Utahraptor

For the individual featured in Turok: Rage Wars, see Velociraptor (Rage Wars).

Overview

Image Gallery

Utahraptor
Overview
Homeworld	Earth The Lost Land Terraformed planet (Turok)
Physical description
Distinctions	Large sickle claw on the foot
Eye color	Gold (Dinosaur Hunter) Green (Seeds of Evil, Rage Wars, Shadow of Oblivion) Gold, orange, pale (Evolution, Origins) Glowing white (Turok) Glowing red (Turok)
Other information
Affiliation	Campaigner (Dinosaur Hunter) Dinosoid Army (Seeds of Evil) Sleg (Evolution)
Other nomenclature	Raptor Velociraptor (Rage Wars)

"Raptors!"
"They're drawn to the flare..."

—Slade and Joseph Turok, on the Utahraptor and its attraction to flares

The Utahraptor, most commonly known as the Raptor, is a species of dinosaur that is ubiquitous throughout the Turok franchise. Early installments including Turok: Dinosaur Hunter informally referred to the animals as Raptors, however, Turok: Evolution finally gave the creature a formal name. These animals usually represent the bulk of the saurian forces ever seen in a Turok title, being a commonly encountered, and iconic foe.

Appearance

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

In Dinosaur Hunter Raptors are depicted as generally large, with brown skin. Unique to them is a metallic spike present on their snout, which is presumed to be artificial. They come in two variants, the basic Raptor, and the upgraded, armed and armored Raptor Mech, which features biomechanical parts and armaments very similar to Thunder.

The base Raptor.

A Raptor Mech.

Seeds of Evil to Shadow of Oblivion

The Raptors from Seeds of Evil through to Shadow of Oblivion differ much from the previous game, but they retain a similar design between each other. As these Raptors are not Bionosaurs, they have no mechanical components, visible or otherwise. They are very lean, and their coloration is no longer solid but is instead splotchy, featuring a cream color with black, patterned stripes. Their eyes still have no pupils but are now a bright green. Their limbs have been lengthened by the Dinosoids' selective breeding.

Seeds of Evil's Raptor.

Rage Wars' Raptor.

Shadow of Oblivion's Raptor.

Turok: Evolution

The Utahraptors of Turok: Evolution share the same appearance as those of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter. They are present in the early jungle levels and the Dark Jungle. While the majority of the animals seen are brown in coloration, additional color variants appear in the Dark Jungle, including striped and spotted variants.

Basic variant.

Striped variant.

Spotted variant.

Striped variant.

Turok

Turok, like Dinosaur Hunter, featured multiple variants of the iconic dinosaur. The default Utahraptor in Turok has the same basic appearance as the series' predecessors; however, they can come in a variety of coloration, the first being a yellowish beige, the second being a darker brown-black color, and the third being a deep green-blue hue. The fourth and last variant of the Utahraptor is an albino variant, featuring glowing red eyes and white skin.

Outside of the base animal, one unique variant exists, that being the Spitter variant. Spitters feature a sickly appearance, with a bloated throat and small fleshy growths coming from their spines. They come in a single color, that being a deep, charcoal gray.

All Utahraptors feature lanky proportions, with large hand and toe claws, with pronated hands. All variants past the Spitter feature quill-like structures on the back of their skulls. None of Turok's Utahraptors feature pupils, instead possessing pupil-less, glowing sclera.

Basic variant.

Spitter variant.

Albino variant.

Turok: Origins

Origins' portrayal of the famous dinosaur differs dramatically from 2008's reboot. Featuring a large, wide body, a long neck, a thick but flatter skull, and a stylized aesthetic, the creatures now look more like the Bionosaurs of the franchise's past. Their skin is a paler yellow, and they feature stripes.

The Utahraptor of Turok: Origins.

Gameplay

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

Raptors in Dinosaur Hunter act as a rogue dinosaur force. Dinosaur Hunter gave the animals slower overall movement speed, but traded it off with an erratic strafing pattern. The Raptor Mech variant of the dinosaur, introduced in the latter sections of the game, features a ranged weapon and biomechanical armor, but otherwise acts in a very similar fashion to their more natural counterpart.

Seeds of Evil and Shadow of Oblivion

The Raptors of Seeds of Evil and Shadow of Oblivion function identically in gameplay. Unlike Dinosaur Hunter, this dinosaur is now able to leap at the player, and while their stride isn't as erratic, they have a much more quicker, distinct stride that makes up for it.

Turok: Rage Wars

Main article: Velociraptor (Rage Wars).

The Raptor is a major playable character within Turok: Rage Wars, and is unlocked by beating the single-player trials as Joshua Fireseed.

Turok: Evolution

Evolution's earlier Utahraptors share many traits with their Dinosaur Hunter brethren, striding swiftly towards the player for a quick, lethal bite. They're also presented as pack hunters in gameplay, very rarely being encountered alone.

Upon reaching the sixth chapter of the game, these predators regain the ability to jump, with a successful hit taking 30 health points off of the player; dealing more damage than the the third chapter's Tyrannosaurus rex will do in one bite.

