We’ve talked about some of the issues surrounding Aftermath’s release elsewhere already, but I’ll touch on it in context of the game.
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It’s a refreshing change to the electronic-leaning music so often found in VR, and really helps the game feel like part of the movie franchise. The soundtrack is also noticeably lush, featuring an orchestral arrangement reminiscent of the iconic soundtrack to the original Jurassic Park films. There’s one completely different section in the middle, featuring a new environment and a different type of dinosaur enemy (which I won’t spoil), but I found it a little tedious, much less challenging and not enough to make the rest of the game feel less repetitive. A lot of the velociraptor sequences feel very repetitive as well, using the same gameplay loop in a new, but similar setting. However, the main problem is that by the time you start to feel like you’ve mastered all the mechanics, the game is over. There’s a good balance between the gameplay being challenging, scary and thrilling at the same time. By the time you reach the end of the campaign (or part one of the campaign - more on that later), you’ll be mixing stealth, puzzles and distractions in what can be some truly terrifyingly tense moments. You unlock a device that can turn on environmental objects as distractions, drawing the dinosaurs towards them and giving you an easier path through a room. The game does give you a few more tools to ‘manage’ the dinosaurs in stealth sequences. It’s an appropriately scary game over screen that sent chills down my body each time.
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If you’re caught by a velociraptor with no escape, it will run at you full speed and leap into your face, freezing the frame milliseconds before it reaches you, its mouth wide open. Similarly, when caught by a velociraptor, everything will turn a heavy shade of red to alert you that you’re in danger.
The game makes excellent use of visual cues in this regard - when hiding under a desk, for example, the game world will turn a slight shade of blue to mark you as hidden. The velociraptors won’t be able to see you while you’re in these spots, even if you’re technically within their line of sight. To sneak past them undetected, you can hide behind environmental objects and use other specifically-designed hiding spots such as desk cavities or storage lockers. Everything about them is fantastic - they look terrifying, their animations are excellent and their screeches will give you goosebumps. However, there’s no denying that the velociraptor is the star of the show here. There are a couple of dinosaurs you’ll encounter throughout the game, but really only two types that you go up against as ‘enemies’. But even when the puzzles are combined with dinosaur evasion, it never feels like a proper evolution of the gameplay - it’s just more of the same stuff, but now happening at the same time or with less leeway for error. There are some puzzle activities as well - think Half-Life: Alyx’s puzzle minigames, but much simpler - but much of the game uses the same basic structure over and over again, only getting slightly harder or more complicated.Įach mechanic is introduced at a steady pace so that you can get familiar with them before they’re mixed together. However, if it sounds a little repetitive, well… it is. It’s a thrilling premise and a perfect fit for the Jurassic Park franchise. There’s no way to harm the dinosaurs, only scare or distract them, so the game basically boils down to sneaking across rooms from one point to another. For most of the game, you’re simply avoiding dinosaurs or distracting them to reach another area. Speaking of stealth sequences, this game truly takes the genre and strips it down to its most basic form. When considered in context, it doesn’t really matter that the story is decidedly average - it’s mostly unobtrusive and you’ll forget about it completely during the tense stealth sequences. But let’s be honest - you’re not here for the story, you’re here for the dinosaurs. Wong reprise their roles from the films, but only in very brief audio form in the aforementioned recordings.ĭon’t get too excited - not even Jeff Goldblum’s sweet dulcet tones can elevate an otherwise unremarkable story. While you explore the facility, you’ll be guided by Jurassic World engineer Mia, who speaks to you over radio and provides some semblance of a story.Īt various points, Mia will play you audio logs that go over her time at the park before it was overrun, including interactions with some prominent characters from the Jurassic Park franchise. After a quick introduction that sees your plane crash land on the island, you’ll soon need to find a way to escape or make contact with the mainland.