It's amazing that someone didn't think to make a title like Operation Genesis sooner. It's a shame that the end result isn't very enjoyable.
Before I begin the review, let me throw my credentials on the table: I was the biggest Jurassic Park freak as a child. I had every piece of JP related gear, from toys to bedsheets. I used to take all my dinosaurs, vehicles, playsets, and figures into the yard, and set up a replica park. People would get eaten, my Jungle Explorer would get "stuck" in my Dad's apple tree, and the scientists' mobile lab would be ravaged at night by angry T-Rexes.
I wanted to like this game. But I can't.
Tycoon games will never really function correctly on the consoles, and Genesis is a prime example of this truism. The Sims worked fairly well on the PS2 because the game is not all about just building, but interacting with your little digital denizens. JP puts an emphasis on building up your park, and setting prices. This means that the "simplistic" interface gets very complicated in a hurry, and you'll be willing to sell all those embryos in your shaving cream can for a mouse and keyboard. But alas, noone is selling, at least not on the X-Box. Though the PS2 offers support for the all-important peripherals, there isn't really any comfort in using a mouse and keyboard while sitting in a chair or on a couch. If it weren't for the cluttered interface, JP would be a lot more fun than it is. Sim City with dinosaurs can be enjoyable, but not when the interface is a pain in the ass.
The graphics in JP are definitely serviceable, though the sound is nothing short of obnoxious. I like the Jurassic Park theme, but when hearing it remixed endlessly for the duration of my play session, it becomes obtrusive. The voices of your park employees are pretty well done, but I'd imagine they're just as well done in the PC version.
And those are my sentiments about this game exactly: if you must travel to Jurassic Park, do so on a PC. The console incarnations simply don't hold up, even though the concept and basic mechanics are solidly executed. Blame it on the interface and limitations of the controller, not the developers.
-George
Company Line
This world-builder title is inspired by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment's Jurassic Park franchise-the studio's most successful film franchise. Jurassic Park allows you to fulfill Dr. John Hammond's dream by successfully designing and managing your very own Jurassic Park. Create the most amazing dinosaur theme park the world has ever seen, OR battle your way through 12 intense missions that will truly test your skills against the awesome powers of nature and its most dominant creatures.
Features
First mission-based world-builder developed for console and PC. Two games in one allows for full-fledged world-building OR mission-based action gameplay.
Powerful, yet easy-to-use, world-building engine allows the player to build and manage the ultimate Jurassic Park. From the shape of the island to the price of admission, every decision is yours to make. It truly is Jurassic Park, your way.
Test your skill in 12 intense missions including rescuing stranded park visitors and stopping a dino rampage. These action-packed missions will provide a variety in gameplay not seen in other world-building titles.
The game's music (10 original tracks) was written by Blue Tongue's internal sound engineer and is being performed by the Melbourne Symphony, conducted by Graeme Abbott.
Multiple cameras and gameplay modes add to the experience. Stop a rampaging dino with your tranquilizers in Ranger Cam mode, pilot a helicopter around your park in Chopper Pilot mode or take in all the amazing sights with the first person Visitor View.
Control your dinos through mixtures of chemicals brewed in the dino-vet lab. Make them angry, sleepy, aggressive, hungry, etc. Watch out, though, the wrong mixture could lead to disaster!
Complex A.I.: Watch the fascinating interaction among more than 25 long-extinct Jurassic giants as they hunt, fight, feed and display flocking behavior.
Lush 3D jungle environments and incredibly detailed dinosaur models deliver the excitement of the Jurassic Park movies to powerful next-gen platforms.
Act III, a 3D graphics and animation house, is creating all in-game cinematic sequences.
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