Turok: Origins Marks the Return of a Dormant Giant, But With New DNA

I think it is safe to say that we’ve all experienced this story in gaming before: miss a franchise that basically defined a specific era of our childhood, but that suddenly went dark, leaving behind nothing but old memories and the lingering doubt of whether we’ll ever see it again.

And that's exactly the case with Turok for me. It was an incredibly strong franchise during the late 1990s and early 2000s, but it has been missing a mainline entry since 2008 when it received a lukewarm reboot only to vanish shortly after. It did try to make a brief comeback in 2019 with Turok: Escape from Lost Valley, but that was a third-person action-adventure with a chibi art style that felt completely detached from what made the series iconic – and it simply didn’t erase the fact that the dinosaur-hunting genre, once led by Turok, still feels a little emptier.

However, fans finally found a new beacon of hope when Turok: Origins was announced at The Game Awards in 2024 by Saber Interactive, a studio widely known for World War Z and the recent John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando. And it seems this new project is finally resurrecting the franchise, but perhaps not in the exact way everyone anticipated – which could be either a good or a bad thing, depending entirely on your point of view.

A Leap Into Prehistoric Chaos

The first thing you need to know about Turok: Origins is that, despite carrying the classic name in its title, it wants to be its own thing – so you don’t need any prior knowledge of the franchise to dive in. It is a cooperative shooter for up to three players with a relatively simple premise: putting you and your friends in the shoes of legendary warriors to face fierce dinosaurs and a terrible alien threat seeking to eradicate humans from the galaxy.

Sounds quite dramatic, but the experience is very straightforward and aimed at pure action! I actually enjoy it a lot when a co-op game manages to establish a clear, functional loop right from its opening minutes, and Turok: Origins showcases a remarkably solid structure in this sense.

You can go diving solo into the unknown here, but it is pretty clear that the game structures its experience around a trio dynamic, forcing a team of three players to coordinate their loadouts before entering the fray. And it feels remarkably well-balanced, since it is forgiving enough that you can hold your own if you find yourself isolated, but you’ll definitely need a helping hand in specific, tighter moments.

This is where we enter core gameplay territory, and the class system brings the main versatile flavor to the combat, granting each character three distinct weapons, short-cooldown abilities, and an ultimate for critical moments. Some toolsets are more straightforward than others that lean heavily into tactics. For instance, using a specialized pistol to freeze a boss in its tracks adds a layer of immediate utility, but it isn’t exactly useful in frantic skirmishes with multiple enemies, meaning the team needs to know how to best utilize what they have in hand.

Also, the combat animations stand out for how physical and punchy they look on screen! There is a distinct, dark satisfaction in watching close-quarter takedowns connect, like cramming an explosive charge directly into a raptor's jaws, or triggering an ultimate ability where a literal gale of wind forcefully erupts from your character’s mouth (gotta love that weird touch).

However, there is something that doesn’t quite match: looking at the pure rhythm of the action, there is a lingering feeling that the movement could afford to be just a bit faster. A snappier, more agile pace would marry beautifully with the chaotic gunplay the game proposes. Furthermore, I hope that the full version of the game introduces more diverse and less repetitive objectives than what has been shown so far – I mean, I get that the co-op shooter genre has repetition baked directly into its DNA, but having varied tasks would go a long way in intensifying the very dynamic this satisfying gameplay builds.

Rocket Launchers and Unpretentious Rules

In case you’re wondering what kind of narrative or stylistic tone Turok: Origins wants to strike, you don’t need to look much further than its boss design. At one point during a linear mission objective, players are dropped into an arena with an immense dinosaur sporting literal rocket launchers strapped to its back. It is a loud, sci-fi-infused image that perfectly highlights how the title refuses to take itself too seriously – which, honestly, is a very welcome approach.

And engaging with this giant threat turns into a highly dynamic spectacle, since the creature constantly pressures the team, shifting from long-range missile barrages to close-range tail whips and a fiery biting effect. It is a thrilling encounter, but I couldn't help but notice that its tactical execution loses a bit of its mechanical weight.

Despite how wildly imaginative a missile-toting dinosaur sounds, the fight lacks strategic complexity, and you can essentially just open fire on any random part of its body until the health bar drains, without the game requiring you to target specific weak points or disable its weaponry. So, in the end, it sure keeps the loop accessible and fun, but misses out on a deeper layer of design.

And speaking of design, it's impossible not to mention just how visually sharp this game looks! With a realistic approach and an enviable lighting system, this is probably the best-looking a Turok title has ever been, from the fine details on the characters to the creature designs, which feel unique and original.

An Unpredictable Horizon

I hope that when describing all of this to you, dear reader, you get to feel the same fascinating contrast that defines this revival. You’ve probably noticed how conflicted I feel about the game, which shows some significant ups on one hand, but at the same time, some significant downs on the other – and I think that is exactly what will define the overall experience.

Sure, it can be extremely fun when playing with company and simply focusing on the fact that you’re shooting at dinosaurs that defy conventional expectations. However, if you were hoping to see a bit more of the franchise's roots here, you might walk away disappointed.

As a kid, I spent countless hours lost in the unforgiving world of Turok 2: Seeds of Evil on the Nintendo 64. And that was a game that built an incredible, almost suffocating dark atmosphere, instilling a genuine sense of fear – and the same can be said for the classics Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion. But none of that original DNA is present in Origins.

Depending on your perspective, this departure can be viewed in two entirely different ways. For those looking for a direct translation of nostalgic dread, the new direction might feel unexpected. But as a modernized, unpretentious cooperative shooter, it proves to be a highly entertaining ride.

In the end, Turok: Origins shapes up to be a polished and fun multiplayer experience that trades atmospheric horror for cooperative action. Its biggest hurdle moving toward its 2026 release won't be its mechanics (which feel tight and reliable, by the way) but rather its identity as a mid-budget project entering a market that hasn't always been kind to straightforward shooters recently.

It might not be the revival that mirrors our childhood memories, but it actually proves that there is still plenty of life left in this universe. For teams looking for a chaotic, action-heavy night of shooting sci-fi monsters, it looks like a journey that is well worth keeping on your radar.