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Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion is an action-adventure first-person shooter video game developed by Acclaim Studios Austin and published by Acclaim Entertainment. It was released on August 31, 2000, for the Nintendo 64. A Game Boy Color port, with the same title but different story and gameplay, was released on the same day.

Taking place shortly after the events of 1998's Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Shadow of Oblivion follows dual protagonists Joseph and Danielle Fireseed, siblings of Seeds of Evil protagonist Joshua Fireseed, as they battle the titular antagonist Oblivion and its followers, the Flesh Eaters, after the supposed demise of their brother.

While critical reaction to the game was mostly positive, critics were polarized on whether or not Shadow of Oblivion was the best title in Acclaim's trilogy, or the worst; several critics praised the game's more straightforward approach than its predecessors, whereas others found it to be a disappointing finale to the trilogy.

Shadow of Oblivion was succeeded by Turok: Evolution, a prequel to the trilogy, which was released on August 26, 2002.

On August 23, 2023, it was confirmed that Turok 3 would be getting remastered and released on PC through Steam, formally titled Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remastered. The game's remaster included native support for 120 FPS gameplay, and 4K resolutions, and also included various unique improvements in animation and texture quality, and cut content seen in leaked, developmental builds of the game.[2]

Plot[]

The storyline for Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion opens two years after Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, after Joshua Fireseed was first introduced to Oblivion and its minions, the Flesh Eaters. Oblivion is a monstrous cosmic entity that consumed everything in its path. Oblivion fed on the very energy of the dead and dying, invading the bodies of the living and devouring them from the inside-out. When the Primagen's Lightship was destroyed, the resulting chain reaction it triggered was so powerful that the universe as it existed was completely eradicated, and the almighty Oblivion was pushed to the very brink of destruction. For the first time, Oblivion felt pain, fear, and hatred. Though totally ravaged, Oblivion survived and now desperately seeks a means to punch a hole through the Netherscape, a cosmic void which separates our world from the Lost Land and the Lost Land from countless others.

The last shreds of the pure energy source that created our world and nearly wiped out Oblivion are contained within the Light Burden, a satchel which every member of the Turok lineage has carried. The death of the Turok mantle will signal the beginning of the end, the rebirth of Oblivion. To help it in its quest, Oblivion has utilized the aid of hundreds of its offspring. These creatures, collectively known as the "Sons of Darkness," are fanatical worshipers of their creator. Deep within the Lost Land, Oblivion's henchmen have established a massive headquarters from where they assemble their armies, direct their operations, and center their cult. The player will eventually have to infiltrate this headquarters to destroy the scourge of the universe. It is here that their destiny will unfold, here that they must bring oblivion to that which was thought eternal, Oblivion itself.

The game begins with Joshua Fireseed (the current Turok), his sister Danielle Fireseed, and brother Joseph Fireseed at their house. Danielle's husband has just died, and Joshua has dreams of a child who must be protected, as he is the last of the Fireseed lineage. During the night, a group of Oblivion Spawn teleport into their home and try to kill Joshua in his sleep. He catches them and fights back, but is soon outnumbered. He tells Danielle and Joseph to escape, while he stays behind with a grenade in his hand to blow both the Spawn and himself away. He is apparently killed in doing so, as Danielle and Joseph drive away. The siblings are attacked by a Mummite, but Adon arrives to save them, teleporting them to a meeting with the Council of Voices. The Council decides that either Danielle or Joseph must become the next Turok, and the player gets to choose their character. Danielle is a character more built on firepower with a grappling hook, while Joseph is more of a stealth-type character with night-vision goggles. In the cinematics, however, it is implied that they travel together during their missions.

