I was only three years old when Jurassic Park first hit theaters, but I saw the movie at that impressionable age and many of my earliest memories revolve around it. By the time my thumbs were agile enough for video games, I was already dreaming of what the ultimate Jurassic Park game might look like – and dammit, a fresh look at Jurassic Park: Survival has me ready to believe it might finally be the one I've been waiting for.
Jurassic Park: Survival had me hopeful from its initial CG reveal trailer back in 2023, and while the wait for proper gameplay continues, a new dev diary has finally given us a look at some in-game assets and a bit of insight into what shape the game will actually take. As previously announced, it's a first-person, single-player, story-focused game set one day after the events of the 1993 film, and the devs seem dedicated to recreating Isla Nublar in all its glory.
The video is filled with pre-alpha footage of locations like the visitor's center that look like they were pulled straight from the original movie. The early dinosaur animation tests are similarly impressive, especially watching that big T-rex make deep footprints in some soft sand.
Of course, the fact that it's been nearly two years since the game's reveal and we're still talking about "pre-alpha footage" and "animation tests" might be reason for concern, but it's tough to guess exactly what the development cycle here looks like. Notably, developer Saber Interactive's biggest focus has been on the excellent Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, and while Saber is more than big enough to support multiple projects at once, it seems like Jurassic Park: Survival might be slotting in as the company's next major project.
The video features both creative director Oliver Hollis-Leick and head of narrative Craig Sherman, both of whom previously worked on Space Marine 2, so there's certainly some continuity there. If Jurassic Park: Survival can deliver on the pedigree of both its developer and its source material, I think there's a good chance my childhood dreams might actually be coming true.
For now, check out our guide to the best dinosaur games.
