Lego Jurassic World: “You said you’ve got a T-Rex?”

We all have our reasons for not doing something, and Dr. Alan Grant had more than most when he decided not to endorse Jurassic Park. From the ill-tempered T-Rex that stalked him and his pals, to the Velociraptors who just wouldn’t take no for an answer, you can’t blame the man for wanting nothing to do with a place whose inhabitants tried to eat him.

Thankfully, TT Games hasn’t been scared off by these stories of disgruntled dinosaurs, deciding to transform Dr. Grant’s antics, along with the rest of the Jurassic film franchise, into an interactive playground of virtual bricks, despite the fictitious perils. “A game based on this property is something that I think a lot of film fans, as well as videogame fans, have wanted for quite a while now,” says Tim Wileman, TT Games’ associate producer. “It’s something we’ve wanted to do as well, but have never really had to the chance to work with for various reasons. With the new film coming out and with Spielberg getting involved again it’s reignited the excitement.”

Being made in conjunction with the up-and-coming box office contender, the game will feature Jurassic World, with the new film as well as older Jurassic Park content being available from the very beginning. It’s an interesting option, one that will allow players who don’t wish to follow the story chronologically to choose where they wish to start their adventure from. As for the game’s hubs, these will apparently take the form of the two Jurassic islands: Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna. Presumably what hub you’re in will depend on what film you’ve been playing through, with the first and fourth films being attached to Isla Nublar and the second and third Isla Sorna. Additionally, Lego Jurassic World will also feature real-time weather. “As you move around the levels and the hubs, the time of day will change,” Wileman explains. “It all comes back to authenticity, you know? We want the games to feel as true to the source material as they possibly can, even down to the camera angles, weather, and time of day.”

As excited as we are about the prospect of night falling at a potentially perilous moment, what excites us most about Lego Jurassic World, however, are the customisation options. “You can create your own characters from the 100 [preloaded] ones,” Tim explains. Making your very own Dora The Dinosaur Explorer sounds like fun, although it’s more than likely that characters will have to be unlocked in order for you to use their parts. As for those of you who wish to learn more about the extinct species, TT Games has created an Information Centre in Lego Jurassic World, where you can bring up trivia and facts about dinosaurs. “One of the objectives with this game was to bring a layer of informative play to it,” explains Wileman. “It is something I think kids will enjoy learning about and find quite fun because it’s interactive. It should add a nice layer of gameplay to the title.”

With the developers gaining access to the Jurassic film assets, this game looks set to be every bit as authentic as we’ve come to expect from a Lego adaptation. Combining iconic action-packed scenes, with TT Games’ usual blasts of humour, Lego Jurassic World’s mixture of new and old ideas sounds intriguing in theory, but whether this game will prove to be an exciting addition to the series or just another brick in its wall, we’ll have to wait and see. Either way, for fans of both the Lego and Jurassic franchises, there’s plenty to be excited for here, Jeff Goldblum’s silky, sarcastic tones being at the top of our list.