I’ve been a fan of the Lego games (in their current state) since the original Lego Star Wars released in 2005. Since then, there have been a lot of games across a lot of different pop culture properties. Harry Potter, Marvel, DC, Indiana Jones, and The Lord of the Rings are just a few things that have gotten the Lego treatment. Lego Jurassic World has finally made its way to Nintendo Switch, and boy is it a sight to behold. 

Maybe it is the idea of re-living the original Jurassic Park trilogy that appeals to me since I enjoyed the movies as a younger person even though they scared the crap out of me. Alternately, it could be that the appeal comes from the reinvigorated interest in the franchise that came out of Jurassic World, and its’ sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. 

In any case, Lego Jurassic World lets you play through four of the five Jurassic Park films. Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III, and Jurassic World are where you spend your time. A lot of you are probably wondering why they didn’t include Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and my best guess is that when the original release of this game landed, it wasn’t out yet. 

I could speculate and say that there might be another release when the third Jurassic World film comes out, or I could guess that maybe we’ll see Fallen Kingdom levels added as DLC, but neither of those things is confirmed. Regardless, each film offers a hub world and five story levels apiece. This means you explore various incarnations of Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna in the hub worlds, while also experiencing twenty levels (five each) that tell the story of each film.

You might think “Wow, that’s kind of short isn’t it?” and normally I would agree with you. However, like in previous Lego games, beating the levels isn’t entirely the point of the game. The point of Lego games is twofold. Firstly, you want to beat the levels and explore the hub worlds to see all the game has to offer. Secondly, if you’re a completionist like I am, you’ll want to unlock as many characters as possible, so you can go through levels (and hubs) collecting mini kits, red bricks, gold bricks, and more.

Additionally, in the hub worlds, you can save workers in peril, who are either trapped by dinosaurs for some reason or have some other problem that needs to be solved. Alternately, you can also help sick dinosaurs, which adds to your overall completion and sometimes lets you use the dinosaurs you save to complete extra puzzles.

You can also (as in other recent Lego titles) create custom characters or dinosaurs. The cool part about this is, if you collect the amber bricks in each level, and unlock various dinos, you can craft hybrids. Picture a Velociraptor with a T-Rex’s head, or a T-Rex with a Stegosaurus’ tail. Each dinosaur (like each character) has different abilities, so this gives you the opportunity to make a dinosaur that suits your needs. 

Regular characters also have different abilities. Some can jump higher and use agility bars; some can climb walls, cut vines, build dinosaur skeletons, and so on. This is where the Free Play aspect comes in, as you may need to wait to unlock a certain type of character before you can go and fully collect all the collectibles in each level. 

Free play allows you to really dig into what Lego Jurassic World has to offer. There are races to participate in, challenges, and a variety of other great things to do. Granted, some of the aspects of the game do leave something to be desired, like the fact that certain dinosaurs are an absolute pain to control. 

Other than that though, the game itself doesn’t have much to complain about, quite the contrary in fact. I’ve seen people complain about the fact that the voice acting for the first three movies, is just the voice clips from the films planted in, but I find that it gives it an interesting sort of flair. Granted, new voice lines were made for Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World, with various cast members reprising their roles, but in my opinion, it was good that they voiced the first three movies at all, even if the sound quality isn’t as crisp. 

I’ll be perfectly blunt here. Whether you’re a parent who wants to play with their kids in a game that is age-appropriate, or you’re an adult who loves Lego games that wants to let loose, Lego Jurassic World is for you. The story and scenes were “sanitized” to a degree, so there is no blood, no gore, no actual death, and it is perfectly safe for kids. 

On the Switch, Lego Jurassic World is not just a great co-op game, it is also a great game to take on the go. Adults and kids alike can enjoy the adventures of Alan Grant, Owen Grady, Ellie Sattler, and more on the road or at home on their TV. There is easily enough content in the game to keep you busy for fifteen to thirty hours as well, depending on how deep you want to get into the game. 

If you’re looking for a game for the family or just something fun to play with friends, give Lego Jurassic World a look on Nintendo Switch. There’s no better time to dig into it. It also would make a great gift, since the holidays are quickly approaching. 

A Nintendo Switch Review Copy of Lego Jurassic World was provided by Warner Bros Interactive for this Review.

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Lego Jurassic World

$39.99 USD

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• Tons of Characters and Items to Collect
• Great Co-Op Gameplay
• Full Voice Acting of all 4 Movies
• Massive Hubs and Over 20 Levels
• Fun Puzzles and Gameplay

Cons

• Some Dinosaurs are Hard to Control