Turok Part I: Bigger, Louder, and Better - Features

The Armchair Empire's own Omni had the chance for a sneak peak at the upcoming Turok (from Propaganda Games) back in November 2006 and since then he's had to sit on all this information -- just dying to tell someone about it. Embargoes prevented it. Until now. Here we begin a special three part feature on the upcoming Turok, exploring the dinosaurs, Turok himself, the guns, the Unreal 3 engine, and a tech demo of waving grass, with the last part being a sit down interview with Josh Holmes, VP and General Manager of Propaganda Games.

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Turok Part I

Bigger, Louder, and Better

On a damp November morning, there are 18 game journalists lumped around the demonstration room at the Vancouver offices of Propaganda Games. Most of them are from out of town – way out of town. I detect French, German, and British accents and among those are three token Canadians. Almost everyone in the room looks a little haggard from the long flight the day before, but it’s probably Josh Holmes, VP and General Manager of Propaganda Games that is running on caffeine fumes. There’s a hint of tiredness about the guy – he and his wife just had their first child – but he soldiers on nonetheless.

I’ve been lucky enough to see Turok develop from nothing – literally, in 2005 I interviewed the “founding fathers” of Propaganda Games when they couldn’t get specific about anything regarding Turok – to E3 2006 when the first demo was shown. It’s cool to be able to sit down and see where the development team is now seven months out from E3 2006.

After the lights are dimmed, Josh takes us through the E3 / Leipzig demo, which still managed to impress me, even with placeholder assets and voice-work that isn’t finalized.

Then we are shown a few separate scenarios, including a boss battle in a cave with an “aquasaur” – this is my own label; Propaganda hasn’t named it yet – which is a terrifying eel-like creature that lashes out with its tentacles and toothy mouth.

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The fluid flailing of the limbs and the very stylistic water are impressive, even with another year or so of development time.

The next demonstration shows a variety of enemy behaviors, both human and creature, and showcases a variety of weapons. Josh says during the demo that Turok is all about action, moving from one encounter to

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another, with little in the way of puzzles, environmental or otherwise.

I’m struck by the behavior of the dinosaurs, which have been given a “zombified” look. (By zombified, I mean that they aren’t clean dinosaurs, most are battle-scared and typically have one thing on their mind: feed!) The dinos – free of any cybernetic parts – are constantly evaluating their own surroundings.

I ask about the dino AI: How much is actual AI versus clever scripting? While there will be scripted moments for big reveals or to add punch to the overarching story, aside from these the dinosaurs have their own set of objectives. Depending on the dinosaur, they may be attracted to bright objects while others will scatter. Suddenly a simple flare becomes an offensive and defensive weapon. Tagging a large dino with a flare, will then attract raptors – it’s a sure-fire way to watch nature take it course. Additionally, some dinos will “call” for back-up – some are pack hunters after all – or consume downed comrades. Josh lets us know that there is no complex simulation at work here, but there are enough parameters to guide their actions, and thanks to the animation system, the movements associated with these behaviors all look realistic.

The last portion of the demonstration gave a glimpse of the possibilities of the cinematic qualities of the title. When not under fire, Whiskey Squad, of which Turok is a member, seems to constantly be squabbling – there are definite personalities at work here. And during one in-action cutscene we saw one reckless squadmate get cut down by enemy fire.

Though there are seemingly plenty of in-game cutscenes – as judged by the demonstrations and the basic storyboards I spied during the studio tour – where the action cuts to include Turok. But there seems to just as many in-action cuts, where a brief cutscene is viewed directly from Turok’s point of view, as in the aforementioned scene mentioned above. The blend seems to work – providing equal parts “chaos of the battlefield” and cinematic touches.

Tune in tomorrow for information on the waving grass tech demo, the confirmation of drivable vehicles, the weapons, and the look of Turok himself!

(January 20, 2007)