Jurassic Park: The Game

Editor's Notes

PS3 version reviewed.

Introduction

Before garnering critical acclaim and Game of the Year buzz with ‘The Walking Dead,’ Telltale Games was a company with the reputation of releasing modern day incarnations of such popular properties as ‘Monkey Island’ and ‘Sam & Max.’ In 2011 though, they would make a big leap forward in the point-and-click adventure genre with their four-episode approach to the ‘Jurassic Park’ franchise. Wisely set between the events of the first film and the arguably disappointing sequel, ‘The Lost World,’ Telltale’s ‘Jurassic Park’ focused on the ‘little people’ of the failed genetic theme park and fascinatingly kicks off the story in media res, as an unnamed character frantically evades predators, all while struggling to maintain her grip on a very familiar can of Barbasol. Over the course of the game’s four episodes, players gain the opportunity to ‘control’ a unique cast of characters, often jumping between them at a moments notice to complete a series of tasks. Reviewing this game three year after its release provides the unique opportunity to revisit one of Telltale’s more overlooked titles, especially in the wake of ‘The Walking Dead.’

The Game Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

The story of ‘Jurassic Park’ is most aptly described as a slow burn with players controlling both Nima Cruz (the game’s most morally questionable character) as well as Dr. Gerry Harding (JP fanatics may remember him in the film in a bit part as the vet responsible for the triceratops herd) and his teenage daughter Jessie (it wouldn’t be an outing at Jurassic Park without a teen in peril). As the game progresses into its second episode, the cast grows to include two mercenaries sent as a rescue team for the InGen workers as well as Dr. Laura Sorkin, the park’s only protectors of the dinosaurs themselves. I should caution that control is a very subjective term when it comes to gameplay as ‘Jurassic Park’ finds itself in a shaky middle ground between the familiar ‘point-and-click’ style of ‘Sam and Max’ or ‘Back to the Future’ and the more polished, nearly flawlessly cinematic ‘The Walking Dead’ entries. There’s no way to move characters around apart from adjusting the camera view and interactions with objects, which  consists of pressing the appropriate button on the gamepad to trigger a predetermined event. Dialogue is also present in the game, but more often than not conversations feel more atmospheric than crucial to advancing the story and unlike ‘The Walking Dead,’ I saw nothing remotely resembling a deeply branching and evolving tale.

There are some incredibly action oriented moments as one would expect from a game set in Jurassic Park, but these are little more than various spins on the QTE event of the ‘Shenmue’ days with analog stick movements thrown in for a little variety. In the moment, it’s a primal, satisfying experience, but removed from the game, upon greater reflection, ‘Jurassic Park’ winds up being little more than a curiosity, somewhat bridging the gap between its cinematic counterpart and sequel. The story itself is enough to keep a player going for the roughly six to eight hours it might take to fully complete the game; the writing itself is inconsistent with the third episode in particular suffering from heavy plot padding. Characters begin to grate on the players’ nerves and I frankly found myself only truly carrying about one character in particular and the fate of the infamous Barbasol can. Still, I found myself having fun in the moment, even though a number of technical issues described below did their best to ruin the entire gameplay experience. Even as a product of its time, ‘Jurassic Park’ is just as so-so game, but when one realizes a lot of the ‘bugs’ were worked out here, it makes one appreciate just how much Telltale got things right with ‘The Walking Dead.’