Turok

Turok's Utahraptors act much like their predecessors, being quick, pack-hunting enemies. These dinosaurs can now jump consistently, and they have a better footspeed than every human player in the game, making them agile. They're relatively durable to most basic weaponry, although the combat knife can one-shot them.

In spite of their imposing nature, Utahraptors commonly and repeatedly get preyed upon by larger carnivores, including the Giganotosaurus, Dilophosaurus the Lurker, and even each other. The ability and tendency for other predators to attack Utahraptors can be taken advantage of by the player, with a shotgun's flare being able to turn a normal confrontation into a bloodbath.

History

• Video games
• Films
• Comics

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

Tal'Set came across Utahraptors consistently in his quest to restore the Chronoscepter and defeat the Campaigner. They were only absent from a series of mysterious catacombs, and would eventually be replaced by a mechanized variant as Tal'Set neared the Campaigner's fortress.

Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

Some Raptors wound up diverging over time, and ended up evolving into the bipedal, monstrous Raptoid. As is fitting with the nature of the Lost Land, they exist alongside their primitive brethren.

In the present day, Joshua Fireseed first clashed with Raptors at the Port of Adia, which was under siege by the Dinosoids, and would go on to find them in Araissi. They would not be present in locations the Turok travelled to afterwards.

Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion

Danielle and Joseph Fireseed would first encounter Raptors as they entered the Lost Land junkyard, being prevalent in the underbelly of the facility they were attempting to access. They would also be present in the jungle they travelled to afterwards; the same area Tal'Set would come through years prior, still hiding in the same spots the older Turok once drew them out of. Unlike Tal'Set's earlier journey, the dinosaurs would not be as common as they were before.

Turok: Evolution

Tal'Set would encounter many Utahraptors in Jungalus Vulgarimicus, with the predator inhabiting the swamps of the area. This species was presumably responsible for killing the lone Parasaurolophus he would find. This dinosaur would never be encountered by him in Valiskus Maxima, however, Sleg would capture and transport multiple Utahraptors to their fortress nearby, keeping them in pens located deep within the area. Dedicated units for Raptor handling existed, with the authorization to release the animals if need be.

As Tal'Set travelled through the Dark Jungle in Mckenneyrik Continentalis , the Utahraptors he'd encounter would display the ability to leap great distances in an attempt to kill him. They also showed more color variety. While Utahraptors would be present in great numbers in this region, Tal'Set would not encounter anymore following this.

Turok

Within moments of crashlanding on the planet, Henderson would be ambushed by and killed by a Utahraptor. They would be found all throughout the jungle leading into Joseph Turok and Slade's exploration of MG-20B, and they'd also be present in Death Valley, where they would be preyed upon by the valley's resident Giganotosaurus. The caves the two would explore under the valley would turn out to be the home of an albino variant of the dinosaur.

As Turok, Slade, and Reese neared the major Whiskey Company crash site, the Utahraptor presence would dwindle, in part due to Lurkers, which preyed upon the animal. Additionally, the Spitter variant began to appear as Turok, Foster and Gonzales were sent into Mother Superior to retrieve the comm unit. Albino Utahraptors were also encountered by Joseph as he made his way back to base through an abandoned Mendel-Gruman complex.

As Logan sent Turok, Slade, and Carter to investigate a nearby MG outpost, they would witness an unknown assailant preying on Utahraptors, later revealed to a race of gigantic, scorpion-like insects. When the former two fell into the massive subterranean cave system, they would encounter none of these dinosaurs whatsoever, unlike before. Upon exiting, the duo would encounter an abnormal amount of Spitters as they made their way back to the remnants of Whiskey. Utahraptors would see a diminished presence in general as the operation progressed, with sporadic encounters occurring within MG bases. Meetings with the dinosaur in the wild all but stopped by the time a nearby volcanic eruption occurred.

Turok: Son of Stone

A pair of Raptors were seen hunting a Megaloceros, eventually killing it.

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (1993 comic)

Main article: Mon-Ark.

Mon-Ark and his pack of Raptor assassins were created by Mothergod, who infused Velociraptors' brains with intelligence-boosting implants. Mon-Ark would eventually be killed, and his brain would be transplanted into a human's body.

Achievements and Trophies

Below is a list of achievements and trophies related to the Utahraptor.

