Games

Reviewing LEGO videogames can be pretty tricky. After all, they follow the exact same formula: take one popular film franchise, give it a LEGO makeover and let gamers play their way through key scenes, bashing blocks and collecting studs as they go.

LEGO Jurassic World does nothing to buck the trend, offering gamers the chance to play through all four films in the series, exploring open-world versions of both Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna. The individuals levels recreating key scenes from the film (five for each movie) remain every bit as fun and fiendish as ever, packed with an endless array of secrets waiting to be unlocked.

If there's an obvious issue with choosing to adapt this franchise into the existing template, it's that outside of the principal cast, there really aren't that many characters – meaning that many of the unlockable minifigs are spectacularly dull (Hotdog Vendor, anyone?). The game attempts to make up for this with its key USP – the ability to unlock and take control of 20 dinosaurs. These big beasts don't really change things all that much, but it's still hard not to crack a smile as you stomp around a level as a LEGO Tyrannosaurus Rex. In fact, these pre-historic playmates bring a real sense of fun back to a gaming franchise that had started to look tired in recent years.

LEGO Jurassic World, Warner Bros. Interactive, Xbox One/Xbox 360/PS4/PS3/PC/Wii U, £30 Approx
HCC VERDICT: 3.5/5