Game intel
Jurassic World: Archipelago
A tie in video game to the film of the same name, which was ultimately cancelled after the developer, Cryptic Studios North, got shut down.
Microsoft Flight Simulator has flirted with movie tie-ins before (Top Gun: Maverick, Halo’s Pelican), but Orbx dropping an officially licensed Jurassic World: Archipelago got my attention for a different reason: it’s not just a one-off aircraft or challenge playlist. It’s a full micro-world-Isla Nublar, Isla Sorna, and the Muertes Archipelago-purpose-built for low-and-slow flying, short-field landings, and “did I just buzz a T. rex?” moments. That’s catnip for anyone who uses MSFS as a chill exploration sandbox, not just an IFR homework simulator.
Orbx, in partnership with Universal Products & Experiences, has released Jurassic World: Archipelago for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PC, priced around $24.99 via OrbxDirect. The package recreates the franchise’s famous islands with bespoke geography, hand-crafted airstrips and helipads, themed aircraft liveries, and animated dinosaurs roaming the landscape. Orbx also built integrated missions to push you into the world rather than just letting you gawk from 5,000 feet and move on.
If you’re wondering what “animated dinosaurs” actually means in a sim like this, expect set-piece wildlife behavior that you can spot from the cockpit or while parked up at custom points of interest. Orbx name-checks staple species—T. rex, Brachiosaurus, Raptors, Pteranodon, even a Mosasaurus moment—designed to reward low passes and careful approaches. The real test will be how dynamic they feel: do they path intelligently, react to your presence, and create replayable “oh wow” moments, or are they just cool screenshots waiting to happen?
Platform-wise, it’s PC first. The team says console and other ports are in development. There’s no credible indication this is included with Game Pass or that it’s shipping for older sims like MSFS 2020 or X-Plane at launch—treat those as “maybe later,” not promises.
At $24.99, this sits in that “substantial scenery pack” tier. Orbx has a solid track record with richly detailed regions (think their TrueEarth series and landmark city packs), but licensed projects can skew flashy and thin. Here, the inclusion of structured missions is a good sign. If those missions are more than basic sightseeing—VIP hops to tricky pads, low-level tours with weather modifiers, time-of-day challenges, maybe some light storytelling—that’ll go a long way toward justifying the spend.
Performance is the other big factor. Dense jungle tree cover plus animated fauna can eat frames, especially at low altitude where you’ll be flying most of the time. If your PC already sweats in heavy vegetation, be ready to dial back shadows and object density. The payoff should be worth it: MSFS 2024’s lighting and weather systems can make these islands look jaw-dropping at golden hour with broken clouds rolling over the canopy.
As for aircraft, this is tailor-made for helicopters and STOL champs. Bring a Cabri or H125 if you’ve got one, or go classic with a Cub, Beaver, or PC-6. The short strips and helipads are the star; dropping a 737 onto a jungle island is funny once, but you’ll miss the point. Set wind to light breeze for believable approaches, and keep ceilings high enough to skim treetops without IMC headaches.
MSFS crossovers usually swing between free marketing one-offs (Top Gun challenges, the Pelican) and paid deep-dives from third parties. Jurassic World: Archipelago sits in the middle: licensed spectacle with a third-party’s design chops. The difference maker is interactivity. The Top Gun content worked because it gave you novel toys and specific tasks. If Orbx’s missions lean into piloting skill—tight LZ approaches, low-level navigation, time pressure—this could be that rare licensed pack you revisit rather than uninstall after a weekend.
One fair concern: longevity. Licensed packs can live or die by post-launch support once the marketing moment passes. The hopeful sign is Orbx’s continued maintenance of its catalogue; the open question is whether Universal’s approvals slow updates. If you’re allergic to “movie DLC” that stagnates, maybe wait a patch cycle and see how quickly issues get addressed.
Start at one of the custom VIP terminals or ferry ports and plan a low circuit that hits coastal cliffs, inland valleys, and lagoon edges where wildlife tends to cluster. Keep altitude under 1,000 feet AGL and fly at dawn or late afternoon for the best silhouette reads on big herbivores. If frames dip, drop vegetation quality first, then shadows; leave texture resolution alone to keep the islands looking sharp in cockpit photos. And yes—bring the drone camera for ground-level dino cameos once you shut down on a pad.
Jurassic World: Archipelago is a slick, officially licensed playground for low-and-slow pilots: bespoke islands, short strips, animated dinos, and missions, available now on PC via OrbxDirect for about $24.99. If the missions have teeth and performance holds up, this is more than a screenshot machine; if not, it’s a pretty (and pricey) postcard. Either way, bush and rotorheads just got a new reason to island-hop.
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