Jurassic World Alive is a 2018 dinosaur simulation game about creatures who have fled Jurassic World and are now roaming free in our cities and neighborhoods.
There’s currently a triceratops in my backyard, a stegosaurus in the supermarket and a T-Rex in the library … dinosaurs are everywhere. Well they certainly are in Jurassic World Alive, the first in a series of augmented reality games being developed including Ghostbusters and Harry Potter on the back of Google Maps, opening their API to mobile game developers looking to steal the crown from Pokemon Go. But is this title more than just another way to cash in on the upcoming release of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom?
Most people assume that us video game writers spend our lives living under a desk working by the light of whatever screen we happen to be playing, but here we have another game designed to get gamers outside if not away from their screens, and it should be noted that despite looking like it was going to give us something different, what we have here is at its core a re-skinned version of Pokemon Go, which in itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing seeing how it got even the most casual gamers something easy to pick up and play. Sadly, that last aspect is what’s sorely missing here.
Taking on the role of a dino wrangler, you’re guided by messages from the Jurassic World leads Claire and Owen as you track down 50 species of dinosaur in much the same way you hunt Pokemon, with some dinosaurs being rarer than others and this of course fills you with the almost childlike glee of seeing just where these prehistoric creatures turn up. However, the mood is slightly soured when the method for collecting DNA from these creatures is revealed, as rather than find a way to theme the Pokeball throws of Pokemon Go, we instead cut to a drone screen were the player is required to both control the drone and aim at the moving dinosaur all while you try to deal with an extremely limited battery which essentially serves as the timer for each encounter.
This method of gameplay certainly feels broken to say the least especially as the slightest nudge can move you way off target which is already difficult enough when faced with a small target to hit. At the same time, the fact you’re collecting DNA rather than dinos feels initially deflating until you realise that this is essentially their way of doing the candy system from Pokemon with the more accurate shots gaining more DNA points than shots which stray from the centre of the target. Still when the game requires you to stop and focus on hitting targets, it really removes the play on the go style which make Pokemon still the game of choice for gaming on the move.
Once you have amassed enough DNA of your chosen dinosaur you get to grow your own in your incubator and add it to your collection. At the same time certain species can be evolved to create newer species much like Pokemon’s evolution and much like with the gym battles these dinosaurs can be also put into battles with rival players. Again these are all things we have seen in previous Jurassic Park games such as Jurassic Park Builder and certainly here it doesn’t really improve or bring anything new to the table.
It’s something of a shame that the gameplay feels so broken as the game itself, outside of the DNA capture, works well, with dinosaurs and supply points spawning regularly both in both the urban and rural settings we tested the game under. At the same time with the game requiring such precise controls it almost instantly repels the more casual gamer especially those looking for something more pick up and play.
Sadly, for those hoping for Pokemon Go with Dinosaurs or just general Jurassic Park fans the game does come as a disappointment, especially when its really over complicates what should have been an easy sell. Maybe if they can find a way to fix its DNA collection I could be tempted back but right now it just feels like a lot of effort for little reward.