Nightdive Studios has revealed they are releasing a remaster of Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion.
Originally released in 2000, Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion isn’t actually that well remembered, and isn’t as influential as the first two numbered Nintendo 64 Turok games that preceded it. 2000 was the year the PlayStation 2 was released, and the Dreamcast had come out just months before.
So the Nintendo 64 was set to get outdated, but before it did, it still saw the release of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask and Sin and Punishment. In the meantime, on the FPS front, this year saw the release of Deus Ex, Counter-Strike, and Nintendo 64’s Perfect Dark.
So this one isn’t quite a classic in all the same ways the first two numbered Turok games were, but that arguably makes this rerelease even more interesting, as a way to rediscover it.
This game is both the conclusion to the original Turok series storyline, and an odd fresh start to the series. The opening goes out of its way to show the end of Joshua Firestar, and the events leading to the next Turok, who will be played by either his sister Danielle, or brother Joseph.
In another interesting choice for developer Acclaim Studios Austin, Danielle is the sibling who matches Joshua’s firepower, while Joseph is the one who’s good at stealth. Players are incentivized to play through the game twice as each sibling to get a taste of what it has to offer.
And Acclaim Studios Austin pushed the Nintendo 64 to its limit, making Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion their version of Super Mario Bros 3 on the NES. But unlike Super Mario Bros 3, Turok 3 pushed the Nintendo 64 so hard that the game does have performance issues.
Really, Turok 3 is one of those games that deserved a second look, if only it weren’t for its home system’s limitations. And that’s why this new remaster is more than welcome, to give the game that second chance.
As reported by Gematsu, Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion is releasing on November 14, 2023, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and Windows via Steam. You can watch the announcement trailer below.