List of appearances[]

By type
Show/Hide
Characters Enemies Bosses Harmless wildlife Weapons
Items Locations Organizations and groups Vehicles Miscellanea

Characters

Enemies

Bosses

Harmless wildlife

Weapons

Items

  • Berserk (First appearance) (Multiplayer only)
  • Cloak (First appearance) (Multiplayer only)
  • Health
  • Life Force
  • Shield (First appearance) (Multiplayer only)

Locations

  • Earth
    • Fireseed household
    • Unidentified city (First appearance)
  • The Lost Land
    • The Grotto (First appearance)
    • Oblivion's headquarters (First appearance)

Organizations and groups

Vehicles

Miscellanea

Cut content[]

Enemies[]

Weapons[]

Gameplay[]

From the standards of Seeds of Evil, the game simplifies itself slightly by removing such features as secondary ammo and access to exclusively underwater weapons (all weapons work underwater). Joseph and Danielle have a shared arsenal as well as their own unique weapon upgrades and abilities.

Basic Weapons Danielle's Upgrades Joseph's Upgrades
Razor Wind Razor Wind
Bow Tek Bow Storm Bow
Pistol Mag 60 Silenced Pistol
Shotgun Fireswarm Shredder
Assault Rifle Firestorm Cannon Sniper Rifle
Grenade Launcher RPG Napalm Cannon
Cerebral Bore Cerebral Burst Cerebral Possessor
Vampire Gun N/A N/A
PSG N/A N/A
N/A Energy Grapple Night Vision Goggles


Multiplayer[]

Main article: Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion multiplayer.

Shadow of Oblivion features a robust multiplayer mode for up to four players. There are 17 playable characters, ranging from the three main Turoks to the Forsaken Warrior to the lowly Raptor.

There are eight multiplayer modes to choose from and 25 maps from which the player can select.

Game Boy Color[]

Main article: Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion (GBC).

The mobile version of Shadow of Oblivion was developed by Bit Managers and featured the same 2D side-scrolling gameplay as the previous handheld entries. It shared nothing in common with its console counterpart besides the name.

Reception[]

Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion was released to a generally positive critical reception. The game holds an average score of 77/100 on MetaCritic, based on 15 reviews (12 positive, two mixed, one negative),[3] while GameRankings gave Turok 3 an average score of 78.44/100, based on 16 reviews.[4] It is the lowest-rated title in Acclaim's original trilogy.

IGN awarded the game a score of 7.4 out of a possible 10. The IGN review notes that while Turok 3 is enjoyable, the series "has finally drifted away from its roots" and that "the series has morphed into a commonplace first-person shooter."[5]

GameSpot gave the game a 7.9 saying that "Shadow of Oblivion is successful because it concentrates upon what made the Turok franchise a best-seller instead of attempting to one-up the competition, making it in many ways the best Turok yet."[6]

Trivia[]

  • This is the only entry of the original Turok console franchise where Tal'Set is not seen or mentioned.

Notes and references[]

  1. "Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion - Nintendo 64". IGN. Accessed August 25, 2016.
  2. "Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remaster Confirmed From Nightdive". IGN. Accessed August 23, 2023.
  3. "Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Critic Reviews for Nintendo 64". Metacritic. Accessed August 25, 2016.
  4. "Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion for Nintendo 64". GameRankings. Accessed August 25, 2016.
  5. Mirabella III, Fran (September 5, 2000). "Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion". IGN. Accessed August 25, 2016.
  6. Satterfield, Shane (August 30, 2000). "Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Review". GameSpot. Accessed August 25, 2016.
List of Turok Games
Acclaim Entertainment
Iguana Entertainment / Acclaim Studios Austin Turok: Dinosaur HunterTurok 2: Seeds of EvilTurok: Rage WarsTurok 3: Shadow of OblivionTurok: Evolution
Bit Managers Turok: Battle of the BionosaursTurok 2: Seeds of EvilTurok: Rage WarsTurok 3: Shadow of Oblivion
RFX Interactive Turok: Evolution
Playmates Electronix Turok (LCD handheld)
Cancelled Titles Turok: ResurrectionUntitled Turok Game Boy Advance gameUntitled Turok Game.com game
Disney Interactive Studios / Touchstone Games
Propaganda Games Turok
Living Mobile Turok
Cancelled Titles Turok 2
Universal Studios Interactive Entertainment
Pillow Pig Games Turok: Escape from Lost Valley
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