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by Shadow on 12.30.11  As I’m writing this, I am reminded of the state of mind I was in when playing through Jurassic Park. I was working 48-56 hour work weeks. I fell ill from whatever was being passed around at the time (it wasn’t pleasant). When I wasn’t working or bed-ridden, I was also taking care of my newborn daughter. It was quite a mess - just like this Jurassic Park game.
Jurassic Park: The Game, developed by Telltale Games, is an adventure game fused with quick-time events based off the original film. It takes place both during and immediately after the first Jurassic Park movie. What differentiates the game from the film are its characters. None of the memorable characters from the films are in this game. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of problems. When this game was being promoted, people were saying it was like the other Telltale Games mixed with Heavy Rain. What they didn’t tell me, or maybe I missed it, was that it was a lesser version of the earlier Telltale Games mixed with the most boring part of Heavy Rain. You’re not playing as any of the well known characters - and when the gameplay changes, you’re suddenly playing the forensics section of Heavy Rain. Not the best part.
I think the PR for this game thought the action sequences were like Heavy Rain. They’re not. I loved Heavy Rain. These sequences are merely quick-time events. They feel forced. Real forced. And they’re not fun. Heavy Rain was intuitive for both the PlayStation Controller and the Move. I played this on my iMac and it seems like they wanted me to use a controller to play. Look, I like Telltale Games. I’ve been a fan of theirs since they released their Wallace and Gromit episodes. I think I’ve purchased and played through every one of their games from the Strong Bad series up until now. Back then I knew what I was getting into. Now, I don’t know where Telltale is going with their projects. There’s a look to these games from Telltale. It’s meant to be an exaggerated version of real life (except for the Strong Bad game). It even worked when the Back to the Future games were released last/this year. They looked great and I thought nothing bad of it. Jurassic Park however, seemed to be off. Way off. Maybe it’s the fact that you don’t play as any known characters; you just don’t have a point of reference to go off of. I just can’t put my finger on it. How can they get the look wrong after doing it right so many times?
Then there are the callbacks to the movie. Throughout the entire game, characters will repeat some of the famous quotes from the movie. Why are they doing this? Why are these characters saying that? It feels completely wrong. It’s trying to force nostalgia down your throat. It was funny the first time when they called back to the “Dogson, we have Dogson here!” line, but by the time “Hold on to your butts” comes around, the game just feels like your grandpa who’s trying to fit in with the young crowd. Then there’s the game itself. The graphics bugged out on me over and over again. At points, the sky decided to throw a rave party and change colors rapidly. When it was supposed to rain, people’s faces flickered constantly. The scenes were cut erratically and the whole time you're being judged on your performance. Why am I being judged all the time? Either I should pass, get the illusion of nearly passing, or fail. I don’t want to get a bronze medal because I didn’t crop the tree branches properly. To top it off, I wasn’t allowed to re-visit the menu screen without being completely locked out of the game! The menus would cover up the rest of the menus and lock me. I couldn’t quit. I had to restart the game. This wasn’t a chance opportunity. It happened every time.
I just can’t recommend this game to anyone. I just can’t. If you’re a Telltale Games’ fan, this isn’t a good game to recommend. If you’re a Jurassic Park fan, this game has none of the characters you want to play as. It does however add to the fiction but it seems to answer questions that nobody is asking. I really hope Jurassic Park: The Game is a fluke because I really like the other games Telltale makes.
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