I have not played this updated PC version, but I did play the Nintendo 64 (N64) version, and I had a look at the original PC release. I won't speak about the added technical aspects, with one exception: the lifting of the infamous "fog effect" when looking into the distance. The "fog effect" was originally in place to make up for not getting the most out of the N64's capabilities for tri-linear mipmapping, load management, z-buffering, and other technical terms. (The PC port didn't fare much better.) However... it served to give the original Turok's settings a sort of mysterious atmosphere, forcing the player to pay attention to the sounds of approaching enemies, and the whirs of incoming projectiles. I think lifting the fog might actually hurt the difficulty level and atmosphere of Turok. You could not rely on your eyes alone, lest you be ambushed by raptors... or perhaps raptors with cybernetic enhancements and plasma cannons! Turok was much lauded when it first arrived, since there wasn't much else like it in early 1997, as far as fully 3D FPS titles go. Instead of tromping around dank dungeons, dystopian cities, or demonic hellholes, you carefully traverse jungles, temples, and alien constructs. You can't just go from point A to point B on a flat plane, you often have to jump and climb cliffs and hills, or even swim through caves. Your weaponry ranges from the primitive (bows and arrows) to the mundane (handguns and rifles) to the awesome (automatic shotguns and miniguns) to the ridiculous (two different flavors of handheld laser mini-nuke launchers). As you may have gathered from reading all of this... the game's premise is cool, but it's focus and pacing is all over the place. It can be tough to figure out where to go next, and the platforming can be frustrating at times. It suffers from flaws common to early 3D FPS titles. If you are not deterred by the lack of direction and focus, though, Turok is an ambitious entry in early 3D FPS history.
I have this game on Steam and it's been quite a fun title to play with friends! I would recommend playing with friends as you're getting used to the game, since it can be a bit overwhelming to learn everything on your own. In fact, the mechanics and overall UI layouts were difficult for me to get used to, even with tutorials; for this reason alone, I must dock a star. (Hah, get it, star dock?) Once you become accustomed to how the game works, however, it certainly gives other heavy hitters such as the Civilization series a run for their money, in terms of sheer depth. There's plenty of good things to say about this game, thus far into it's life, but I'll just list a few. The AI is impressively competent compared to other titles, given the scale of the game, so don't worry about needing other players to be challenged. Recruiting pirates to do your dirty work for you is a thrill, especially if diplomacy is a primary component of your strategy. Moving throughout the planets to manage your resources and movements becomes relatively painless; it's overwhelming for your first games, but it eventually becomes second nature. That said, there are some other less palatable points as well. For example, the diplomacy system is a bit lopsided and simplistic, especially since it favors teaming up with mirror race/factions, unless you're Vasari Rebels. And yes, the titans do become overpowered later on, affecting game balance in mid-late game. In response to Krimzon14, about Stardock CEO, Brad Wardell... Those allegations were deemed invalid by the court; the case of the one who filed the lawsuit was dismissed for her misconduct; and participants in the gaming media (especially Kotaku) were forced to apologize for dogpiling on Mr. Wardell (essentially because of his pro- Gamergate stance). That whole case of publicized drama is really just another feud between pro- and anti- Gamergate. Don't base your decision on buying Sins (or not) on a misreported falsehood.
