Admirers of the action film trilogy should be delighted with Universal Interactive?s latest offer, Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis. A strategy game that enables you to create a zoo for dinosaurs, it has three modes of play. First, a dozen action-oriented missions in which you sit in the land rover or the helicopter and kill rampaging carnivores, rescue park patrons, or herd herbivores into a pen.

There are also ?exercises? that offer more open-ended play, like building a park with a set of objectives. Finally, the game includes a sandbox mode, to create your own Jurassic Park. The only thing missing is a multiplayer mode.

The gameplay revolves around creating a park full of dinosaurs. First, you?ll need to create secure enclosures that provide a safe environment. With electric fences, ranger stations, and even sentry guns, the security can be tight.

Next, you?ll have to create dinosaurs ? Operation Genesis requires you to look for dinosaur bones or amber. You are then required to go to your genetics lab and extract DNA for every species of dinosaur. There are 25 different dinosaurs and each of them are unique. Keeping your dinosaurs happy is a complicated process.

In order to run a successful dinosaur zoo, you need to keep your park visitors happy. There are four primary types of visitors: mainstream consumers, thrill seekers, fun lovers, and dino nerds, each with their specific wants. One of the most impressive features of the game is that you can get into a viewing vent or dome in first person. The ranger helicopters, the land-cruiser safari and the hot-air balloon are some of the special features.

You can rescue lost visitors, herd packs of dinosaurs, and also shoot dinosaurs from a helicopter. Don?t worry, you don?t have to kill them all. Instead, you can vaccinate them by firing darts. The safari tour and balloon rides are good fun because they feature a first person perspective. When you?re on the safari tour, you are in control of the vehicle. The balloon is a safer ride. Besides, you can even take snaps. Operation Genesis? 3D graphics engine offers good image quality, adding a real life touch to the lush terrain of a tropical island. Weather elements such as rain, wind, lightning, and tornadoes add to the overall effect. Your park advisors provide some audio cues, and they resemble the actors in the movie. The in-game music is the same as in the film Jurassic Park.

Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis provides an enjoyable experience, with attractive graphics, strategic gameplay, and unique features that zoom in on the dinosaurs in action.

Minimum System Requirements: Operating System: Windows 98/2000/ME/XP, processor: 400 MHz or higher, RAM: 128 MB or higher, free hard disk space: 1 GB or higher, video card: 16 MB or higher, DirectX 8.1b.