If you were to ask me what the key to a game’s success was, my first reply would be “Dinosaurs”.  Honestly, how can you go wrong?  In my professional opinion, merely adding a sprinkling of those amazing denizens from the mid-to-late Mesozoic Era would make your game infinitely better. I could be biased though, since I grew up on a steady diet of dinosaur factoids – fuelled by an unhealthy fixation with Dino Riders, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (from the local arcade) and other dinosaur memorabilia.

It might also explain why my review of Travellers’ Tales’ (TT Games) latest LEGO title, LEGO Jurassic World will be less scathing than it could be (or perhaps should be). After all, if you’ve played one LEGO game, you’ve essentially played them all.  The general formula for all the LEGO games have remained unchanged since they first appeared on our consoles and PCs.  Take any popular franchise, convert the characters and environments into LEGO Minifigures or LEGO bricks, throw in destructible elements that explode into collectibles and make a sizeable profit.

Of course, we don’t really play the LEGO games for their gameplay or stories, but rather because the games are “companion titles” to our favourite and beloved franchise obsessions. The reason I enjoyed LEGO Jurassic World has very little to do with the gameplay, but rather that it tickles my dinosaur and Jurassic Park obsession (be they LEGOfied or otherwise).

LEGOJW1

I was surprised to discover that despite the game’s title, LEGO Jurassic World covers all four of the Jurassic Park movies (even the terrible third movie).  What this means is that the game features all the major characters from the movies, as well as a few surprises that you can unlock (like Steven Spielberg and Jimmy Fallon).  Various characters have different abilities, from Alan Grant (from the first Jurassic Park) who can build items out of fossil bones or use a spade to dig up items, to Claire Dearing (from the recent addition to the franchise) who can use a scanner to find LEGO objects.

It’s also possible to unlock and use different dinosaur characters, from the ever popular Velociraptors to the tiny cat-sized Compsognathus.  You can also unleash your inner Dr. Wu and customise unlocked dinosaurs by swapping out their body parts and changing their colours. This feature comes in handy when you’re looking for hidden collectibles, because you can change the abilities of your dinosaurs by altering them physically. For instance, do you need something smaller that can run up a pipe but still roar like a Tyrannosaurus Rex?

LEGOJW2

Why not give a Compsognathus a T-rex head or do you need a dinosaur with a “hard head” to help you out? What about a Velociraptor with a Triceratops head? Did I mention you can tower over everyone as a Brachiosaurus? No? Well, now you know. You can even swim like a Mosasaur or fly like one of the pterosaurs. The fact that you can play as a dinosaur, a plesiosaur or a pterosaur may seem like a very small addition to the game, but it’s actually an excellent one. It left me with saucer eyes and nostalgic memories of my childhood.

Despite all of that, LEGO Jurassic World is a fairly average LEGO game. I found it to be remarkably short, which is surprising since it covers four films.  Although, to Travelers’ Tales’ defence, the third movie wasn’t just terrible, it was severely deficient in content and plot. I should probably congratulate the developers for squeezing out a decent section out of that monstrosity.

LEGOJW3

If you were wondering how the game makes use of the four movies, each movie forms its own hub world. Once, you complete story mode (for each of the hubs), the hub world opens up and allows you to explore it as an open-world.  You can redo story chapters (to find Amber bricks or minikits), or hunt collectibles in the open-world, in the form of the infamous red bricks and additional yellow brick collectibles.

LEGO Jurassic World shines brightly where it comes to funny cutscenes, and for the most part it is a pleasure to play. However, the game features a number of unacceptable annoyances. There is nothing more infuriating than a maverick camera.  I can understand that it would be problematic in split-screen mode, but there are times when you’re left battling the game’s camera – rather than enjoying the game. Another major annoyance is the sound quality.

LEGOJW4

The quality of some of the dialogue (lifted straight from the movies) is atrocious. Lines from the first Jurassic Park sound as if they were recorded underwater. I can forgive the occasional game bug, objects not appearing or the occasional screen tearing, but the sound quality was almost a deal breaker, and it doesn’t help that the volume on some of the dialogue is inconsistent as well.

In all honesty, I enjoyed my time with LEGO Jurassic World. It allowed me to play with dinosaurs and experience two of my favourite movies in a completely different way. As a movie tie-in, LEGO Jurassic World does a pretty good job.

