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This is soon to be the newest, and best, edition to the Jurassic Park game series. It has a full throttle feel and plot to it, and its graphics are stunnig. March 11th for X-BOX and PS2.
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Reviews:Operation Genesis
Dan's JP/// Page has a new - and positive! - preview in the news! According to GameSpot the graphics are rich in details, unlike that what some other previevers may have said last time. Read on:
...It's your task to turn an island jungle into a successful dinosaur park.
You'll find several modes in the game to choose from when you first start out: operation genesis, exercises, missions, site B, and dinopedia. Operation genesis is a simulation mode in the vein of the RollerCoaster Tycoon PC series that has you managing every aspect of your park. The exercises option offers a series of tutorials that are designed to bring you up to speed on how to play the game. The missions mode features a series of levels that are more action-oriented and have you directly interacting with the dinosaurs in your park. Site B lets you play with your own private dinosaur park without the hassles of tourists and their incessant needs. The dinopedia is a primer on the dinosaurs in the game, and it offers some tips on management as well. ...
...While the gameplay in Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis is quite varied, the game's control keeps everything accessible. The bulk of the simulation mode is menu-driven, and the camera can be controlled with the left and right analog sticks to let you move your view around the island as needed. Controlling the vehicles is pretty basic, as you'll just have to worry about steering and shooting in most cases.
As an alternative to park building, there are a number of missions that offer an action-oriented challenge.
Graphically, the game is coming together pretty well. The island features a solid amount of detail that holds up when the camera is zoomed all the way out or all the way in. You'll find a good variety of textures for the flora and fauna, which react to wind and movement. The various buildings you'll erect to serve, or fleece, your park visitors are a mix of functional and kitschy structures that include hut-like bathrooms and concession stands featuring themed signs. The park visitors are a varied lot who all sport enough detail to be easily distinguished from one another. For example, you'll find stereotypical tourists decked out in gaudy matching outfits, as well as more respectable folk. As nice as all the detail is, though, the stars of the game are obviously the dinosaurs, which are well designed and move fluidly. Weather is conveyed by a nice assortment of effects, ranging from clear days to tornados that wreak havoc on anything in their path.
The game's audio features an assortment of sound effects that do a solid job of conveying the atmosphere of a theme park. The dinosaurs are well served by a collection of roars and groans, and the game's soundtrack features the familiar Jurassic Park theme and some incidental tunes that punctuate the onscreen action. ...
Read the full review at GameSpot. __________________________________________________________
JI Forum poster Majestic-Jay sent us this nice preview for the PC Version, released in the last issue of PC Gamer. Read on:
Hands on Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis
Think you can prevent a dino disaster? Build your own park and find out!
Theme park games are a dime in a dozen and usually more suited for a compost heap than your hard drive, but this one may manage to pull itself out of the pit.
The build that I played put you right into constructing Jurassic Park- youre commissioned by InGen to design the ill-fated island facility. The islands design and layout are provided by a random map generator, with variables that can be adjusted, such as density of forests and the number of rivers. Initially, youre given nothing but bare island; the entire park has to be designed from scratch , including research and development of dinosaur cloning.
A tutorial mode is offered from the main menu, and it holds your hand through the basic skills needed to produce a working park. I learned how to please my visitors with gift shops, balloon rides, and even the automated SUV tour that was featured in the movie.
Of course, the game wouldnt be complete without dinosaurs, and creating these beasts is a complicated business. Raptors arent simply dragged and dropped into the park- their DNA has to be discovered by assigned archaeological teams and then studied before cloning can begin. This research system is a bit time consuming, but patience is rewarded later when your park is teeming with diverse dinosaur species, including tyrannosaurus, stegosaurus, and Velociraptor.
Fans of JP movies should find lots to like in operation genesis . Hatcheries feature the familiar cow-lowering harness, and I was delighted to find goat-dispensing feeders churning out meal for the carnivorous dinosaurs. And despite your best security arrangements, breaches can occur. I havent seen a dinosaur rip apart any of my parks patrons yet, but I have witnessed a lot of screaming and panic when the dinos are running loose.
A mission mode presents action-oriented scenarios that I found much more entertaining than my campaign run. In the 12 missions, you have to fly helicopters and drive cars around the park completing various goals, which falls into two core categories. The first consists of shooting rampant dinosaurs and rescuing hapless guests, and the other involves taking snapshots of dinosaurs in action, for either a documentary or a trill-seeking adventurer.
The dinosaurs and the park look stunning up close, and its truly thrilling to see herds of dinosaurs living and hunting together. Already Operation: Genesis is imparting a great sense of the movies, and its playing well.
Norman Chan, Pc Gamer Jan. 2003 Issue
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Watch for the game, because it is going to hit stores on March 11th, it is best to pre-order.
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