There are a few things you can usually expect from a LEGO game; solid platforming, breaking things, building them and humour. After spending some time with LEGO Jurassic World, I can say all these things are present and a little bit more. Plus, dinosaurs and that theme music!
Even though the title features the name of the movie coming out in June, LEGO Jurassic World will cover all four movies. Yes, really, all four. There will be five levels per movie and over 100 characters to unlock, so just like previous titles you’ll have plenty of content to delve into.
On that topic, I got to play four different sections from the game. The first one covered the Triceratops droppings scene from the first movie, tasking you with curing the ill dinosaur. To do this you have to dive into piles of droppings (yes, really) and scour the area for three items that will eventually see the Triceratops in good health again. In typical LEGO fashion, you’ll switch between characters to use their special abilities. For example, only Dr Ellie can dive into the droppings (best ability ever), whereas only the dinosaur guard (I think that’s what he was) can locate hidden dig spots. In any case, once you’ve cured the Triceratops you get to control it. You’ll bash into objects to open up new areas, allowing you to progress further with the other characters. It’s pretty standard LEGO game fare, but the fact that you get to play as dinosaurs (around 20 of them in the game) is undoubtedly cool and fun. Not only that, you’ll be able to customise them too. Triceratops and Raptor hybrid, anyone?
The second section stayed with the first movie, moving onto the famous T-Rex introduction scene. Here the goal is to rescue the two kids from an overturned jeep as the T-Rex attempts to make them dinner. The typical LEGO puzzles make an appearance and you eventually get them free, but there’s some interesting stuff in between all that. Lex, the girl, who pretty much just screams throughout the entire movie, has a special ability that allows her to do exactly that and shatter glass. A clever addition and one you actually have to use to progress. Another thing I really liked is how TT Games has taken what is actually quite a harrowing scene and added some humour to it. This is, after all, a family game. For example, you lure the T-Rex away from the jeep via musical box. Also, rather than the dinosaur straight up eat the lawyer at the end, you get some humour as he defends himself with a toilet brush and cleans the T-Rex’s teeth when in its mouth. It all works, it really does.
Section three, still with the first movie, covered the T-Rex chase. Simply put, it’s an on rails driving section. You can switch characters and try to shoot blocks into the beast’s mouth, but it’s best to keep control of the driver. It’s a case of moving left and right to avoid obstacles as well dodge attacks from the T-Rex, that’s as far it goes. Not exactly difficult, but a pretty cool set piece nonetheless. Not something you’d normally see in a LEGO game, so I had to ask if there’d be any more. I was told there might be a few others, but not exactly which ones. They have to keep some things a secret, right?
The fourth and final section was something that could be taken from almost any other previous LEGO game. Set on a rooftop, your goal is to reach a helicopter and fly away to safety. I essentially just built objects that allowed the characters to zipline and jump to other areas while avoiding the threat of Raptors. It was the shortest section of the four and probably the least impressive, mainly because it was a case of seen it and done it before.
On a better note, LEGO Jurassic World (to me anyway) came across as the best looking game in the long-running franchise so far. Using the power of the PS4, the LEGO characters and environments looked great. Everything had that extra bit of sheen and polish, actually looking like shiny LEGO blocks you’d play with at home. In a Jurassic Park sense, going by the sections I played, TT Games has captured the visual essence of the movies very nicely as well. The famous T-Rex introduction scene, in particular, looked really good. Despite having an element of humour, the vibe of the scene was spot on. Rain lashing down as the T-Rex causes destruction, yeah, it looked lovely. The audio side of things is good too, but given that TT Games had access to the movies it’s no huge surprise. Expect plenty of well-known lines if you’re a fan.
Obviously, I didn’t get to play anything from the upcoming movie, but was told that some of the best stuff is featured in levels from there. If that’s the case, I’m looking forward to seeing what the final game has to offer. In fact, being a fan of the movies and LEGO series, I’m genuinely interested to see how LEGO Jurassic World turns out come June. It seems like TT Games hasn’t steered too far away from the usual formula, but done just enough to make it feel that little bit more new. Great news if you’re a fan of the LEGO series. Plus, I’m not sure if you know, you get to play as dinosaurs. LEGO dinosaurs!
I also interviewed a member of the LEGO Jurassic World development team. You can listen to it below.
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