 

Last Updated: July 15, 2015

LEGO Jurassic World
The game is not without fault. It lacks the polish and scope of some of the previous LEGO games.  But if you’re a fellow dinosaur nut and eager to indulge in some relaxed puzzle solving, collectible hunting or need to add something new to your Jurassic Park collection, then I’ll gladly recommend LEGO Jurassic World. If none of this resonates with you… give it a wide berth.
6.0
LEGO Jurassic World was reviewed on PlayStation 4
70 / 100

50 Comments

  1. Ag stop being such a sauropod Jim

    Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      July 15, 2015 at 19:55

      OH plesiosaur Admiral, I might just need a tea-rex after that joke 😛

      Reply

  2. DragonSpirit009

    July 15, 2015 at 14:19

    I still don’t fancy any Lego games or played any of them… but dinosaurs, I fancy dinosaurs. I might just get it for the sake of liking dinosaurs XD

    Reply

    • Captain JJ wants moar

      July 15, 2015 at 14:30

      The Marvel one was fun. Gets repetitive. But it’s it’s cool to play with a friend.

      Reply

      • DragonSpirit009

        July 15, 2015 at 14:36

        It would help if any of my friends played games. Sucks to be the odd one in the group

        Reply

        • Captain JJ wants moar

          July 15, 2015 at 14:58

          Ah man. Yes, that sucks.

          Reply

        • Admiral Chief in Skellige

          July 15, 2015 at 14:59

          You need new friends

          Reply

          • DragonSpirit009

            July 15, 2015 at 15:03

            Yeah I know… been trying that for the past 6 years

          • Captain JJ wants moar

            July 15, 2015 at 15:19

            Don’t accept Admiral’s invite though. He’s strange. 😉

          • DragonSpirit009

            July 15, 2015 at 15:26

            Don’t worry… he already thinks I have a mental problem so that might have scared him off!

          • Captain JJ wants moar

            July 15, 2015 at 15:27

            Haha. If Rince hasn’t scared him off yet, nothing will.

    • HvR

      July 15, 2015 at 14:39

      The Pirates of the Caribbean has been the best one for me so far.

      Reply

      • DragonSpirit009

        July 15, 2015 at 14:44

        I’ve seen someone play it on my PSP a year or so ago… Can’t for the life of me remember who.

        Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      July 15, 2015 at 19:54

      If you like dinosaurs, you should get it. It’s the only game out there where YOU can BE the dinosaur. In Ark: Survival Evolved, you’re some muscle-bound neanderthal, rather than a glorious spinosaur.

      Reply

  3. Hammersteyn

    July 15, 2015 at 14:21

    you gave it a 6.0 yet you played enough to grab the platinum trophy O_o You must friggin love Dinosaurs

    Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      July 15, 2015 at 19:57

      It was late in the evening, and I just had to find all the dinokits…. and before I knew it, I was collecting red bricks, and then it just popped on screen. Geoff thinks I might have a mental problem 🙁 .. or maybe he’s just jealous of my “skillz”. I’m going with the latter.

      Reply

  4. Captain JJ wants moar

    July 15, 2015 at 14:29

    Banana’s.
    Trustworthiest of all the fruits.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 15, 2015 at 14:32

      • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

        July 15, 2015 at 14:33

        Waarrrraaaaaffaaaaakk!?

        Reply

      • Captain JJ wants moar

        July 15, 2015 at 14:35

        Get the f*ck out!
        No man. I eat a banana every day of my life.

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          July 15, 2015 at 14:36

          Well you peel it before you eat it, so you’re safe. At least now you wont eat a spider by accident. Or maybe you have………..

          Reply

          • HvR

            July 15, 2015 at 14:38

            If a spider jumps out while I’m peeling a banana the chances are good that I will to excuse myself….after screaming like a little girl.

          • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

            July 15, 2015 at 14:39

            I don’t think I’ll have the chance to excuse myself… By that time I’d have soiled myself properly…

          • Hammersteyn

            July 15, 2015 at 14:40

            I’d soil all over the spider

          • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

            July 15, 2015 at 14:41

            Hahaha!! Me too!!

          • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

            July 15, 2015 at 14:41

            Hahaha!! Me too!!

          • Captain JJ wants moar

            July 15, 2015 at 14:51

            NOOOOOO!

      • DragonSpirit009

        July 15, 2015 at 14:35

        Nee! Nee! Froking nee!

        Reply

      • Ir0nseraph

        July 15, 2015 at 14:44

        XD
        I am removing bananas from my shopping list for a few days.

        Reply

        • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

          July 15, 2015 at 14:49

          From now on, all bananas will be blended, skin and all, just to be sure….

          Reply

          • Ir0nseraph

            July 15, 2015 at 15:07

            I second that motion.

      • Ir0nseraph

        July 15, 2015 at 14:44

        XD
        I am removing bananas from my shopping list for a few days.

        Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        July 15, 2015 at 14:52

        Makes sense. The banana is an AI, and search engines use spiders.

        Reply

      • Admiral Chief in Skellige

        July 15, 2015 at 14:53

        O_O
        COOL!

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          July 15, 2015 at 15:18

          Inorite?

          Reply

      • Skoobaz

        July 15, 2015 at 15:49

        @ first wan’t sure if that was a bird’s eye! WTF!

        Reply

      • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

        July 15, 2015 at 19:58

        Holy crap! Is this what you guys were talking about on the whatsapp group…. :O

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          July 16, 2015 at 07:53

          XD

          Reply

  5. HvR

    July 15, 2015 at 14:31

    6.0 is fair, but playable Compy’s that are better at pipe navigation than Mario, raptors wearing fruit hats and raptor and T-rex high five each other should earn it a bonus point.

    Glad they used the “dynamic” split screen

    Reply

  6. HvR

    July 15, 2015 at 14:47

    Anybody who has a kid that love Lego and Dinosaurs; guaranteed they will reach Apeshit level 9000 for this.

    Controls and game mechanics simple enough for 5/6 year old to pick up with a little assistance.

    Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      July 15, 2015 at 19:59

      Dude… an adult that loves Lego and Dinosaurs will go apeshit for this game. I went apeshit. It’s got freaking dinosaurs in it!

      Reply

  7. RinceThis

    July 15, 2015 at 15:08

    Anyone who gives this game a 6 must be bananas!

    Reply

  8. Jennifer John

    July 19, 2015 at 19:27

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    Reply

  9. supagamer(notreally)

    March 29, 2016 at 03:49

    Seriously. You guys have no idea. Animations & models.

    Tyrannosaurus rex & Indominus rex: Same animations for EVERYTHING, only difference is the head, arms, tail, and sounds.

    Spinosaurus & Baryonyx: Baryonyx is literally a sail-less Spinosaurus. Same sounds, same (inaccurate, for Baryonyx) size, same abilities, same model (laziest of them all)

    Parasaurolophus & Corythosaurus: Same size, same model, only difference is the head and sounds.

    Gallimimus & Troodon: Same animations, model, no differences other than sounds. And size. Also, Troodon is innacurate af. It doesn’t even look like what it does in game according to skeletons

    Of course, then we go for something else: These dinosaurs aren’t even JP canon. They are Whatever-the-f**k-lego-wants-to-make-them canon. The stegosaurus and Velociraptor and over sized in Jurassic Park. Well, lego TAKES those animals, and oversizes the already oversized! Or… the Apatosaurus is undersized. Then, the logic of the game. In The Lost World Jurassic Park story mode, you see a Stegosaurus running pretty fast. Well… surprise! The actual Lego free roam Stegosaurus is SLOWER than a non sprinting human! Then: Troodon, Baryonyx, Corythosaurus, are not the most useful animals. We already have gotten the animals they were cloned from. I would have made the Baryonyx… Suchomimus, or maybe kept it Baryonyx, but lowered the size a bit.. Also I would’ve given them different abilities. Then, Corythosaurus… I’d replace it with an Edmontosaurus, and the Edmontosaurus could have different abilites than the Cortyhosaurus. Troodon: Replaced with… Metriacanthosaurus. I don’t see why not. The Metriacanthosaurus could have abilites unique to it!

    There are a total of 5 different baby models of the animals in the game:
    Tyrannosaurus rex (useless, unless you like the cuteness)
    Velociraptor (useless, its slow, it can’t do anything else other than hop around, hoping to harm an enemy)
    Triceratops (pretty much a Pachycephalosaurus that cannot jump)
    Stegosaurus (Literally a clone of Stegosaurus, and does the same things as the adult. Except it can’t break rocks)
    Pteranodon (For some reason, the baby Pteranodon is the same as a Tyrannosaurus rex baby, even though its not available in free play… Why?

    Last but not least: I’m not hating, the game is actually very good, very smooth running. However, the above are just some flaws I noticed with the game

    Reply

  10. Jesse Davis

    July 28, 2016 at 21:19

    This game is garbage. They don’t attempt to make lego games good anymore, but rather have resorted to kicking the (lego) dead horse till your children cry for you to buy it. The “puzzles” in the game can be completed by a nematode, and you don’t actually do much in the game. I put my controller down and completed a scene! Please do not support crap like this, I love nostalgia and I love Jurassic park, but I also believe people should work for their money. They polluted the game market with this toxin. Also if you are an adult or teen, you will enjoy this game about as much as your mother’s dildo. Enjoy!

    Reply

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