Credit: Universal PicturesThe Jurassic Park film series has spent years drifting further away from what made it effective in the first place.
What began with pure tension and Spielberg-led suspense in Jurassic Park (1993) swiftly evolved into a franchise built around large-scale destruction and action-heavy spectacle, as seen throughout the four-film Jurassic World saga.
Related: Next ‘Jurassic Park’ Sequel Likely To Bring Back Every Character From 1993 Film
By the time Jurassic World Dominion (2022) arrived, dinosaurs were no longer something to fear in confined spaces—they were part of a global backdrop. And last year, Jurassic World Rebirth (2025) took the series into more outlandish territory with mutant dinosaurs.
Now, the franchise is finally about to reintroduce the kind of restraint that helped make the original 1993 film work so well, with Jurassic Park: Survival (TBA), a first-person action-adventure video game title from Saber Interactive in collaboration with Universal Pictures.
Set immediately after the events of the original 1993 film, the game takes place on “a fully realized Isla Nublar”, where players assume the role of Dr. Maya Joshi, portrayed by Payal Mistry, an InGen scientist who somehow failed to evacuate the island with her co-workers.
While we know a great deal about Jurassic Park: Survival, from its gameplay mechanics to the environment on offer, here’s what it needs to get right in order to function as both a Jurassic Park video game and as a sequel to Steven Spielberg’s groundbreaking blockbuster.
Atmosphere and Survival Over Action
So far, it looks like Jurassic Park: Survival is prioritizing atmosphere and tension over action and spectacle, which is great news.
Official descriptions for the game emphasize “stealth,” “intelligence,” and “distraction” as core mechanics. No weapon systems have been confirmed at this stage, either, which reinforces the idea that players are not meant to confront dinosaurs directly but instead survive through observation and evasion (although you should probably expect tasers and flares).
This direction clearly leans toward survival horror rather than action-driven gameplay, echoing the tone of the 1993 film.
Developers have also confirmed that players will relive iconic sequences from the film, suggesting a focus on tension-driven encounters rather than scripted action set pieces.
“When we were deciding how to introduce the raptors, one thing that jumped out to us was, what if we could make the player experience what Lex and Tim did in the kitchen?” Creative Director Oliver Hollis-Leick says in a behind-the-scenes video. “That and other sequences like it are meant to put you in the shoes of those movie characters to experience the terror for yourself.”
The official trailer for the game even features callbacks to key sequences from the film (albeit through the eyes of the new lead, Dr. Maya Joshi).
“Outsmart, escape, and interact with the film’s iconic dinosaurs,” the official website states. “Use your ingenuity through distraction and stealth to navigate intense and unforgettable encounters in a journey to outlast some of the deadliest creatures to ever walk the earth.”
It continues: “Explore the park and face its dangers. Use all the resources at your disposal to find intelligent solutions to endure the many threats lurking on Isla Nublar.”
Dinosaurs That Are Actually Scary Again
The original Jurassic Park succeeded because its dinosaurs were unpredictable and dangerous, and also frighteningly realistic, courtesy of digital and practical effects. But, as the film series has evolved, we’ve seen dinosaurs turned into pets and weaponized hybrids.
Of course, the dinosaurs in Survival will be video game models, but that doesn’t mean they should be any less convincing in their own right.
Similarly to the first-person survival-horror video game Alien: Isolation (2014), whose xenomorph is managed using AI — which allows the creature to be unpredictable and adaptive — the upcoming Jurassic Park game is also expected to feature “reactive” dinosaurs, “each with their own distinct and adaptive behaviors”, per the official website.
It Must Feel Like a Jurassic Park Sequel
Saber Interactive and Universal also stated in the behind-the-scenes video that they are drawing directly from the 1993 film, referencing original blueprints, props, and design documentation to rebuild Isla Nublar as faithfully as possible.
“We go through room by room in the game, level by level,” Universal Products & Experiences executive producer John Melchior says in the video. “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.”
“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,” Jurassic World Project Executive Lisa St Amand adds. “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.”
This approach suggests seamless continuity rather than reinterpretation, and also proves that Jurassic Park: Survival is more so a sequel and not just a game adaptation of the film. As such, it’s less likely to contradict the film’s lore or perform any unnecessary retconning.
We Need an Open-World Jurassic Park Experience
Players will also be able to explore Isla Nublar, visiting familiar locations like the Visitor Center and the park gates, as well as never-before-seen areas only hinted at in the 1993 film.
“There’s lots of facilities, there’s lots of buildings, there’s lots of attractions that are under construction, there’s a hotel under construction,” John Melchior says in the video. “So fans are going to see things they only wish they saw.”
With all of that said, the game is not open world. The term “open world” has not been used in any of the marketing so far, so it would be wise to assume that Survival won’t fall into that particular genre of gaming. Nevertheless, it’s still shaping up to be an immersive Jurassic Park experience, and with a “fully realized Isla Nublar” confirmed, it can’t go too wrong.
Jurassic Park: Survival Is Coming Soon
The official synopsis for the game states:
“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. 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.”
Jurassic Park: Survival will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
There’s no release date yet.
Are you excited about the new Jurassic Park game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
