The Jurassic Park franchise is not one you can penetrate easily with successful results. It has a hardcore fanbase behind it willing to stick their legs out and trip you up wherever they see fit, so if you're going to do an adaptation of the classic movies as well as the more recent Jurassic World, you'd better give it some effort, or not bother at all.
Thankfully, LEGO do just that with their latest addition to the world of video games. Players can instantly insert themselves within the action of any of the Jurassic movies, taking on 15 levels that pass through the first three movies in the franchise, as well as an additional five for the current summer blockbuster Jurassic World.
Though there are 20 levels, the story mode will only take seasoned gamers a few hours to complete, but the fact that you can go back and re-explore the areas you've already come across with different characters coupled with the ability to discover new areas because of each person's individual abilities means that this is a game which will far surpass its story gameplay.
For gamers like me, you won't be content until you have collected every red and gold brick, mini kit, DNA amber and 100% bolts ranking on each level - sometimes surprisingly challenging, but all the more rewarding when you come to complete your self-set challenges.
Unfortunately I did come across one huge glitch while in the game. I was playing through the third level of the original Jurassic Park movie, when one of my characters disappeared, and when I tried to switch over to her I would simply see a black screen with water dripping down it. I left it for a good ten minutes to see if anything would change, but eventually gave in and exited the level, having to start all over. Luckily the second time round, things ran smoothly and I was driving away in a terrifying T-Rex chase in no time.
There's also the problem of some movie soundbites being incredibly loud compared to those that come along with them. It's great hearing the real voices of the Jurassic franchise voicing the little LEGO characters - especially when Jeff Goldblum is involved - but audio balancing may have been forgotten or even impossible in some places, leaving it a slightly unpolished experience.
Overall though, if you're a fan of the Jurassic Park movie franchise and you've not yet played a LEGO video game, this would be the perfect place to start. With LEGO's trademark humour embedded throughout re-enactions of iconic scenes and moments in the Jurassic movies, it's brilliant fun for every member of the family and rewarding to casual or hardcore players. This is a great addition to the LEGO video games franchise.
Tagged in Jurassic Park