BootHammer Video Game Reviews is excited to release our review for Jurassic Park: The Game.  It is an episodic, downloadable third-person adventure video game developed by Telltale Games that is based on the popular Jurassic Park franchise. The game takes place sometime after the system failure of the park in the first film. It features brand new characters as well as existing secondary ones that will provide the story of the park’s demise and the escaping adventures of remaining authorized and unauthorized personnel on Isla Nublar. The plot is set to resolve some loose ends of the film, such as the fate of Dennis Nedry’s shaving-cream can and the embryos contained within.

The characters in the game are terrific and each have their own story. Telltale Games really worked hard on making each one unique and likable. Expect to see your favorite dinosaurs as well such as Tyrannosaurus Rex, Velociraptor, Dilophosaurus, Parasaurolophus, and Triceratops. There are also new beasts introduced which include nocturnal dinosaurs with glowing eyes, which posses poison on their saliva, and Mosasaurus that is seen in Jurassic Park’s marine facility.

The game is played in a simailar fashion such as Heavy Rain. You don’t have control of the characters but you do have choices on what to look at, which actions to take and there are many “quick time” events where specific buttons have to be pressed or you quickly become dino dinner. The gameplay and overall presentation of the game is best described as an interactive movie. While this is different from the norm it’s also a refreshing change of pace. The controls can be frustrating at times (centering the green ball comes to mind) but unless you are new to quick time events then you will get the hang of it fairly quickly. If you are a huge fan of the movies themselves and don’t mind the interactive approach versus total control, you are going to really enjoy the 4 episodes within Jurassic Park: The Game.

The story begins with a mysterious woman running in the jungle. She is clearly injured and constantly scanning the area for an unseen threat. Eventually it is revealed that she is chased by creatures with glowing eyes and is chased off of a cliff. Barely surviving the fall she ends up next to a road in which a vehicle is barreling down the road and the scene ends leaving the survival of the woman questionable. It’s a fantastic frantic start to the exciting adventure that awaits. Again, the story and actions scenes are extremely well done and it’s pretty neat finally see what unfolded directly after the first film ended. For Jurassic Park fans (Especially the first film) this episodic adventure will be a priceless experience.

We were provided the PC version by Telltale games so I’ll be touching on the PC graphics. With a capable system the game looked terrific. We had all specs on the highest settings and the character models and dinosaurs had a very unique yet detailed look to them. There were times where some graphical and audio glitches occurred but they were few and far between on our end. Hopefully these minor quirks will be patched shortly. Needless to say, the small bugs found did not severely hamper or by any means cripple the gaming experience. I’m sure Telltale games is working on a fix for these as we speak.

Another truly nostalgic feel that this game delivers is through the game’s music. John Williams’ soundtrack is in place and absolutely strikes a home run. The orchestra scores come to life at just the right times. Be sure and have the surround sound cranked up for this one. Between the thunderous dinosaurs, intense action scenes and nostalgic music scores, it would be a travesty to play this game at a low volume.

Conclusion:

With an action packed episodic campaign, incredible story and your favorite dinosaurs in place, this game will be a big hit for JP fans. The “point and click” approach and present bugs may turn some away but I’d recommend you give this one a shot if you enjoyed the films. This is one franchise where gamers are rarely treated to and I for one have been waiting for a new Jurassic Park game for what seems like ages now. I’m happy with Telltales work and thrilled they took this endeavor upon themselves. They took a risk in going this route but it worked for them and you can tell their passion for the franchise. I hope you return to Isla Nublar to see for yourself what exactly took place after the first film. The episodic journey is one you shouldn’t miss.

Review Rating: 8/10