Another early title for the N64, and a rather strange one at that. Not for its gameplay, mind you, but its control style. Play style was awesome, mixing different types of combat (long-range, stealth, close-combat, you name it, you did it) with play style similar to an adventure game, making T:DH one of the most complete games you could find, if you're into multi-genre stuff.

The level design was great for the this kind of game, and although the levels were big, none of them were overly-large and for the time, the textures were quite decent. Some of the environments were just cool, and still are, because of the feel they generate, like the catacombs or the last couple levels. The only let down was the fifty-jumps-and-pray formula used in some levels, such as the third, where one misstep cost you your ammo backpack and recently acquired armour, and restart you at the save point...50 jumps away from where you died. Yes, 50 is an over-exaggeration and I am a shitty gamer, but it does get very fucking frustrating!!!! Furthermore, to finish the game, several secrets must be uncovered to acquire the level keys needed. However, both of these oversights can be forgiven simply because of the scope and sophistication of the game and level design.

Enemies were, from an AI perspective, just a step above Doom, but if you don't mind, or are expecting senseless slaughter, it's not an issue, right? Exactly. Textures for enemy skins are not bad, save the Pur-Linns, which look like absolute shit. The dinosaur and humanoid enemies however, look excellent, especially the Cyber-Rex boss.

Speaking of level bosses, the bosses were not too huge, save the Cyber-Rex and the giant mantid, but some were certainly unique, like Longhunter, a lead poacher who sends a couple Hummers armed to the teeth after ya before he enters the fray himself. And, the boss fights were fairly simple...It just came down to "shoot the shit outta anything that moves". Nice and simple, no screwing around.

Weapons were interesting, because they ranged from simple and nothing out of the ordinary to some really amazing gear like the Alien Gun and the Pulse Rifle, which would be your friend for life because of the ease of finding power cells in the earlier levels. The minigun was also very cool, and its design would prevail in Rage Wars and the third installment of the Turok series, Shadow of Oblivion.

Despite the two or three tiffs that I've had with this game, they really are quite minor. The weapons are cool, the enemies for the mostpart are very well done, and the AI is on-par (like I actually care about AI, but some "realism" gamers do...so, if they require realism, why are they playing a game????). And like Goldeneye, the graphics are a bit...dated, but then again, it is an older game released at a system's inception, so it really isn't a bad effort.

NWC