Icon	Name	Description	Reward
	Dino Dominance	Knife kill 50 creatures in the Story Mode campaign (Locked) You skillfully knife killed 50 creatures in the Story Mode campaign (Unlocked)	25
	Dino Hunter	Kill 20 Dinos in one public game (Locked) You assert your position in the jungle, killing 20 Dinos in one public game (Unlocked)	15
	Grab Bag	Kill at least 1 creature, 1 enemy, and yourself in the same round of a public match (Locked) You killed at least 1 creature, enemy, and yourself in a public match, just for fun (Unlocked)	10
	It's A Trap!	Get dinos to kill 5 soldiers by sticking them with the flare in the Story Mode campaign (Locked) Successfully lured dinos to kill 5 soldiers during the Story Mode campaign (Unlocked)	15
	Turok Defense Force	Successfully fight off 20 Raptor mauls during the Story Mode campaign (Locked) Not willing to give up, you fought off 20 Raptor mauls during the Story Mode campaign (Unlocked)	25

Production notes

Nomenclature

While all mainline Turok game media refers to this animal as a Raptor, the Official Turok: Evolution strategy guide released by Prima and the Turok Official Strategy Guide refer to this dinosaur as a Velociraptor specifically; a name popularized through Jurassic Park's informal use of the name, along with the franchise's subsequent rise in popularity.

The Hunting with Dinosaurs documentary, released in 2002 and focusing on the then-incoming Turok: Evolution would have David Dienstbier present the Velociraptor and Utahraptor as once-separate enemies within the game. The concept render shown of the Velociraptor is unable to be seen clearly but bears a clear resemblance to the game's final incarnation of the Raptor, with the Utahraptor that was shown sharing an identical model with the game's final depiction of a Raptor, albeit with an unused skin.

Preliminary interviews with Dienstbier for Evolution also referenced Velociraptors as being "fairly small", going after animals like baboons which are easy targets; a description that doesn't suit the current animal's large, imposing stature. Given the interview references gameplay elements that would not be present in Evolution's final release, including dynamic animal interaction, it's likely the Velociraptor was either cut or consolidated into the Utahraptor at some point in development afterwards. It should also be noted that game guide information regarding the identification of specific animals can at points be dubious or erroneous.

Velociraptor concept art.

Utahraptor concept art.

Turok 2

Much akin to Turok 2's Tyrannosaurus rex, the Utahraptor was intended to be visually overhauled for the ill-fated sequel. The team at Propaganda Games conceptualized many ideas for the Utahraptor, the furthest along being a desert variant of the animal, also known as the "Sand Raptor", fitting with Turok 2's focus on a desert-badland environment. This creature possessed a rough, worn aesthetic, with a scaled underbelly, rocky osteoderms, and a tan-sand color, being most in line with Turok's original portrayal of Utahraptors. This variant would be featured in screenshots of the game's vertical slice.

Another variant, dubbed the "Feathered Raptor" featured a large plume of colorful feathers, fitting more in line with scientific portrayals of the creature. While the first concept variant possessed a duller color, the final model of the animal featured a vibrant nearly iridescent green shade.

The last variant was a conceptual variant known as the "Swamp Raptor". Featuring dark, oily skin, a fish-like set of fins and a crocodilian eye, with a slimmed pupil, only concept art exists of this creature.

In a departure from Turok's idea of giving the dinosaurs a more unsettling aesthetic, all variants, both in concept and model, all featured fully formed pupils.

Feathered/Jungle variant.

Desert variant.

Swamp variant.

List of appearances

• Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (1993 comic) (First appearance)
• Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
• Turok: Battle of the Bionosaurs
• Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
• Turok: Seeds of Evil (GBC)
• Turok: Rage Wars
• Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion
• Turok: Evolution
• Turok: Son of Stone
• Turok
• Turok (mobile)
• Turok 2
• Turok: Origins

Notes and references

Enemies of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

Saurian Enemies Dimetrodon (Dimetrodon Mech) • Raptor (Raptor Mech) • Triceratops Humanoid Enemies Ancient Warrior • Attack Robot • Campaigner Sergeant • Campaigner Soldier • Cyborg • Cyborg Sergeant • Demon • Demon Lord • High Priest • Poacher • Pur-Lin Miscellaneous Enemies Alien Infantry • Giant Beetle • Giant Dragonfly • Killer Plant • Leaper • Sludge Beast • Subterranean • Turret Wildlife Bird • Deer • Fish • Monkey • Wild Boar Bosses Longhunter • Mantis • Thunder • Campaigner Cut Content Brachiosaurus • Killer Fish • Moschops • Pteranodon • Saber-Toothed Cat

Enemies of Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

Saurian Creatures Compsognathus • Raptor Humanoid Enemies Bio-Bot • Blind One Guardian • Blind One Sentinel • Deadman Half • Deadman • Death Guard • Elite Guard • Endtrail • Flesh Eater Sentinel • Gunner • Juggernaut • Lord of the Dead • Lord of the Flesh • Fireborn • Primagen Trooper • Raptoid • Sister of Despair • War Club Various Species Cave Spider • Cave Worm • Fire Worm • Larva • Leaper • Mantid Drone • Mantid Mite • Mantid Soldier • Mantid Worker • Mother Grub • Nala • Primagen Drone • Swamp Wasp Gun Emplacements Araissi Gun Nest • Araissi Missile Battery • Araissi Turret • Lightship Turret • Mantid Computer Turret • Mantid Perimeter Turret Bosses The Blind One • Mantid Queen • Mother • Primagen Other Oblivion (Mentioned only) Cut Content Dimorphodon • Hunter • Skimmer