New 'Jurassic' Theme Park Experience May Include "Bone Shaker" Ride

The Jurassic Park franchise continues to endure 32 years after the release of Steven Spielberg’s original ground-breaking film.

The seven films (including Jurassic World Rebirth) have grossed well over $6 billion worldwide (although the new film is now pushing that figure closer toward $7 billion), while all sorts of tie-in material have dominated storytelling mediums beyond the silver screen, from animated shows to video games. In other words, the franchise knows no bounds.

And then, of course, there are the Universal Studios theme park attractions.

Perhaps the likes of Jurassic Park: The Ride, Jurassic World: The Ride, and VelociCoaster, or any of the several variations found in Universal Studios resorts around the world, are a testament to how fans are eager to immerse themselves in the Jurassic universe. And nothing screams Jurassic Park or Jurassic World more than a roller coaster of some kind.

The Park Era Is Returning With a Loud Roar

While the World side of things continues to move away from the franchise’s theme park roots, with Jurassic World Rebirth (2025) centering on mutant dinosaurs and the animated series Chaos Theory focusing on dinosaurs living among humans, an upcoming sequel remains firmly rooted in the past: “Jurassic Park: Survival.”

While there’s no release date for the first-person action-adventure, we still know a fair bit about it it.

Related: New ‘Jurassic Park’ Experience May Feature Underground Tunnels Like Disney World

What To Expect From “Jurassic Park: Survival”

In addition to the trailer that premiered in December 2023, last year, Universal and Saber shared with IGN an internal Q&A conducted with Universal Products & Experiences executive producer John Melchior and Saber Interactive creative director Oliver Hollis-Leick.

The Q&A revealed several tidbits about the game, including character details, gameplay mechanics, hints about the environment, and even a set of impressive screenshots.

Set 24 hours after the events of the original 1993 film, “Jurassic Park: Survival” invites players back to Isla Nublar where dinosaurs continue to run rampant.

While this means that the theme park isn’t operational, with a “fully realized Isla Nublar” at your disposal, you’ll discover a wealth of locations familiar and new, many of which would have formed part of the remote theme park should it have opened to the public a year later as planned.

As such, the game is likely to borrow elements from the both the 1993 film and the 1990 best-selling novel of the same name by Michael Crichton.

Related: ‘Jurassic Park: Survival’ Trailer Breakdown

Will There Be Any Jurassic Rides?

Players will assume the role of Dr. Maya Joshi, an InGen scientist who was unable to evacuate Nublar with her co-workers.

It’s highly unlikely you’ll have the luxury of enjoying Jurassic Park’s abandoned attractions — ones that exist off-screen in the first film — as you’ll be busy gathering resources and trying to survive the island’s prehistoric inhabitants and “other surprising threats”.

However, circumstances may force you aboard, say, a roller coaster, in a nail-biting sequence that could rival one of the films’ signature dino-on-vehicle attacks.

Enter “Bone Shaker.” Fans familiar with Jurassic Park‘s gaming history will remember the so-named ride from Telltale’s 2011 episodic adventure title, “Jurassic Park: The Game.”

An unfinished roller coaster built into the side of a cliff, for which a 1,000-year-old stone staircase was destroyed to make way for its construction, it appears during a thrilling sequence in which the game’s heroes are attacked by Herrerasaurus.

Related: ‘Jurassic Park’ Fans Will Soon Be Able To Explore Isla Nublar

While “Jurassic Park: The Game” and “Survival” are completely unrelated, the new game may borrow elements from its 2011 predecessor in the same way it’s likely utilizing the book and the film. Or, maybe “Survival” will give us an all-new, unexpected roller coaster. Whether or not Joshi will be able to climb onboard, though, is another matter entirely.

We may even see real-world attractions from Universal Studios appear in the game, such as Jurassic Park: The Ride, which is already inspired by the river sequence from the novel.

Of course, the game won’t replace the real-world attractions at Universal Studios — “Survival” is a very different kind of theme park experience; one that will allow fans of the franchise to explore the world of Isla Nublar and come face-to-face with InGen’s genetically engineered creations.

But, in a sense, you’ll still be picking up where the tour in the 1993 film left off. And even if there’s no ride in sight, the game will be a roller coaster in its own right.

Watch the official trailer for “Jurassic Park: Survival” below:

“Survival” will be released on major gaming platforms. There’s no release date yet.