Jurassic Park Needs to Evolve Its Genre Choices or Face Extinction

Jurassic Park is one of those series ripe for many videogame adaptations, and it has seen its fair share in the past. However, the series has fallen into something of a rut in terms of genre. So, I think it is time to have a look at how it could work in some other kinds of games. 

The first, and perhaps most obvious, is a survival horror game. For those younger than I, there was a game that was spiritually Jurassic Park (although with no real connection) called Dino Crisis. The game had players exploring a lab while being mercilessly hunted by dinosaurs. A Jurassic Park game could be of a similar ilk: imagine exploring the famous Ingen labs, gathering items and ammo to fend off the odd dino attack. The graphical and AI advantages of today could make the game beautiful and challenging. It would also scratch an itch many gamers have about wanting a Dino Crisis remake already!

If someone wanted something more action-focused, then there is, of course, the full FPS or third-person-shooter. This is a bit more complicated and has been tried before. If you have never played the Trespasser game, then…don’t. The problem boils down to dinosaurs not being the most challenging opponent when you have a full armoury to deal with them. However, this is where the later movies' genetic splicing could come into effect. There were rumours about human-looking dinosaurs, so that could be an avenue worth exploring. Although, it would irritate nearly every fan out there. 

A team-based tactical game would be one of the better options. You could control an Ingen security team out in the field. Then, the missions could be based around capturing dinosaurs, saving people, and making sure the security of the park is upheld. As you do your job better, the park gets more guests and, as such, more money for equipment. However, this also means that the owners will slowly unleash more and more dangerous dinosaurs that you will have to wrangle or fight. If nothing else, it would make for a great gameplay loop.

Puzzle games are next, and they are a bit more complicated to make interesting. The subject matter is arguably better suited to a point-and-click style game with more esoteric puzzles on offer. The only issue with this genre is that it removes some of the fear and awe that should come from dinosaurs. Saying that, Jurassic Park: The Game by Telltale somewhat worked, so there is certainly something there to explore.

Finally, I think a stealth-focused game would be one of the more interesting choices. A Jurassic Park-style game designed around a similar system to Alien: Isolation would be amazing. Imagine walking down overgrown hallways, desperately hiding as velociraptors hunt you. You don’t really have access to guns, but you can lay traps and distractions (even lock them in a fridge if you want). This is a genre that, with the right developer, could breathe life back into the series. It seems that this will likely be the case in the newly announced Jurassic Park: Survival, which could be the answer to my dino-surviving needs.

I want to clarify that I do not hate park manager games like Jurassic World Evolution. I think they can be great time sinks but I do find them to only recreate a part of the original movies. I loved the park sequences and the creation of the dinosaurs, but I also loved the action and the horror. There is room enough in the gaming world for a wealth of dinosaur games, and I can’t wait to see if developers are willing to try it!