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Jurassic Park: The Game
Released On: Nov 15, 2011
54
4.7
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 34 Critic Reviews
54
6% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
62% Mixed
21 Reviews
21 Reviews
32% Negative
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 34 Critic Reviews
54
6% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
62% Mixed
21 Reviews
21 Reviews
32% Negative
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
While it may not be the deepest entry out there-its mid-range budget and development schedule means that it lacks the branching plot and multiple endings that encourage replayability-it is unmatched in its ability to draw players into the story, and carry them along right through to the thrilling end.
The game is most certainly not for everyone - especially not with a $30 asking price for a massive pile of Quick Time Events - but those who loved the classic film back in the '90s should find it worthwhile, with a nicely thrilling tone, strong use of the setting, and just a hint of TellTales' sense of humor.
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 203 User Ratings
4.7
24% Positive
48 Ratings
48 Ratings
32% Mixed
65 Ratings
65 Ratings
44% Negative
90 Ratings
90 Ratings
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 203 User Ratings
4.7
24% Positive
48 Ratings
48 Ratings
32% Mixed
65 Ratings
65 Ratings
44% Negative
90 Ratings
90 Ratings
I don't think a lot of people really understand what Telltale Games was trying to do when they made this game. The point was to create an adventure that had the look, feel and atmosphere of the original Jurassic Park movie, and I'd say that they succeeded. The gameplay, I understand, is a common point of criticism due to being made up of point-and-click exploration and quicktime events. But I think it works for a movie-game like this. If it's supposed to have the feel of a movie, it wouldn't be as authentic if you were able to control the characters directly.
Story is where Telltale is really in its element here, and that's really the primary selling point of the game. Every character is realistic and morally ambiguous, with ulterior motives that prevent them from being mere caricatures. The story mainly revolves around the characters' attempt at survival, stranded on Isla Nublar, but there's also a little subplot about a "secret" dinosaur that was never put on display in the park due to reasons InGen would rather keep secret. The story takes great care to tie up all the movie's loose ends - it even explains why all the dinosaurs have anatomical inaccuracies.
Many of the game's detractors say that the story is linear and that no choice that you make affects future events in the long run, but that isn't completely true. There are multiple endings that you can choose from, and there's even one where only one character survives. And besides, you don't choose how the events in movies play out, do you?
The average graphics are pretty forgivable - Telltale is a very small-scale, low-budget studio, so you can't especially blame them. The music is taken directly from John Williams's original score and all the original dinosaur sounds are reused here, so no complaints there.
In the end, this will only really appeal to the casual demographic due to the interactive-movie gameplay and the unimpressive graphics. But if you love the original Jurassic Park movie, I think you'll find something to enjoy in this game.
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PC
In the end, this is certainly not a bad game, but it feels cheaper than a Jurassic Park game should, and the gameplay is sure to be divisive among adventure fans.
Jurassic Park just feels like an iOS title, and it suffers on the PC because of it.
I think Jurassic Park is a game that can be skipped. A couple of great moments with the T-Rex cannot help this 6-8 hour long treacherous journey through Isla Nublar.
Some moments of Jurassic Park: The Game evoke the atmosphere of the films quite well, but unfortunately it's a game where the player ultimately feels unnecessary.
More a series of QTE cutscenes than an actual game, Jurassic Park: The Game is hopefully not a sign of where Telltale Games is heading in the future.
I am a huge fan of the classic graphic adventure gaming genre and a big fan of the Jurassic Park franchise (read both books, loved the first movie, hated the second one, and didn't bother to watch the third one yet). Let me start out by saying that The Jurassic Park: The Game is a GREAT game. It's actually one of the best games that I have played in recent years.
I had been putting off buying this game because of the negative press that Telltale was getting (i.e., the "Jeep" incident and the metacritic allegation), but finally made the purchase on Steam along with Batman: Arkham City at 50% discount. Guess which one of these games I found myself coming back to again and again? Yes, I enjoyed playing JPTG even more so than Arkham City, which I felt was basically a rehash of the excellent first game.
