ParaWorld

ParaWorld is a joy to look at and listen to, and the twist of dinosaurs going head-to-head with modern-day human heroes is reminiscent of Ash bringing his shotgun and Cadillac to medieval Europe in "Army of Darkness."

ParaWorld doesn’t have the same production values as those Blizzard titles, but it still provides an enjoyable experience, and you can probably find it for under $30, and so it’s an easy game to recommend.

Paraworld may not be earth-shattering, but it has depth in spades. [Nov 2006, p.98]

There is nothing fundamentally new with Paraworld, but there is also nothing significantly wrong.

If ParaWorld stumbles at all, it's because despite creative units like sneaky ninjas and wooly mammoths, it doesn't go quite far enough to show off its unique personality, and its multiplayer maps are content to offer balance through symmetry rather than varying strengths and weaknesses. These limits never get in the way of having a blast, though.

Paraworld is more than worthy of getting hold of, certainly if you fancy a taste of dino action but don't quite know where to start the search for time-travelling warp gates.

ParaWorld is a fun game with a unique concept, but the gameplay is a bit too much like everything else out there.

Not particularly bad, but in the RTS genre mediocrity does not cut it anymore. [Feb 2007]

A well presented game with a terrific opening cutscene to get players ready to go and a story that could have been terrific were it not for some holes and inconsistencies. Obviously the chance to control both small and epic dinosaurs (and other prehistoric creatures) is pretty enticing for those like us that find the beasts fantastic.

The backstory turns out to be garbled, annoying claptrap. Getting kids to design your civs is inspired. Getting them to concoct your plots is less wise. [Nov 2006, p.78]

SEK most likely made Paraworld to capitalize on people’s love for dinosaurs. And for that reason, the game doesn’t do as much to push the RTS genre into new directions as it does polish the established system.

It's a well done RTS game, but it's still an RTS game at it's core. You build a base, you defeat the enemy, and you move on to the next. You fight on land, you fight on sea.

These dinosaurs may be beautifully drawn and animated, but there's just not enough blood and thunder pouring out of them to generate that shaking-glass "Jurassic Park" 'Oh my God, here comes the T-Rex' moment. [Dec 2006, p.90]

There's a lot of fun to be had discovering the different units and strategies. This isn't a great RTS, and it's likely to be forgotten this time next year. But it is a good RTS and it's well worth your time.

This game’s biggest selling point is the crazy juxtaposition of its units (ninjas, Triceratops, and jetpack-wearing Norsemen are all there), but it certainly doesn’t fall flat in other areas.

A "Jurassic Park" spin on an otherwise old-school RTS. [Holiday 2006, p.70]

I found issues with the unit balance and the visual style of the units and buildings wasn't for me. The story line is campy and doesn't succeed at being engaging or funny in this style.

The theme is finger-lickin' good from its campy standpoint, but the deliberately-paced action, puzzled AI, glass-ceiling scenarios, and sometimes-brilliant/always-limiting Army Controller will leave any Kid at Heart hoping for better functionality of all the small things.

Unless you’re a huge dinosaur fan or feel like there just aren’t enough strategy games out there you can probably pass on Paraworld without missing all that much.

ParaWorld is an enjoyable, yet highly simple and traditional, real-time strategy title that gets a few points knocked off purely because of its dated concepts and poor execution.

So if you think a very traditional RTS covered in mini-guns and mammoths, energy cannons and iguanodons sounds good, be all means, go buy Paraworld. However, if you were just excited by the peanut butter cup goodness of video games and dinosaurs, you are in for a lot more than you bargained for, and that may not be a good thing.

If you're into the unintentional hilarity of films like Turkish Star Wars, Paraworld is the game you've been waiting for all your life. On the other hand, as with most B-movies, the majority of folks will probably go through a lot less buyer's remorse if they just rent this one to knock out a few chuckles.

It’s a pretty average real-time strategy game, but the problem is that it’s just too average, as well as very slow-paced.

Even dinosaurs, ninjas, and Vikings can't really elevate this real-time strategy game above its generic roots.

ParaWorld sets itself a high bar by taking on such a story driven campaign. It fails to deliver on this part and, unfortunately, all that remains is an RTS game that simply can't stand up to today's heavyweights of the genre.

Paraworld stands perfectly well on its own as a solid, if a little plodding, RTS game with some neat touches, particularly in the selection and development of units. [Nov 2006, p.114]

ParaWorld isn't without its charms, particularly its diverse and enticing set of armies, but it's truly a dinosaur of an RTS, bog standard in terms of mission design and somewhat messy in the combat department.