- Primary Subject: Turok Origins Hands-On Preview
- Key Update: Turok Origins is a story-driven game, not an extraction looter shooter, and ties into the original lore.
- Status: Preview
- Last Verified: 2026-09-01
- Quick Answer: This article is a hands-on preview of Turok Origins, detailing its gameplay, story focus, and potential for the franchise's return.
Turok is a franchise with strong brand recognition so far, but it lacks a standout game to match that recognition. Turok: Origins is a somewhat fresh (re) start to the space-based, dino-hunting series that began on the N64.
When I was booking my slots for Gamescom (and yes, I booked way too close together as a first-timer), Turok stood out to me. Not because of the trailers Saber Interactive had already shown, but because, as a kid, I had a love for the N64 original and the Game Boy Color version of Turok 2: Seeds of Evil.
(I never finished either game - I just loved the idea of dino hunting fused with sci-fi)
So, with low expectations set for a franchise that should nail a home run every game - they have dinosaurs, space capers, and magic powers, after all - I headed into the unknown like Elsa and got my hands on the Switch 2 version of Turok: Origins.
There was confusion among the staff when I sat in front of the Switch, since the other versions of the game were free to try, but as a father of 3, I would be lying to myself if I thought I'd have time to play this on my Series X or PS5 Pro. The series, for me, is a Nintendo title anyway, since it started life there, and I got the benefit of checking out the next-gen versions next to me to compare.
I can happily say that while the resolutions take a slight hit, as do some of the effects, Turok: Origins runs fantastically on Switch 2. So if, like me, handheld is your go-to because a busy household takes up the TV, you won’t miss much if you opt for this version.
We were told the demo would give a taste of the world, weapons, and enemies, and would feature a boss fight at the end. So with that information, I chose the main guy with the mohawk on most of the key art and assigned one of the three powers at random.
In Turok: Origins, players will take on the mantle of the ancient Order of the Turok, heroic guardians of unimaginable power locked in a battle for survival against ferocious creatures and a terrifying alien threat that seeks to destroy all human life in the galaxy. Unleash devastating attacks on enemies with powerful weapons and abilities in both first-person and third-person action, harnessing fallen foes’ DNA to upgrade your arsenal. Embark on a high-stakes adventure across the treacherously beautiful Lost Lands, on your own or together with friends, and unravel the mysteries that hold the key to saving humanity.
The three spirit animal powers that can be chosen are Raven, Cougar, and Bison. Each one determines which extra abilities you have to take into battle with you. Raven has a bow, the Cougar gets automatic weaponry, and the Bison scores a shotgun for close-range combat. And each has a unique ultimate ability. You can swap these between levels, giving you the chance to try a new run or dive back in once defeated with stronger tactics. There are also upgrades available for weapons by using echoes once you nail the right loadout.
All good and well for those looking to customize their characters and experiment with various powers and weaponry. For me, I just wanted a solid dino shooter and wasn’t sure what we were going to get after seeing the initial reveals.
However, the main takeaway I got from my hands-on is that the trailers are marketing this all wrong. Especially to people like me.
You see, when the trailers dropped, Turok: Origins came across like a paint-by-numbers online shooter. This is not the case.
While you can play with 2 other players in online co-op, it is much more of a story-driven game than the marketing suggests. I play solo through games 99% of the time. I don’t like co-op or multiplayer-only games, so I was surprised by how solid it felt as a single-player experience.
I got curious and asked someone on the Saber team if this was a fresh start for the series again, like the last one, which took more inspiration from the original comics and didn’t tie into the Turok games that came before it. The reply had me even more intrigued - Turok Origins ties directly into the original games, and the narrative explains how it all links.
While not a lore master for Turok by any means, hearing that Origins will be canon to what has come before sold me on this even more so than my gameplay (which I will return to in a second). I will take a prequel or side story that makes the franchise more interesting over a reboot any day. I was pumped; my character and class were locked in - it was time to shoot some dinos!
The level I got to play was set in a jungle filled with dinosaurs looking to turn me into their lunch - fools. I blasted my way through them all with glee, thanks to the solid feeling of shooting and weapons that all begged to be tested as I fought through the teeth and greenery. There are, for sure, sprinklings of boomer shooter and a drop of hero shooter genres, but it gave the proceedings a beer-and-nachos type feel. I’m not looking for anything more in a game where you expect to gear up and blast raptors in the face - so this was perfect.
As I fought my way through, there were also tasks thrown at me, like destroying things while fighting off more waves of dinos and gathering to progress and unlock gates. The neat thing in Origins is that you can seamlessly swap between first- and third-person views. If you are exploring or doing a bit of platforming, swap into third-person; when you are being hunted by dinos or facing a boss, that's when you kick into first-person for more accuracy (though the lock-on was pretty generous even in third-person mode).
Your map in Origins feels a bit like Monster Hunter, open-world lite with gated areas that remain shut until tasks are finished in the current location. While there are branching paths to explore, I wouldn’t classify this as a fully open-world game, more like an expanded version of the original Turok.
Once I had pressed forward with the mini objectives, I ended up in a more open area that screamed boss fight. My suspicions were correct: a giant T-Rex-looking dinosaur in cybernetic armor began relentlessly trying to end my fun. I was playing the game on normal mode, and after a bit of pattern recognition and finally finding the dodge button, I rendered the beast extinct and stood victorious - albeit at zero health, despite trying to utilize the local fauna around the arena that act as health regen stations.
I went into Turok: Origins expecting the worst and came away buzzing, wanting to play more. It may not end up being a GOTY contender, but if the rest of the game nails the satisfying pace that I got to play at Gamescom, it will be one to keep an eye on for a game to add to your weekend playlist.
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