Credit: Universal Pictures
Since its release in 1993, Jurassic Park has remained a landmark in both cinema and popular culture. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film tells the story of an ambitious theme park filled with cloned dinosaurs, where science collides with nature in disastrous ways.
By the end, dinosaurs such as Velociraptor and T. rex had broken out of their enclosures, park staff and visitors were forced to flee (those that weren’t eaten alive, that is), and the dream of a functioning dinosaur theme park was left in ruins. The film closes with the surviving characters (Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, Ian Malcolm, John Hammond, and Lex and Tim Murphy) escaping by helicopter, leaving the park and the island to their own devices.
Credit: Universal Pictures
Now, decades later, the franchise is exploring new territory with “Jurassic Park: Survival”, an upcoming first-person action-adventure game developed by Saber Interactive.
Set 24 hours after the events of the original film, players step into the shoes of Dr. Maya Joshi, a brand-new character performed in motion capture by Payal Mistry. Joshi, an InGen scientist who failed to evacuate during the events of the film, must now navigate the island using both her intelligence and resources to survive the aftermath of the dinosaur breakout.
So far, a cinematic trailer and a behind-the-scenes featurette have teased thrilling gameplay mechanics, realistic dinosaur models, and locations both familiar and new, from the Visitor Center and the park gates to never-before-seen resort hotels and underground bunkers.
Credit: Universal City Studios LLC and Amblin Entertainment / Saber Interactive
Related: Inside Universal’s Upcoming ‘Jurassic’ Theme Park Experience: Rotating Theater, Hotel Resort, River Rapid, and More
However, while the plot for “Jurassic Park: Survival” seems set in stone and also takes place after the original film, it could offer up a potential “alternative ending” to the 1993 story, with room for future downloadable content (DLCs) that allow players to explore the park in the hours leading up to the disaster, or perhaps even getting the chance to interfere with disgruntled InGen employee Dennis Nedry’s sabotage and thus averting the park’s eventual catastrophic failures. In other words, what if you were able to stop the dinosaur breakout?
While this is speculative on our part, it offers fans an intriguing “what if” scenario: what if the park could have opened safely? Of course, that idea was mostly realized in 2015’s Jurassic World, which stars Chris Pratt (Owen Grady) and Bryce Dallas Howard (Claire Dearing) in an all-new theme park built quite literally on top of the ruins of the original. But fans have always favored Jurassic Park over Jurassic World, and we’ll probably forever wonder what could have become of Hammond’s dream. Unless “Survival” changes that.
However, if the game sticks strictly to linear storytelling without any sort of deviation, even in the form of a self-indulgent DLC, there’s the popular “Jurassic World Evolution” video game series, which does allow you to imagine the original park just as it was always intended to be. Word of caution: you still have to deal with the odd dinosaur breakout, though.
Credit: Universal City Studios LLC and Amblin Entertainment / Saber Interactive
When Is “Jurassic Park: Survival” Out?
There’s no release date for the game, but it’s rumored to be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC sometime next year or in 2027.
“Return to Isla Nublar the day after the events of the beloved 1993 Jurassic Park film in an original adventure 65 million years in the making,” the official synopsis for the game reads.
“Survive thrilling first-person action as InGen scientist Dr. Maya Joshi, who was unable to evacuate Isla Nublar, in this single-player action-adventure game and discover a never-before-told story. Through thrilling encounters, experience the wonder and danger of dinosaurs, each with their own distinct and adaptive behaviors brought to life by John Hammond’s vision.”
Are you excited about the new Jurassic Park game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
