Powered by some of the best visuals in a Lego game to date and the awesome duality of playing with both the iconic characters from the series and dinosaurs, “Lego Jurassic World” is a beast of a game with plenty to see and do. Colorful, smart and more often than not silly, the tried-and-true gameplay continues to find a way to steal hours of your time. In the end, the game is far more ambitious than you might originally think.
Simply put, if you live for the Lego series, it’s a worthwhile addition to your collection, but one that’ll probably take you longer to finish than the previous games in the series.
Beginning from the first “Jurassic Park” film, the game lets you jump right into the story. After about a half-hour of gameplay between two classic scenes from the first film (with a few chuckle-inducing moments) players can then pick which story they’d like to go on, “Jurassic Park,” or “Jurassic World.” Regardless of which way you go, the game is another steady Lego adventure that is all about finding things to break and using your head to solve the puzzles. From shooting targets to running around the jungle as a dinosaur, the choices are plentiful and create a gameplay experience a casual fan will love, but also one that a hardcore gamer can appreciate.
With the series’ classic drop in and out multiplayer, it’s even more fun with more people on-board. While the first two levels are more about problem-solving, there’s plenty of combat later on and once dinosaurs get added to the mix, the multiplayer options are even cooler. As always, every character (and dinosaur) has a unique skill-set, from Alan’s raptor claw to Elie’s jumping on fossil abilities, or sifting through dino poo, which makes switching a priority, but fun. As you amass more characters, each level becomes more challenging, but taking the “break everything you see” approach, new gameplay avenues open up and the game becomes less a chore and more destructive and fun. At the same time, hardcore gamers may find the process a little too later, rinse, repeat.
Although the gameplay is special here, the game’s visuals are a big step up. More than a next generation coat of graphical paint, “Lego Jurassic Park” is beautiful. While all of the Lego games on the PlayStation 4/5 look solid, the dinosaurs and landscapes in “Jurassic World,” while still maintaining their “Lego” look, are just a feast for the eyes. Full of color and plenty of small, but sneakily-sharp animations, the dinosaurs are unmistakably Lego, but from the sound affects to the blink of a T-Rex’s eyes, you can’t help but still feel connected to the film series. As far as the characters go, it’s hard to make Lego characters truly stand out, but here, from dimples to more facial expressions than ever before, the story-telling is sharp and the wit is constantly there.
In the end, it’s probably the most redeemable quality in the game.
At the same time, TT Games has done a great job with more than just the look of the game. From the music to the voice-overs, they’ve created an experience that is worthy of the license and one that both adults and kids will want to immerse themselves in. At times, you’ll feel like you’re reliving scenes from the film. That is until the game throws its signature humor your way. Seeing guns get stuffed with bananas or characters being “eaten” is an excellent way of keeping the essence of the story in tact, but appealing to the Lego audience in a way where they’ll appreciate the source material even more than they did before.
Overall, thanks to a great look and plenty of laughs, “Lego Jurassic World” on the PlayStation 4 is just as big a blockbuster as the film.
The Good:
Fun: Using the “Lego” formula, you’ll be smashing your way through everything, looking for clues and building everything you can. If you’ve played an Lego game in the past, you’ll quickly fall in love with this one.
Captures the Essence of the Films: If you’ve seen the films in the franchise before, you’ll love this game. If you haven’t it’ll make you want to. How many games can do that?
Dinosaurs: With 20 dinosaurs to unlock, the game has a ton of deployability. The fact that each dino plays differently from the other only adds to the depth of the gameplay experience.
Hilarious: No one dies in “Jurassic World.” Even the dude who gets chomped in the bathroom stall by the T-Rex and the cow who gets fed to the Raptor. With eye winks and easter eggs galore, it’s the type of game adults will get a kick out of and young kids can play and not get their minds warped.
Next Generation Visuals: While “Lego Hobbit” and Lego “Marvel Super Heroes” look great, “Lego Jurassic World” takes it to an entirely completely different level. From the backgrounds to the up-close camera at times and the groovy-looking dinosaurs, the game can hold its own with any title on the system.
The Bad:
Gameplay Can Get Repetitive: If you get stuck in “Lego Jurassic World,” it’s best to just break everything you see. It fixes the problem nearly every time, but at times, takes some of the fun out of the puzzles. Again, while this solution makes them more accessible for children, it takes some of the fun out for adults.
Final Thoughts:
Using the tried-and-true gameplay mechanics and bringing the one-of-a-kind “Jurassic Park” and “Jurassic World” stories to life with the Lego series firmly attached, “Lego Jurassic World” is so much more than a kid-friendly romp through one of the biggest film franchises of all time.
