‘Turok’ returns: dinosaur-hunting game revived for new era

Gamers at the Gamescom trade fair in Germany were treated to the first glimpse of “Turok: Origins”, a reboot of the long-dormant dinosaur-hunting series that once captivated Nintendo 64 owners in the 1990s.

The original Turok started life in 1950s comic books before making its way onto consoles, where it developed a cult following. 

Its mix of bow-and-arrow action and prehistoric landscapes stood out, but the franchise faded after weaker follow-up titles, including a poorly received reboot in 2008.

Now US-based developer Saber Interactive, known for breathing new life into franchises such as Evil Dead and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, has taken on the challenge. Studio head Jesus Iglesias told AFP: “It’s been sleeping for a long time.”

He added: “Saber Interactive is known for taking, from time to time, some dead IPs and rebooting them, like we did with (Warhammer 40,000’s) ‘Space Marine’, we did with ‘Evil Dead’.”

Universal Studios, which produces the Jurassic Park movies and owns the Turok property, tapped Saber to redevelop the series in 2020. The result, previewed at Gamescom, looks like a hybrid of Jurassic Park and Predator.

The new game, which had 250 developers at its peak, promises both single-player and multiplayer modes. Saber says it aims to stay true to the first two Turok games while modernising the experience with smoother movement and cinematic storytelling.

Although no release date has been set, Turok: Origins will be available on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, reviving a character that many had long thought extinct.