Everybody loves dinosaurs. The folks at the UK-based Jaw Drop Games certainly do. That’s why they’re Kickstarting Deathground, a survival horror that challenges up to four players to retrieve valuable loot from dinosaur-infested grounds. There are games out there that feature dinosaur versus human action, but in the spirit of true survival horror, these dinosaurs are completely AI-driven.
Taking a huge chunk of inspiration from Jurassic Park (which is a big plus, if we’re being honest), Deathground is all about being sneaky and undetected. After all, you’re not going to survive a fight with a dinosaur. We’ve all seen humans take on dinosaurs in plenty of movies and television shows. How does it usually work out?
If you didn’t believe that Jurassic Park was a major influence on Deathground, you surely do after watching the trailer. Velociraptors and the T-Rex are arguably the stars of the film franchise and they are on full display here in the first gameplay trailer.
It looks undeniably spooky and incredibly tense. What really makes it work is the sense of familiarity that players wouldn’t get if it weren’t so accurately modeled on pop culture. Most of us know that the dinosaurs portrayed in movies and television can be pretty far off from the real thing. On top of that, we’ve learned a lot in the past few decades, things that have turned common theories and beliefs on their head.
For example, we know now that velociraptors were likely much smaller than previously thought and they were probably brightly-colored and had feathers. The folks at Jaw Drop Games, however, have wisely stuck to the dinosaurs we know and love. Thanks to this, when you see that T-Rex stomping around in the distance, you know exactly what’s going to happen if it catches wind of you. And it’s not going to be pretty.
The developers are looking to raise $100,558. They’ve already raised $71,531 and they still have 21 days to go. All things considered, it looks like it will sail right past its goal. Being a featured “Project We Love” on Kickstarter certainly isn’t hurting its chances.
If you want to get in on the action, you can snag a copy for under $20, but that price is only available for the next few days. Keep in mind that the game won’t be released until September 2021, over a year away.
It’s no Dino Crisis remaster, but it looks pretty sweet, so it’ll have to fit the bill.