Now to the game itself. First off, to me this game is the epitome of cinematic storytelling done right in a video game. I can't say enough about how immersive the gaming experience was. I haven't played Heavy Rain or Uncharted series since I don't own a PS3 (although I did play Fahrenheit), so I can't compare the game to those established franchises known for superb storytelling, but as far as I am concerned, the plot, cinematography, music, and dialogue were all excellent. This was no doubt possible only through JPTG's heavy reliance on the "quicktime" game play, which I understand has a lot of detractors. However, after playing through the game, I think this type of gameplay was the best (and possibly only) way to tell this story effectively since the JP franchise is so synonymous with thrills and actions. I admit that some of these action sequences were quite challenging and I died a whole lot. But even some of the death sequences (i.e., getting eaten by dinos) were satisfying to watch. The interface also allows "narrating" the story from different perspectives at the same time, which was quite interesting and ingenious in my opinion. Some adventure purists may feel that the inability to move the characters directly restricting, but I personally didn't mind this at all. I played JPTG with my XBox 360 controller and I do highly recommend playing with one. I'd imagine doing those quick time sequences with a mouse/keyboard would be significantly less enjoyable somehow.
The puzzles are extremely well designed. They are logical and realistic, and are seamlessly integrated into the plot. As such, the puzzles don't require cartoonish logic (No "apply molasses to cat hair to make a fake mustache" type of nonsensical puzzles) and often objects that behave realistically like their real-life counterparts.
One of JPTG's strongest suits is its dialogue. The game overall is very well scripted. Although you won't mistake it for a Sorkin flick, the quality of writing is far better than some of the drabs you find in today's Hollywood blockbusters. The characters are both varied and interesting. Each character has a back story, which gets developed slowly throughout the game, and plays an important role to advance the overall plot. The story is face-paced and thrilling at some points and emotional and thought-provoking at others. The scientific tidbits that are introduced throughout the game are both interesting and consistent with the JP lore. One interesting thing that Telltale attempts to do in JPTG is to correct some of the scientific inaccuracies that were introduced in the original movie by explaining that the frog DNAs that were spliced into the dinos by Dr. Wu had introduced these "anomalies" in JP's dinosaurs.
Now for the bad parts, which aren't that many. The most obvious one is its graphics, which is the biggest gripe that I have had with virtually all of Telltales' titles. It's definitely not top-of-the-line. But, then again, it is certainly "serviceable." The animation is quite fantastic in many areas actually. I don't know if they used motion-capturing technology, but the animations in a lot of the action sequences are top notch and the facial expressions are certainly good enough to covey the emotional depths. But the character models themselves lack the details and look "plasticky" under certain lighting conditions. The jungle, which is pretty much everywhere in this game, looks quite cheap if you look closely. The swaying grass and bushes are simply 2D textures moving side to side. That said, this is certainly the most graphically advanced game that Telltale has created so far. (I don't know if that's supposed to be a commendation or an indictment, but hey.) For those of you who are fans of adventure games, scientific fictions, or just dinosaurs in general, I highly recommend this game. For the Jurassic Park aficionados, JPTG is truly a worthy (and might I say "essential") addition to the beloved but aging franchise that is in sore need of its own "resurrecting."
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PC
Very first game exploring the concept that would later yield amazing pieces of gaming media such as The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among us. While the story isn't very complex, and there are few shortcomings, I really loved it.
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PC
Being a not-so-big fan of the Jurassic Park movies, I had mixed expectations for the game adaptation, and it saddens me to say that it didn't win me over. In comparison to other Telltale titles, this game falls short in multiple aspects: lacking the depth of the storyline, the development of its characters, and the engaging gameplay that I have come to enjoy from Telltale's games.
Technically, the game also disappoints, especially when it comes to the sound design, which leaves much to be desired. It's disheartening to see such issues persist, as they can significantly detract from the overall gaming experience.
The narrative failed to grip me, leaving me feeling indifferent towards the characters and their struggles. Without a genuine emotional connection, the journey through the game felt lackluster.
As for the gameplay, I found it to be quite mundane, lacking the excitement and creativity I was hoping for. Quick-Time Events, in particular, turned out to be a frustrating aspect, detracting from the immersive nature of the game.
All in all, I'm genuinely surprised that a game bearing the TT Games name could fall short in so many areas. While I understand that not every title can be a hit, I had hoped for a more compelling experience from "Jurassic Park: The Game."
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PC
This game is boring some times, feels more like a FanFiction written without time. I like the Telltale's work in other games, but they ruined my favorite movie franchise in this game.
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PC
Summary Telltale Games, the studio behind Tales of Monkey Island and the Sam & Max episodes, turns Spielberg's classic dinosaur movie Jurassic Park into an episodic adventure.
Rated T
for Teen
Platforms:
- PC
- Xbox 360
- PlayStation 3
Initial Release Date: Nov 15, 2011
Developer:
- Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Genres:
