Jurassic Park The Game

[MusicallyInspired]

Well, it's out. Anybody playing it?

[Datadog]

As usual, they didn't send me a newsletter, so I'm finding out just now.

On the other hand, imagine my pleasant surprise when I saw I'm getting all four episodes at once.

[DeadPoolX]

I saw it get released yesterday on Steam, but no, I haven't bought it yet. I'm still playing Deus Ex: Human Revolution and I'd like to read some reviews first.

I was pleased to find out that we're getting all episodes at once (probably due to the game's release date getting pushed back) and that death is a very real possibility. In fact, I recall one video where TellTale was showing off all the horrible ways you can die.

From the trailers I've seen and information I've read, it seems like JP:TG uses mostly quicktime events to progress the story. I know TellTale's said numerous times that it's supposed to be a lot like Heavy Rain, which used quicktime events.

If it's actually a game (as opposed to "push-this-button-now-or-die" quicktime events), I'll definitely consider getting it. However, if it's nothing more than a modern-day rendition of Dragon's Lair, dressed up as Jurassic Park, I think I'll pass.

[Collector]

If it's actually a game (as opposed to "push-this-button-now-or-die" quicktime events), I'll definitely consider getting it. However, if it's nothing more than a modern-day rendition of Dragon's Lair, dressed up as Jurassic Park, I think I'll pass.

Agreed. There have been Jurassic Park games before, but they were "kill-everything-in-sight-before-something-kills-you" type game. Fun at first, but quickly becomes boring.

[DeadPoolX]

If it's actually a game (as opposed to "push-this-button-now-or-die" quicktime events), I'll definitely consider getting it. However, if it's nothing more than a modern-day rendition of Dragon's Lair, dressed up as Jurassic Park, I think I'll pass.

Agreed. There have been Jurassic Park games before, but they were "kill-everything-in-sight-before-something-kills-you" type game. Fun at first, but quickly becomes boring.

I agree. However, there have been quite a few gamers complaining that JP:TG isn't like Turok or Dino Crisis. In other words, they wanted an open-world action-horror game where you can kill dinosaurs.

That's fine, but that's not TellTale's genre. They make Adventure games and in general, killing stuff isn't part of a normal Adventure game.

Oh and some people have also highly criticized the game's graphics. One professional game reviewer said the graphics "belonged in the 90s."

I have a feeling this guy didn't play games in the 1990s. If he had, there's no way he would've said something so dumb.

Case in point, here are screen shots from Battle Arena Toshinden (1996), Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Dark Forces II (1997) and Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned (1999).

Now here's a screen shot of Jurassic Park: The Game (2011) and you'll see the graphics are worlds better than anything in the 1990s; maybe it's not super impressive in 2011, but it's certainly not terrible, either.

[Datadog]

Finished Episode 1 just now. Here's a quick spoiler-free breakdown on what to expect:

1. All the action sequences are mini-game-driven. I thought it was kind of silly to have to tap left and right just to remind a character how to climb a ladder, but it still feels in the spirit of Jurassic Park where you have to remain calm under pressure to survive. Missing a button here and there doesn't guarantee death, but you will see your character stumble or hurt themselves if you aren't quick on the draw.

2. The puzzle-solving sequences are similar to those found in "Phantasmagoria 2," with the exception that you don't have an inventory. Each area gives you a few locations to explore, and the character just stands there while you use the mouse to search for hot-spots. Some hot-spots unlock other hotspots, and you have to perform some events in certain orders just to solve puzzles. Otherwise, the puzzles are, dare I say, easier than those found in BTTF.

So yeah - gameplay-wise, it's basically "Heavy Rain" with dinosaurs. VERY linear.

But the upsides:

3. The graphics look AWESOME. I mean, seriously - 90's? That not even good exaggeration. Those gamers are pampered by the PS3. It's PS2-quality at the very least. Otherwise, this has to be the most animation-heavy game I've seen from Telltale. The dinosaurs on their own look great.

4. It may be easier than BTTF, but I'm still enjoying it more. The story's solid, I like the new characters, and the JP-geek in me is squealing like a fan-girl over all the tiny details they remembered to put in the game (I found Nedry's stick! ) It's really awesome to see the aftermath of the first movie, and both the ridiculous mini-games and linear narrative make me feel more immersed in the adventure. Actually, I bought a 20-piece box of sushi to snack on because I thought I'd be watching cut-scenes all night, and I still haven't finished it because I've been PLAYING those cut-scenes.

So, so far, I'm really digging this game. My opinion might change in the following episodes as it did with BTTF, but as it stands... it's still better than JP3 or "The Lost World." The game actually got my heart racing just watching some of the situations they get into. Even though it's all mini-games, I think if they did this game any other way (that includes traditional adventuring or even a shoot-em-up) I wouldn't be getting the same adrenal high. If the game has me yelling "Get back in the car!" or "Don't go in there!" then I think they're doing it right.

[MusicallyInspired]

Easier than BTTF AND only 4 episodes? That's terrible.

[DeadPoolX]

Easier than BTTF AND only 4 episodes? That's terrible.

Not if the game's story is good and the overall gameplay is entertaining. Otherwise, yeah, I'd have to agree with you.

[Datadog]

It depends on whether the mini-games count as challenging since a few of them take practice to get right. I only call it easier than BTTF on the grounds that anything you need to solve a puzzle is usually within ten feet of you. It's one of those "click everything you see until the story progresses" kind of things.

But I wouldn't consider 4 episodes a bad thing just yet. What it's lacking in difficulty, it's making up for in settings, entertainment, and pacing. I'm tempted to go back through the game just to try out the alternate routes through the mini-games and try to find all the fail-states.

For anyone's who's still curious about it, I'd recommend just watching a short play-through of the first episode or trying the demo to see it's the kind of thing that would drive you crazy. I can already tell this game will be an acquired taste among adventure gamers.

[Collector]

Sounds like they were trying to make it easier for non adventure gamers for a broader audience. It seems like whenever a developer does that they end up displeasing both groups they are trying to appeal to. Twitch gamers find the action sequences not challenging enough and the adventure gamers find the puzzles too easy.

[DeadPoolX]

I think that's the problem when developing a game for a well-known entity like Jurassic Park: it'll attract normal Adventure gamers and those who're new or unsure of the genre, as well.

BTW, what demo? I don't see one on Steam or TellTale's own site.

[Collector]

I have enough doubts about it that I am not likely to buy it without a preview via a demo.

[DeadPoolX]

Here's a review from a website called Gaming Blend. I've never heard of them before, but so far it seems the better known review sites (Gamespot, IGN, etc) haven't bothered to write anything about JP:TG yet.

[Datadog]

BTW, what demo? I don't see one on Steam or TellTale's own site.

Good question. I heard people talk about the demo - maybe it's a console-only thing.

Twitch gamers find the action sequences not challenging enough and the adventure gamers find the puzzles too easy.

And as a non-twitch gamer, I found the mini-games a little more tolerable just because the triggers were placed in convenient places and the arrows corresponded to the action's logical directions. Not like "God of War" where I can't tell why Circle and Triangle are both used for jumping during mini-games.

Sounds like they were trying to make it easier for non adventure gamers for a broader audience.

That and, as I mentioned before, this new style also serves the story better. Traditionally, adventure games are designed for questing, but it seems in the case of "Jurassic Park," open-world questing would bring the action and suspense to a grinding halt.

I think games like "The Dagger of Amon Ra" and "Phantasmagoria" can get away with suspense just because exploring is the only way you'll solve the mystery. But even those games have a final chapter where you're running like crazy from a psychotic killer (which is essentially what all of "Jurassic Park" is, where every "puzzle" is a life-or-death situation.)

I imagine their "Walking Dead" game will be the same way.

[DeadPoolX]

It wouldn't surprise me if a demo was console-only. Lots of developers feel that issuing PC demos is worthless, for some reason or another. All that does is make people pirate games more.

If nothing else, a demo on the PC is more important than on a console. You know the game will play for the console, but you don't have that same guarantee with a PC and you can't trust the minimum/recommended specs listed.

I wish that instead of using QTE (quick-time events) for the action, the game allowed you to act and react normally. They could still flash the game's controls up on screen for you! Batman Arkham Asylum and Deus Ex: Human Revolution do this all the time!