1993’sJurassic Parkwill always be remembered as a triumph of cinema, breaking new ground for VFX, and being an excellent adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name. But as a franchise,Jurassic Park’s legacy is a bit less certain. Though they have their fans,Jurassic Park’s sequelsand the eventualJurassic Worldseries have been met with a largely mixed reception. And while many thought 2022’sJurassic World: Dominionhad finally sealed the franchise’s fate for good, it seems they were mistaken, asJurassic World: Rebirthwill hit theaters next year.
Set to arrive just three years afterDominion,Jurassic World: Rebirthwill follow Scarlett Johansson’s Zora Bennett as she leads a covert team to extract DNA from three of the last remaining dinosaurs on the planet. Based on that early outline, it sounds likeJurassic World: Rebirthhas the potential to live up to its name and breathe new life into the ailing franchise, and its release should trigger a rebirth of the franchise’s video game department as well.
Jurassic World: Rebirth Can Rejuvenate the Franchise With a Video Game Tie-In
Jurassic Park/World’s video game output has followed a fairly similar trajectory to the franchise’s movie offerings. Though the early days of the franchise brought some greatgames likeJurassic Park: Operation Genesisand the SEGA and NintendoJurassic Parkaction titles, the franchise suffered a severe dry spell following the end of the original trilogy.
With the release ofJurassic Worldin 2015, the franchise saw a bit of a resurgence in its video game department.Jurassic World: Evolutionand its 2021 sequelfinally delivered some excellent dinosaur park builders,Jurassic World: Aftermathwas a solid VR horror romp, andLEGO Jurassic Worldwas another good licensed LEGO entry.
It’s been four years since the lastJurassic Park/Worldgame was released. It’s about time that changed, andJurassic World: Rebirth’s release next year might be the perfect opportunity.
A Jurassic World: Rebirth Video Game Wouldn’t Need to be a Direct Tie-In
The age of directmovie tie-in games likeThe Lord of the Rings: Return of the KingandSpider-Man 2seems to be long gone, but many franchises still time their video game releases to coincide with a related movie or TV show as a way to capitalize on fans' current excitement for the franchise. Universal should do just that withJurassic World: Rebirth, releasing a game alongside it to deliver a powerful one-two punch.
Duringlast year’s Game Awards, Saber Interactive announcedJurassic Park: Survival, a first-person stealth-action game set straight after the events of the original 1993 movie. As a trapped InGen scientist, players will need to sneak their way around Isla Nublar, avoiding the jaws of iconic dinosaurs along the way. With no release date currently confirmed, it would be great to seeJurassic Park: Survivallaunch alongsideJurassic World: Rebirth. If both projects are well-received, then they could have the power to rejuvenate the franchise, and potentially make it stronger than it’s ever been before.
