The Jurassic franchise is stepping into unexplored territory with the upcoming third-person action-adventure video game “Jurassic Park: Survival”, which revisits Isla Nublar just 24 hours after the events of Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic.
Among the biggest revelations in Universal and Saber Interactive’s latest behind-the-scenes video is that British actor Payal Mistry will portray the game’s new lead, Dr. Maya Joshi. A relatively unknown star, Mistry is essentially at the far end of the fame spectrum from Scarlett Johansson, who leads Jurassic World Rebirth, the latest film in the series.
In the footage, her character Joshi is seen navigating Isla Nublar in the immediate aftermath of the events of the original film, while offering a closer look at how gameplay will incorporate both dinosaurs and the environment. Watch the new video below:
Familiar landmarks return, while new areas—unfinished hotels, half-built facilities, and concepts teased but never realized in the original film—expand the mythology. The effort to re-create the world of Jurassic Park with painstaking attention to detail is evident.
What particularly stands out is Joshi. Designed to visually echo the 1993 film’s aesthetic—her yellow shirt evokes disgruntled InGen employee Dennis Nedry’s memorable anorak of the same color—she feels like a character rooted in the film rather than an afterthought.
But this attention to detail seemingly indicates a greater effort at character creation than what fans recently got with Jurassic World Rebirth. Despite having a powerhouse star behind her, the character Zora Bennett—a skilled covert operations expert—is two-dimensional, lacking in both character development and story arc.
Related: New ‘Jurassic' Theme Park Shares Teaser, Concept Art Revealed : Disney Fanatic
While Johansson’s casting made headlines and more than likely sold a lot of movie theater tickets, her character ultimately blended into the broader ensemble, offering little to distinguish her beyond being being another gun-toting mercenary.
Though it remains to be seen whether Joshi is fully fleshed out, she already feels like a huge improvement over Zora Bennett. Still, by contrast, Joshi has been carefully positioned as an extension of the original film’s vibrant aesthetics and overall feel, which is more than what we can say about Rebirth.
For months in the lead up to the film's release, the creatives—director Gareth Edwards and screenwriter David Koepp—promised that the sequel was going back to the original 1993 film in terms of tone, but it did anything but, instead offering a schlocky, half-baked installment that feels far removed even from the World trilogy, let alone the Park era.
The new behind-the-scenes video, alongside the trailer that premiered at The Game Awards in December 2023, makes it clear Joshi will not be a throwaway addition. Instead, she has seemingly been integrated as though she has belonged in Jurassic Park from the very beginning. If Mistry’s words are any indication, Maya Joshi could end up being one of the most memorable additions to the franchise outside of the films themselves.
Let's just hope that the game also turns out to be more memorable than Rebirth.
There’s still no release date for “Jurassic Park: Survival”, but anticipation is steadily growing.
Are you more excited about “Jurassic Park: Survival” than you were for Jurassic World Rebirth? Sound off in the comments below!
