Video Game Review - Turrican Anthology Volume 1 & 2

Rob reviews Turrican Anthology Volume 1 & 2 on PlayStation 5...

Turrican is a hard-core side-scrolling shooter that made its name across the Super Nintendo, Sega Mega Drive, and the Amiga. Throughout its various titles you guided a super-soldier against various cyborg meanies, whilst attempting to outrun the clock. With gameplay that puts Dark Souls/Elden Ring to shame, Turrican is probably accountable for many rage-induced controller breakages. 

For those who didn't experience Turrican back in the day - and can't afford those eBay/CeX prices - fret not. The kind folks over at Ratalika Games, Factor Five, and ININ Games have joined forces to produce the Turrican Anthology 1 & 2 - two separate games that form one definitive collection. 

Much like other games from the 80s and 90s, Turrican is very thin in conveying its plot. As such you're left with a basic premise that's described in the game's manual. You play as a beefed-up soldier who happens to find themselves up against a particularly nasty bunch of cybernetic foes. What then follows is a literal gauntlet as you tackle these enemies and some pretty insidious platforming. You know, like how the 90s did these sorts of games. 

Before I delve into the bulk of this review, it's worth noting that this collection is sold in two parts. Volume 1 consists of Turrican 1, 2, and Super Turrican. Whilst Volume 2 features Turrican 3, Mega Turrican, and Super Turrican 2. 

So, first of all, let's dive into Turrican Anthology 1. Kicking things off with the two original Amiga games, this anthology is a look into the series' origins. Gameplay across both titles consisted of exploring massive open maps, as well as fighting plenty of fiendish boss characters. Its simple style hides quite an unforgiving game as EVERYTHING is out to get you. The slightest touch of an enemy or another hazard quickly amounts to death, to then be thrown back to the beginning of the game. 

However, it's not all based as your supersoldier has a few tricks up his mechanical sleeves. Across each level is a wealth of power-ups and weapons for you to use. Mostly found in conveniently placed boxes, these new toys modify your primary weapon in a few different ways. Each weapon offers very different characteristics, with each having its benefits and weaknesses. Away from this and you also have a Metroid-inspired morph ball ability that comes complete with landmines, and a pretty powerful laser. This general arsenal also forms the basis across the entire collection too! 

Rounding off Anthology 1 is Super Turrican originally released on the SNES. Offering a more linear experience, Super Turrican forgoes that sense of exploration for plenty of non-stop action. Coming into this one after playing the original two is a little jarring, but it retains the same spirit. A more interesting note about Super Turrican is that we also get a 'directors cut' version too. This doesn't affect how the game plays, but it does add a couple of things that were cut from the original title. 

For those who want more Turrican for their buck, there's also a score attack version of Mega Turrican. While this special version isn't the full game (that's on Anthology 2!), it does offer a competitive style of game. While there's some logic behind this decision, it does seem a little baffling...

Anyway, moving on to Turrican Anthology 2 and we get the main games Turrican 3, Mega Turrican, and Super Turrican 2. Rounding this part of the anthology off is the director's cut of Mega Turrican, and another competitive score version - this time it's Super Turrican.

What Anthology 2 does is show how the series evolved into its more action-packed phase. Gone are the lengthy and somewhat open levels. Instead, we get smaller and more action-oriented levels, complete with a few gargantuan boss battles. There are also a few changes with how these games handle as the super-powered laser is replaced with a grapple gun - which is far from serviceable. 

Away from featuring a wealth of Turrican titles, this anthology also comes with a sleuth of extra content. The main of which is a way to view the layout of the current level. While this may seem a simple enhancement, it does come in handy. Considering that the levels within the first two titles feel as large as the whole of Super Metroid, having this guide is a literal lifesaver. Topping this off is also a digital reproduction of each game's paper manual, as well as the ability to listen to the soundtrack. The gameplay also receives some modern upgrades with the ability to rewind gameplay, and the ability to save at will. You are never forced to utilise these enhancements and as such those who want the unedited experience can go in guns blazing.

As you can imagine running these retro titles is pure child's play for the PlayStation 5. The console quite easily handles everything that both anthologies ask for without breaking a sweat. As for the games themselves, their emulation is pretty flawless with each offering a pleasant experience throughout. While the bells and whistles provided by the DualSense controller are not catered for, its default button mapping is fairly accessible - and can be changed if desired. 

With both of the Turrican Anthology volumes offering a wealth of side-scrolling goodness, it's also worth remembering that the Turrican Flashback collection is still available too. For those (like me) who own the Flashback version, this new title does ask for a hefty entrance fee for what's essentially the same game. Granted this Anthology does feature a somewhat definitive look at the franchise. Yet you do have to buy it as two separate titles, which also includes all four games that are available in the Turrican Flashback. 

All in all, the complete Turrican Anthology 1 & 2 offers the definitive way to play this franchise. What you get is 6-mainline games with a whole host of extras. Of course, this doesn't include the entire franchise, but I'd imagine this will be yet another collection. Either way, for those that pay the admission fee you'll get a slice of retro delight that features near-flawless emulation and a pretty modern control scheme. With plenty of retro collections out there, Turrican aims to be the one to beat! 

Rating: 7/10 

Turrican Anthology 1 & 2 is available now and can be purchased via the PlayStation Store.

A code for both volumes was kindly provided for this review. 

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