Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis

"It's every bit as Jurassic Park as you can get."

''Life finds a way...'' Ian Malcolm - Jurassic Park

So did Blue Tongue, the game designers find a way to bring the experience of Jurassic Park to the Ps2 console?

Most definitely yes!! It just won't break out and eat you...

Story:
Hey, it's a strategy sim, not a story driven RPG.
Beyond the premise of building the ultimate theme park, you're given the task of creating and caring for all sorts of different species of dino's from different eras. But you'll find it's your park visitors who need most of your care and attention.

Gameplay: 9/10

From the start you can choose whether to play any of the games tutorials, which are very extensive and can help those just starting out.
Or if you'd rather, jump into the game, which has you obtaining certain goals by creating parks oriented towards crowd pleasers or family fun parks.
JP: Operation Genesis also features a Sandbox mode where you can create a park without an immediate goal or set of objectives, which is actually a better way of learning how to play the game as it is.
I always appreciate games that give tutorials as a side option rather than a - Learn as you go process. It just annoys me otherwise.. Thanks BlueTongue

Aside from all that, there is even a Missions side option where you won't be creating a park, but playing with the game's Safari or Ranger mode.
This side option isn't as involving on it's own, but in the main game gives depth, which I'll explain in a bit.

Because Jurassic Park focuses on Dinosaurs instead of rides or other carnival amusements, you'll be able to drive or take pictures in the Safari mode, which is otherwise controlled by the game itself after you set a path for it. The Safari vehicle is the same land cruiser - Ford explorer, in the movie FYI.
As for Ranger mode, you'll be tasked with flying a helicopter in order to cure or kill your dino's, not to mention rescue the occasional park visitor from the dino's you're trying to kill.
Both modes offer a little spice of the JP action, but you'll be finding yourself using Ranger mode most with it's versatility because of frequent park dilemmas and sick dino's you haven't been properly feeding. It's cheaper to have them eat modern plants. Genetically grown but costly''period plants'', however, will not cause as
much illness and death.
Mini games aside, you've got a park to control, and with its many dinosaurs and visitors to keep happy, you'll be juggling both in a balancing act. From managing food and souvenir prices to keeping visitor moral up, you will have to find the proper balance in order to keep both Ingen happy and your park budget full. Doing this is made easier by the many menus' that allow you to see reactions towards your park from the many varied tourists in your park. Some like a thrill, others like to see the less exciting herbivores munch on plant life. You can even go so far as to see each individual visitor thought or opinion of your park. Many will have reactions ranging from '' This place is dull'' Or ''This place is exciting!!'' Just sit back with a smirk on your face as you let loose a few Raptors in your park, then query your park tourists to see what they think.

Building a park isn't easy, especially when the major attractions require research and DNA extraction.
''Where do you find 100 million year old Dinosaur DNA??''
From 3 out of 9 dig sites actually...
Sadly, the game only allows you to pick 3 out of 9 potential dig sites at a time for each park... You'll be faced with decision like.. '' Should I unlock the site where I can find T-rex fossils and Amber?'' '' Or should I opt for Brachiosaurus instead of Velociraptor?'' Each dig site has it's own unique, popular dino, but deciding which 3 to pick is part of the fun and replay value.
Not only will you have to pick dig sites, but you will also have to hire teams to dig them. You can get by with just one team, but it's time consuming. Hiring more will speed things up, but cost more sequentially after each purchased team.

Once you have everything you need to start creating a few dino's, now you have to worry about security in upgrading park fences etc., and even researching diseases and park upgrades.

Graphics: 8/10

Dino's are modeled and move accurate to the movie; Trees and grass even sway in the wind.
Everything is, as it should look in a Jurassic Park...
You can zoom in and out to observe your park visitors at a closer glance, but at a closer look comes a lesser image. The park visitors will look blocky at the maximum zoom, but the dino's will look as good as ever. But when you've got 100 of those detailed little visitors wandering around your park, it's hard to be overly critical.
Not only will there be a large amount of people and dinos on screen, but each little individual might have a balloon or dinosaur toy in their hand that they purchased from your kiosks. Each item they take home as a souvenir can be selected at that specific kiosk... Weather you want to sell expensive dino toys or cheap JP duffel bags; it's all up to you.
Added detail like that really ups the score in my book.

Another thing I was a bit worried about before I bought the game was the viewing distance.. How far could I see before fogging would hide most of my Island and park?
With the Ps2 version of JP, I was pleased to discover you get a considerable viewing range. Yet, I'm sure with the PC and Xbox versions this has been improved.
Even with that, I've heard both the PC and Xbox water effects are better with reflective surfaces.
But I'm not really picky when it comes to graphics. If the gameplay is good, and the graphics are at least average, that's all that really matters in my opinion.

Sound: 9/10

Eh... I like the added scores and renditions of the JP theme. But for my own preferences, I'd like to have heard the original score from the first film instead of all three. Granted, each composer does a good job with a variation on John William's Jurassic Park theme, I still feel like something is missing.
That aside, the Dino effects are great and probably accurate to what we currently know about them. At least everything I heard was taken directly from the films. That's a plus.
All of the Dinosaurs have their own unique noises, whether they are eating, hunting, playing, or just calling out their territory.

Overall: 910

A great game for fans of the movie, and casual dinosaur fans!
Try and take other reviews as opinions, not as fact.
While I've given my honest appraisal of Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis, anyone else still not sure about this title would be encouraged to at least rent the game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/07/03, Updated 04/07/03