I was pretty hot on Jurassic World Aftermath right up until it ended abruptly and unsatisfyingly. The decision to split the game into two parts (with two price tags) is one I still find regrettable, but now, after nearly a year, it’s time to finally escape from Isla Nublar once and for all. Aftermath Part 2 picks up right where the first part ended and delivers on so much of the unspoken promise that a VR Jurassic World game makes; namely, lots of big ass dinosaurs. As much as I enjoyed the first half, Part 2 is so much more dynamic and engaging, with better variety, more interesting environments, and a climax that made my heart feel like it was going to beat out of my chest. I can’t help but feel like the experience would be a lot better if it was delivered in one, complete package, but if you haven’t played Aftermath at all yet, I can confidently report that it’s time to pull the trigger on this exceptional VR stealth game.
In my review for Part 1, I compared Aftermath to the stealth-horror gameplay of Alien: Isolation. That comparison is still just as apt for Part 2, which features plenty more sneaking around and dodging hungry velociraptors on your way to retrieve a DNA sample from Blue, the star of the Jurassic World movies. The raptors that stand between you and the sample have major Roy Kent energy: they’re here, they’re there, they’re every-fucking-where. It’s almost comical how many times these little pricks show up in the second half of Aftermath. They can’t follow you through vents or under tables, but somehow, they’re able to find their way into the top floor executive suites and down into the ultra-secure safe where the DNA samples are kept. Aside from one segment where you fend off a dilophosaurus with a flashlight, the raptors are the only enemy you ever encounter in Part 1. I was afraid Part 2 would be more of the same, but luckily, things change quite a bit as you approach the finale.
Even when you are just sneaking around raptors, Part 2 does a good job of keeping these encounters fresh. One of the puzzles makes you track power cables as they pass from room to room to figure out the right way to plug everything in, all while dodging patrolling raptors. You also get a new upgrade that functions like a radar to tell you when you’re getting closer or further away from objectives. The tool makes a loud beep as you get closer to your goal, which can alert nearby raptors to your position. It’s an interesting mechanic that should force you to take calculated risks, but for the most part, the environments are small enough that you can usually find what you’re looking for without needing to even turn on the radar. You’ll also find areas covered in broken glass that will restrict how fast you can move, and areas patrolled by tiny compsognathus, or compys, that will screech if you get too close and bring the raptors right to you.
All of those new mechanics certainly help to keep the hide-and-seek game fresh, but I must admit I was pretty over the raptors before Part 2 even started. You still have to get through quite a few raptor-infested areas as you make your way down to the vault, but from that point on it’s a pretty spectacular mad dash to the end, at which point Aftermath finally, FINALLY, introduces some big mean dinosaurs.
I remember the exact moment I decided that Aftermath was a top-tier VR game. After an hour of hiding from raptors in lockers, I was feeling pretty fatigued by the whole thing. But then I made my way outside and found a triceratops snacking on the corner of a wooden cargo container. The Jurassic Park theme started to swell as I approached the gentle giant, and my lenses started to get a little foggy. Then there’s a little puzzle to solve here by moving the cargo container with a crane to get the trike to ram into a gate. I wish there had been more puzzles like this because I enjoyed working with a dinosaur after running away from them for so long, but this moment was pretty special nonetheless.
Eventually, you meet the obligatory T-Rex in a terrifying encounter. You have to make your way through an enclosure, but if the T-Rex sees you move a single muscle - even your head - you're dead. Head-tracking is such an important feature for VR immersion, and I found the way that Aftermath uses it against you to be fascinating. At one point the rex was looking right at me, I dare not move a muscle, but the sound of a trash compactor turning on behind me was so startling that I twisted my head around to see what was happening and immediately got chomped. Sneaking around the rex is thrilling, particularly when you’re out in the open just inches away from its face, trying not to move. My one complaint is the way you instantly die when you’re spotted. At least with the raptors you can run away and try to hide from them, but with the rex, the second it sees you it’s a game over. There were a couple of times when I was an inch from escape and would have easily been able to take one step forward before the rex could get to me, but I still got the game over screen as soon as it saw me.
All of that leads up to the eventual escape sequence, which might just be the most thrilling experience I’ve ever had in VR. There’s quite a few parts to the escape, but to keep things simple, you’ve got to power up a train and send it across the island to distract the pack of Pteranodons that took down your plane at the start of Part 1 - less they ruin your only hope of getting off the island. The train is in a state of disrepair when you find it, and while you take the necessary steps to get it going, you can hear the helicopter pilot on the radio counting down the minutes until he makes his final approach. It’s an incredibly tense sequence that makes you feel like every second counts, and every setback is devastating. Even when you finally get the train moving, there are multiple huge set pieces leading up to the end, all while the pilot counts down the seconds until arrival. It’s a truly phenomenal escape that nearly rivals the end of Super Metroid in its ability to induce anxiety. The climax of Aftermath makes the entire journey worth it, and if you find yourself getting fed up with the raptors, I highly encourage you to push through.
Stealth is such a great fit for VR because you can leverage things like peeking around corners and breaking line of sight that would otherwise need to be gamified in a traditional, non-VR game. Aftermath laid the groundwork for stealth VR games, and I’d like to see other titles - perhaps even Alien - follow in Aftermath’s footsteps. It’s a shame that the game was released in two parts, because Part 1 simply does not stand on its own. Now that it’s complete, I can’t recommend Jurassic World Aftermath enough. This is the kind of game VR is made for, and I’m so happy it's finally available in its entirety.