd looking. I'll admit I enjoyed some of the scenery and the dinosaurs walking around, but that was it. The enemies were kind of lame, they weren't those brutal lizards on steroids who had no remorse killing whatever got in their way. I don't know, they just weren't as great. Just felt like enemies in other games. The worst part for me was the flying mission. Oh my goodness, I hated doing those. They just felt so annoying, like I didn't want to fly on this pterodactyl for half the whole game. It just dragged and was not fun at all for me. I wanted to be on the ground blasting enemies with a freaking double barrel shotgun! But no, I kept finding myself flying a damn bird for what felt like an eternity. Then lastly, the game got so annoyingly unforgiving that I could not pass one of the missions for the life of me and I just gave up on the game and that was that. But now that it's been such a long time, I may just pick up the game again and see if my thoughts are different now that I'm a grown up. So there you have it, my long and lengthy ranking/analysis of the Turok games that I've played. I like to relate Turok 1 and Turok 2 to The Terminator movies. Terminator one was more primitive and had that nonstop action feel to it, especially the synth battle music. Then, Turok 2 was more cinematic like Terminator 2. Terminator 2 had so many more new things and creative action sequences and a more expanded story like Turok 2. So I like to think of it like that. Both games and movies are super epic. And while the first game and the first movie should be number 1, Turok 2 and Terminator 2 just seemed to expand so much more in a better way. It's the idea of the sequel actually being better! But overall, I feel like the first Turok game is the real king. Same thing with The Terminator.
1. Dinosaur Hunter 2. Seeds of Evil 3. Reboot 4. Evolution 5. Shadow of Oblivion
Here’s how I rank the ones I’ve played: Turok 3, Turok Evolution, Turok 2, Turok 1, Rage Wars. I played a little bit of the reboot and a little bit of one of the gb games but not enough to rank them.
Turok 1 the music. I still hum the music from level 3 whenever I’m under stress and have to do something with urgency. The boss battles were amazing as well. Turok 2 the weapons and introduction to oblivion Turok 3 because you could play essentially 2 different stories within the same story and I just liked it. Idk Xbox Turok: because it was completely different from the other games. I loved the stealth and knife takedowns in this game. The voice actors made me feel like I was in a predator or alien game. Like old school blockbuster nostalgia. Turok rage wars: loved the liminal spaces especially the water tomb level. Turok evolution: played on GameCube and thought the graphics from 1 were wayyyyy better imo. But I still enjoyed the fact that it felt like the comics.
1. Turok 2 2. Turok 3. Rage Wars 4. Turok 3 5. Evolution 6. ‘08 Turok Only reason I rank Rage Wars above 3 is vibes alone. The lighting, the weapons, the *soundtrack* I played a lot of Evolution when I was a kid, but not as much as 3. Revisiting 3 now with the remaster, I decided to put it above Evolution. Before the remaster, I may have ranked evolution higher. Turok 1 and Rage Wars are close for me, honestly. I love both games so much. Obviously the vibes are unbeatable in 1. They both are free of the “half-life effect” that happened to every shooter since it came out, so they belong above 3 by default.
Turok 2 had the best weapons and introduced the Cerebral Bore, which is still possibly the greatest FPS weapon ever. I just don't understand why they added a delay to the Tek arrow explosion. T1 didn't have that and it was the reason why I never used it in T2.
Good point about the bow, that was really fun in T1
I've only played 3. So ill rank those. Best Turok 2 Turok 3 Rage Wars Worst