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Credit: Universal PicturesSince its debut in 1993, the Jurassic franchise has undergone two distinct visual eras. And not just in terms of its overall aesthetic, but also with its dinosaur designs. The original Jurassic Park trilogy featured designs that leaned heavily on practical effects courtesy of Stan Winston, coupled with Industrial Light & Magic’s equally groundbreaking CGI.
When the series was rebranded to Jurassic World in 2015, those designs evolved. The dinosaurs were given more advanced texturing, more exaggerated movements, and ultimately, altered shapes, particularly those of T. rex and the Velociraptors. There was also less reliance on practical effects — a technology that lent to the original dinosaurs’ realism.
The Differences Are Subtle but Important
Most audiences probably never noticed the transition, but take the T. rex for instance. In the Jurassic Park films, the animal looks a lot more frightening, especially head on. Its features — particularly its brow, snout, and overall head shape — are sharper, more refined, giving it a sort of “angry” look — but throughout the Jurassic World films, those features are softened.
While of course the World films exist within the same continuity as the Park films, the dinosaurs of each era are visually identifiable — at least to eagle-eyed viewers and diehard fans alike. However, an upcoming sequel has broken that continuity, leaving fans confused.
Related: ‘Jurassic Park’ Sequel May Bring One of These Characters Back From the Dead
Jurassic Park‘s Dinosaurs Replaced With World Models
When the first-person action-adventure video game “Jurassic Park: Survival” was unveiled at The Game Awards in December 2023, the cinematic trailer immediately set expectations. The teaser featured a Tyrannosaurus rex at the park gates and a herd of Gallimimus sprinting past an abandoned Jungle Explorer, imagery meant to place the game firmly in the world of Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film.
But the Rex’s design, along with subsequent reveals that have followed, have led to growing fan frustration over the game’s dinosaur designs.
A behind-the-scenes featurette released during the summer gave us a closer look at those models, showcasing the Brachiosaurus, T-Rex, Gallimimus, and Dilophosaurus. More recently, a character-focused trailer for protagonist Dr. Maya Joshi introduced a Triceratops encounter. But across all of these appearances, fans have noted a consistent issue: the dinosaurs resemble the Jurassic World designs rather than the original Park models.
Creatives Have Promised an “Authentic” Level of Continuity
But it’s not just inconsistent with those original films — it’s also at odds with the expectations set by developers Saber Interactive and Universal.
In the featurette, key members emphasize the team’s dedication to accuracy, highlighting a commitment to authenticity and the goal of meticulously re-creating Isla Nublar just as it was left in the 1993 film, which is crucial given the fact that the game is explicitly set just 24 hours after the events of the original 1993 film.
In the video, Jurassic World Project Executive Lisa St Amand explains how no stone was left unturned when it came to re-creating the 1993 film.
“It’s really exciting to be able to translate this incredible film into a video game because you really have the opportunity to go much deeper into the film,” she says, adding “We worked really closely with our partners and with Amblin and our filmmakers to make sure that we’re capturing the island and all the dinosaurs in really great detail.”
She adds that the team “really took an up close look at some of the props from the film” and that they “went to the actual incubator [the set from the original Jurassic Park] and saw the eggs. “That level authenticity was just amazing,” she says.
Executive Producer at Universal Products & Experiences John Melchior also stresses the high standards for authenticity.
“We go through room by room in the game, level by level,” he says. “We look at every possible resource from archives from the film, from production still, production blueprints, to make sure every prop is in the same place.”
Taking all that into account, if the team is so determined to meticulously re-create the look and feel of the 1993 film, which sounds like everything from structural layouts to the placements of coffee cups on computer desks, why are they using the World dinosaurs instead of the Park ones?
Watch the official featurette below:
All “Jurassic Park: Survival” Footage Is Subject To Change
Some fans have speculated that the designs on display may reflect the assets Saber Interactive currently has access to, potentially drawing from the “Jurassic World Evolution” model library. Those games, however, were developed by Frontier Developments, not Saber.
Nevertheless, the on-screen evidence has led fans to conclude that the dinosaur assets are either directly based on or heavily inspired by Jurassic World designs. Neither Saber Interactive nor Universal has publicly addressed the criticism or clarified whether the designs are final.
However, it’s worth noting that the footage released so far is labeled as “pre-alpha,” indicating that the game is still in early development and subject to change.
With no release date announced and development ongoing, it remains unclear whether visual changes are planned.
When Is “Jurassic Park: Survival” Out?
There’s no release date for the game, but it will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
“Return to Isla Nublar the day after the events of the beloved 1993 Jurassic Park film in an original adventure 65 million years in the making,” the official synopsis for the game reads.
“Survive thrilling first-person action as InGen scientist Dr. Maya Joshi, who was unable to evacuate Isla Nublar, in this single-player action-adventure game and discover a never-before-told story. Through thrilling encounters, experience the wonder and danger of dinosaurs, each with their own distinct and adaptive behaviors brought to life by John Hammond’s vision.”
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