Lost World
Developer - Dreamworks
Publisher - Electronic Arts
Players - 1
Extras - None
The bit on the box
"Can you survive? Hunt or be hunted
in the untamed island ruled by dinosaurs that is The Lost World. Stalk,
track, and fight in an expansive 3D environment where natural selection
is the only law. Control 5 different characters including the ferocious
T-Rex. 40 Levels of gripping gameplay. Interact with over 20 dinosaurs
accurately modelled from the movie. 25 unique 3D environments with secret
locations to explore."
Graphics
Alot of work has gone into the graphics for Lost World
and it really shows, as these are some of the best I have ever seen in
a game. Although the levels are done in a pseudo 3D platform feel (much
like Pandemonium, where it looks 3D but you move in a left to right
fashion like a 2D platformer), the shading and lighting effects, as well
as some great detail make it seem more 3D than it actually is. There are
also the odd branches in the path of a level, but are generally short and
take you back to the main track quickly. Bits of scenery can be used to
the player's advantage on occasion, some that break off after they have
been used but return if you leave the immediate area and return. Creatures
and other enemies are as well animated as the main character and look realistic,
including all five creatures that the player gets to use (2 humans and
3 dinosaurs).
Sounds
A game like this needs a great soundtrack, and Lost
World provides in abundance. A magnificent orchestral score is used
to great effect and emulates the type of music used in the movie. The sound
effects are also superb, and younger members of the family actually got
scared by the creature noises that would happen in the background, as well
as those of approaching dinosaurs. Various dinosaurs have different noises
so you know when something is coming that you would rather avoid, and what
you can actually fight (and win against). The velociraptor levels are quite
comical as you can hear the screams and shouts of humans as they fight
and run for their lives ("We lost George!!! He got Fred! Ahhh he's got
a hold of me!!". Every level really does create and earie feeling of "being
there".
Gameplay
Well this all sounds really good so far doesn't it? All
it needs is good gameplay and we'll have a classic. Unfortunately this
is where Lost World falls flat on it's face. There are over 20 levels
in which you must take control of 5 various main characters, each which
provides a slightly different style of gameplay. This game is very hard
even on easy setting, but unfortunately this difficulty isn't caused by
it being designed this way, it is caused by bad design, especially when
it comes to platform jumping. The control is very quirkly and the player
will find themselves falling to their deaths for reasons beyond their control.
Passwords are given every five levels or so, which is a little silly as
passwords after each level would have made the game more addictive. The
five characters that come under the player's control are the compy, human
hunter, velocirator, T-rex, and human scientist (prey). Of those I actually
found the human hunter the most fun with his Pitfall style swinging
from ledge to ledge.
I feel a verdict coming on
Lost World could have been something very special.
It also could have been one of the only good movie-to-game conversions
ever made on any system. The graphics and sound are superb and the basic
idea behind it is great, but thanks to bad implementation and execution
of these ideas the whole thing is transformed into yet another decidedly
average platform game. The difficulty level and password system take the
fun out of playing for any length of time, and yes we have another of those
games that you have to start at the beginning of the level if you die (it
seems no one learned anything from the previous games that have done this).
Sorry Dreamworks, close but no cigar.
Review by D.R.T.Barrett
|
