The Lost World Gaming Weekend part 2

Welcome back to the Lost World Gaming Weekend part 2.  Sorry about the late post.  It's been a crazy day.  Yesterday, we talked about The Lost World: Jurassic Park for Sega Game Gear.  It is a fun little experience, but it was a little too short and could have added a few more levels.  Today, we will chat about Trespasser.  Oh dear, this one usually has Jurassic Park fans in an uproar for the promise of something new and exciting, but ultimately being let down with poor execution.  Be that as it may, how does this reviewer feel about the troubled game?  Read on to find out.

The Story.
Okay, so there is not much in the way of story for this game.  The premise is about some poor girl named Annie becomes the only survivor of a plane crash over an island which happens to be Site B from the second film.  This takes place one year after the events in the movie and the island is now under quarantined by the Costa Rican government.  As Annie makes her way through the treacherous island, she recalls John Hammond's memoirs which were released after the disastrous events on both islands which fill the player in on the more detailed origins of Jurassic Park.  I have to admit to giving credit for adding in these memoirs as I have found them to be interesting to hear, especially as a fan of Jurassic Park.  Other than that, not much more to say about the story other than that Richard Attenborough reprises his role as John Hammond and Minnie Driver (Yup, that lady from Good Will Hunting and the cat-strangler from GoldenEye) voices Annie.

Sound.
The voice acting is well done, the sounds of the dinosaurs mostly match their film counterparts and the island/jungle sounds assist in providing the atmosphere of the experience.  There is hardly any music throughout the game which works in its favor, I think.  This is a first person shooter and without the music, it helps you feel even more isolated on the island of dinosaurs.  I felt this really added to the terror and immersion of being stuck on the island.  You constantly had to look around to make sure nothing snuck up on you.  Kudos to the sound for this experience.

Graphics
Of course, no game would be complete without the graphics.  The immersion is complete with the graphics as the island and the dinosaurs look pretty darn good for a game that came out in 1998.  By today's standards, you can certainly see the pixels, but it doesn't matter.  The dinosaurs look great and you certainly feel the level of interaction with them...even if it kills you. 

Gameplay
Okay, okay, let us get into the meat and potatoes of any game really...the gameplay.  Trespasser is a first person shooter with some survival elements.  It is pretty basic as you are mostly going from point A to B, although there are occasions where you have to some kind of problem before advancement, such as searching for key cards to unlock certain gates.  Wow, it is pretty amusing that some of these electronic gates still work after being abandoned so many years.  The developers tried to add some realism to this game where you would have Annie actually pick up items with her hands.  It is this mechanic that broke the game, however.  Sometimes, it could be downright frustrating to get Annie accurately pick up a gun or something.  The other thing was to keep Annie limited in how much she could pick up.  However, the standard was set to two guns at a time.  I felt that she could easily have fit two pistols in her pockets while she carried the shotgun around.  At the same, weapons appeared to be plentiful and scattered all across the island.  Well, whatever works, I guess.  I actually was able to get used to the hand controlling mechanic without any issues.  Others have not from what I understand.  Your health is represented by a heart tattoo on your boobs (yeah, I think too many adolescents had a lot of fun with that one).  Once the heart crushes completely, you are dead.  If you manage to survive, however, your health will replenish itself.

Alright, let us talk about what this game could have been.  Apparently, the developers were aiming on an intense, realistic survival game with a lot more added to make the game more than just a first person shooter.  But, from what I gather, they ran out of time and money once the game delayed release a year after the film came out.  So, they released what they had which meant the game was unfinished.  This left some bugs and frustrating controls which put so many off of this game.  However, I beat it at least twice throughout the years and many times I found myself returning to replay it.  I personally enjoyed the fact that it is a version of an open world game set on one of the Jurassic Park islands.  True, the game is divided into levels with a point A to B system.  However, each level is large chunk of the island allowing you the freedom to explore and even check out hidden structures that aren't even on your route to the finish line.  If this wasn't level-restricted, you could potentially have an Elder Scrolls version of The Lost World: Jurassic Park.  The survival elements would have greatly added to expanded problem-solving, but for what it was, I enjoyed the puzzles and discoveries that were given.  I appreciated the atmosphere so much that I felt like I was truly interacting with the dinosaurs and getting the full story behind Jurassic Park.  It was quite an adventure that I found enjoyable.  And some gamers have made an attempt to make it better by creating mods.  I haven't taken part in it myself, but it sounds like it could be enticing and create a whole new experience for the game.

In conclusion, the game does take quite a bit of getting used to as far as controls go and lacks a lot of potential, especially when trying to push the boundaries of gaming.  However, for what it is, I grew quite of fond of it and enjoyed my adventure on the island.  It was filled with exploration, atmosphere and terrifying moments that made you feel you were making a last stand against every dinosaur you came across.  It could have been better, but I feel it is an underrated game that deserves a second look.  And that concludes Lost World gaming weekend.  I hope you enjoyed it and I am not sure what my next theme will be.  In the meantime, have a happy holidays.