Jurassic World Aftermath delivers a thrilling and immersive VR experience that plunges players into the dangerous and exhilarating world of dinosaurs.
Is what I wish actually happened.
As a VR enthusiast and a huge fan of the Jurassic Park franchise, I was clamoring to dive into this dinosaur adventure. The premise of Jurassic World Aftermath is simple. Players assume the role of a stranded scientist who must navigate the abandoned facilities of Isla Nublar, the iconic island from the movies, and retrieve valuable data while avoiding the deadly creatures that roam the area. The sense of urgency and constant threat of danger creates a palpable tension throughout the game—and that’s the problem. More on that later.
One of the better aspects of Jurassic World Aftermath is the immersion VR gives it. The game makes excellent use of PS VR2’s tech, allowing players to interact with the environment and manipulate objects realistically. The intuitive controls offered by the DualSense controllers make it easy to pick up and play. For example, grabbing the handle of the controller and turning will grab the handle and turn in the game. I understand this is very basic for other VR sets, but Sony’s previous offering left a lot to be desired in many ways, least of which was the controller setup. You may find yourself physically crouching behind cover, sneaking past dinosaurs, and using stealth to survive encounters. I went back and forth between playing this game in standing mode and sitting mode and both were equally comfortable.
The game’s cel-shaded presentation is impressive, capturing the eerie atmosphere of the abandoned facilities and successfully evoking the essence of the Jurassic Park movies. The opening sequence really wowed me the first time I heard the iconic footsteps of an approaching T-Rex and then felt his roar via the haptic feedback on the back of my headset. The detailed environments and dinosaur models are impressive and strong audio design further enhances the immersion with haunting ambient sounds and the ominous roars of the dinosaurs lurking nearby.
I wish this game was actually fun to play. I had a tense encounter with a raptor, quickly surveyed the room, and scrambled to a nearby locker. The Velociraptor locked on to my location and barreled full speed ahead only to narrowly miss me as the locker door closed. I watched in both admiration and horror, my heart pounding, as it roared and bit at me before giving up. This left a really strong impression, that is, until I realized this was the game: slinking from room to room trying to avoid the Velociraptor with supersonic hearing. It got old quick and really ripped me from the strong opening experience I just had.
I was also disappointed in the lack of interactable items in the game. As a deep fam of the series, I wanted to interact with all kinds of objects like phones, hats, and other items and memorabilia strewn around and I simply couldn’t. Coming off of VR games with high interactivity like Job Simulator, this was both disappointing and jarring. It’s also worth noting the game’s relatively short playtime may leave some players wanting more. In the end, I was left craving additional content and exploration. I wanted to be in that world.
Despite its brevity, Jurassic World Aftermath could be fun for VR enthusiasts and fans of the Jurassic Park franchise. It does successfully transport players into Isla Nublar and combine atmospheric visuals with heart-pounding encounters with (very few) dinosaurs. If the idea of hiding from a raptor for hours doesn’t deter you, I say go for it. I’ve definitely played worse VR games (I’m looking at you Arizona Sunshine) but I’ve also played better too.
