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Pick off distant enemies with deadly sniper weapons.
Ferocious multi-player deathmatches
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Without a doubt, this is the best looking
game to come out for the N64 so far. Even
Zelda, which is jawdropping in its own right,
doesn't have the sort of structural immensity
and detail that's everywhere in Turok 2.
Those with Vertigo should fear - this game is
all about height. The corridors in the game
almost seem like breathers instead of boredom
when every other building leads out into yet
another amazing courtyard (usually filled with
at least one giganto building, sculpture, or
object). Waterfalls plummet down into
valleys, and alien spaceships teem with
mechanical life. The Dynamic lighting rivals
some of the best PC efforts, with everything
from flames to flashlights to individual
weapon fire having an individual light source.
The levels themselves are laid out as actual structures, forcing you to
check
behind buildings or blow up barrels in order to proceed, instead of just
running down a corridor, up a ladder, and down another hall, etc. etc.
Sometimes a tiny crack in an underwater pool will lead to the rest of the
level,
or you'll be running around in circles lost when you suddenly discover
a
door nestled behind crates and boxes. Forests and cliffs suddenly drop
down
into mazes of caves and tunnels, only to open into even larger underground
structures. Every corner hides something completely new, and unexpected.
Though there's a share of flipping switches to open door "x" scenarios,
they
aren't the focus of the game. Instead, each level has a variety of mission
objectives that must be met in order to progress through the game. Did
I
forget to mention Styracosaurus riding?
Oh yeah, and say goodbye to cute little raptors, because Turok 2 is all
about
monsteriffic battling. All right, there are raptors and other dinosaurs
in the
game, but the majority of the enemies you'll fight are varieties of Dinasoids,
which, basically, are just nice words for reptilian juggernauts with big
guns
and claws. The dinosaurs in the first Turok may have looked pretty, but
you
haven't seen anything until you've watched an unarmed Dinasoid as it
tromps towards you, arms dragging. Enemies vary according to levels,
becoming more alien, and a lot deadlier, as the game progresses. Death
animations are intricate, elaborate affairs. Creatures react depending
on where
you hit them, from grabbing their arm and stopping the blood flow (and
there
is a LOT of flow), to having limbs blown off, to the inevitable and highly
watchable head splatter. The feeling of joy and wonder you get as you shoot
an enemy with a bow and have it sticking out of them as they continue to
attack is enough to make young girls sigh. Not only that, but imagine your
surprise when you first realize you can actually pull the arrows out of
their
bodies after their deaths.
The AI is just as tight as the visuals, with lower animals such as raptors
and
scavengers behaving in simple patterns, and smarter creatures following
you,
throwing grenades at you, and running behind objects to avoid your fire.
This is no run and gun setup. Instead, each enemy has a different strategy
and approach that must be quickly dealt with in order to survive.
The multiplayer mode is one of the most extensive in platform history,
giving
players a lot of PC style options such as maps, characters, texture design,
frag counts, and time limits. There are a few different styles of multiplayer,
including a gem called Frag Tag where one player becomes a defenseless
monkey, and must run from other players in order to jump on a special button
to "tag" another player as the monkey. Unfortunately, the levels are blocky
and simple in looks (though fun in design) in order to keep frame-rates
up.
This is quickly remedied, however, the first time you have a chance to
use a
little some called the cerebral bore on an enemy, which literally flies
smack
into the back of their head and starts drilling away. Acclaim knows customer
satisfaction. Sniper guns like the Tek Bow take a while to get used to,
but add
a huge amount of fun. As with the original, Turok 2 knows how to deliver
a
wide variety of interesting weapons that look just as fantastic as they
work.
What else can we say? With a huge amount of play time, and a multiplayer
option that will keep you busy for months after the game is completed,
Turok
2 delivers enough to make you quiver.
A note about the framerate: there have been a lot of worries across the
internet as people have heard about framerate problems with the game. Next
Generation Online played the final build and found that the issues were,
for
the most part, fixed. Though rates aren't exceptionally high, they are
a major
improvement from earlier versions of the game. At times the frame rate
does
slow down in relation to large explosions, and there are occasions that
it
drops to below 20 fps, but overall we don't feel this destroys such a stellar
title. There are going to be two types of players of Turok 2 -- those that
feel
that the framerate is a bit too erratic for their tastes, and others that
feel that
the overwhelming quality of the game more than makes up for some
slowdown problems. Next
Generation Online
Big Hands and Feet Mode
To give the creatures in T2 big hands and feet, simply enter the following
at the cheat entry screen and activate it in the Cheat
Menu:
STOMPEM
Big Head Mode
Go to the "enter cheat" menu and enter the following code. Then start
a new game and push start to access the cheat menu.
UBERNOODLE -- Big Head Mode. Will make all the enemies' heads a lot bigger.
Blackout Mode
To play in Blackout Mode simply enter the following at the cheat entry
screen and activate it in the Cheat Menu:
LIGHTSOUT
Gouraud Mode
Enter the following code at the code entry screen and all textures
will be replaced by simple colored gouraud-shading:
WHATSATEXTUREMAP
Harmless Zombies
Are the dead men in level 2 killing you too many times? If you turn
the blood color to "off," then the won't throw their bloody
limbs at you, making it MUCH easier to kill the dead sisters.
Invincibility
Successfully complete the game and save. Then, enter GAMEGOD as a code.
Lock Spring "Fix"
In Turok 2, your crosshairs move to the default position if you move
forward or backward, even with the lock spring option
turned off, unless you are holding the analog in a direction the whole
time. Some gamers may find this annoying, but there is a
way to fix it.
Remember the warning in the front of every instruction booklet? "Do
not hold the analog while turning the system on!" Well, if
you hold "down" just a little bit on the analog while turning the system
on, it will be tricked into thinking that that is the default
analog position. So when you play the game and stand still, you will
look up very very slowly, but the lock spring will be "fixed,"
and will never spring back to default again.
Pen-and-Ink Mode
To get the good old pen-and-ink mode from Turok 1, enter the following
at the cheat entry screen:
IGOTABFA
Shoot the Birds
Before you say "duh, I knew that!" -- did you know that there is a
purpose to killing the seagulls in Level 1? If the one gate
that's not opening on top of the ladder near the city bugs you, shoot
down all the birds and it will open.
Stick Men Mode
To get every enemy to be tall and skinny, enter HOLASTICKBOY at the
Cheat Menu.
Tiny Enemy Code
Want to have every creature be the size of a Compy? No problem, simply
enter:
PIPSQUEAK at the code entry screen.
Unlimited Ammunition
Successfully complete the game and save. Then, enter DONTSTOCKUP as
a code.
Unlimited Lives
Successfully complete the game and save. Then, enter ICANTDIE as a
code.
Unlock Cheats
Everytime you finish a level in Turok 2, one cheat in the game's Cheat
Menu will become unlocked. To switch the cheats on or
off, simply go into the Cheat Menu. Here are some of the level codes:
Level 1: Frooty Stripes
Level 2: Pen and Ink Mode
Level 3: Gouraud Mode
