Switch is getting a huge back-catalogue of other console’s games at the moment and LEGO games seems to making their way on to the system thick and fast. I for one welcome the chance to play some of the biggest hits of gaming on Nintendo’s handheld hybrid. Â
LEGO Jurassic World first arrived on the scene back in 2015 for last gen and current gen consoles, followed by a mobile port the following year. The Switch version may be 4 years down the line but there’s little sign of the gameplay being dated here.
The game features all 3 original movies to the first Jurassic World movie but sadly not the newest member of the family as it hadn’t been released back when the game was in development. Still, that’s huge number of levels split across the 4 movies which act as 4 doorways in the main hub.  Par for the course in LEGO games, two of the doors aren’t opened until you’ve completed several tasks in the original movie world and the new Jurassic World level.  It won’t take long to open those doors, though.
As with other LEGO games, you can choose to just wander through the world, solving simple puzzles and taking part in action sequences (some of which are pretty intense) until you reach the exit.  That’s the quick option.  The game really wants you to collect all the studs and find all the unlockable mini kits, though, and taunts you from the main hub with things like mix and match dinosaurs, which is far more fun than it initially sounds.
A few changes to the usual formula see more emphasis on characters’ traits than before to solve puzzles and some mildly annoying quicktime events that feel a little out of place. Vehicles are, at least, fun to take control of.  Other than that, it’s business as normal and anyone who has ever played one of the other recent LEGO games will know what to expect, just with added dinosaurs.
Does Jurassic Park work as a LEGO franchise?  It mainly depends on your love of the original movies, but even without knowledge of the films it’s a fun game.  The only caveat to this is that the film franchise doesn’t afford the same range of characters to collect as something like the Marvel or DC games do, there’s only so many park rangers and scientists you can collect parts from until it all blends into one. Thankfully, you can collect dinosaur parts as well, as if TT Games noticed the issues and provided an alternative.
On a TV, Jurassic World does begin to show its age a little, though at least the LEGO aesthetic does quite a bit to cover this up. In handheld it looks much better and plays well, too. It’s an ideal game for carrying with you and playing in short bursts with the small levels on offer.
LEGO Jurassic World is another welcome addition to the Switch’s growing library of back-catalogue games and provides plenty of fun for fans of the franchise or just dino-fans in general.
LEGO Jurassic World
Pros
- Fun gameplay through 4 different films
- Good use of voice cast
- Great soundtrack
- Collect dino parts!
Cons
- Doesn't feature the latest movie
- Looks a little dated in places
