If you’ve never heard of Paw Patrol then you really have been living under a rock. We previously covered Paw Patrol World a couple of years ago, and even though the TC Mini Crew has maybe outgrown Paw Patrol, I haven’t. So when the opportunity to cover the newest game, Paw Patrol Dino World, came up. I jumped at the opportunity.
No Dino’s Too Big, No Pup’s Too Small
Having been out for a little while and to mixed reviews, I was a little apprehensive. I put all that aside and dove in, looking forward to controlling my favourite pup, Rocky. What fun and frolics would those lovable pups get up to?
Gameplay
Mayor Humdinger has headed to Dino Island to cause trouble, and it’s up to the pups to help the dinosaurs. It all sounds like an incredibly simple premise, and to be honest, the gameplay loop is pretty basic. That, however, doesn’t really prevent you from having fun, you just have to remember that this is a game designed for kids. There is no deep storyline, no permadeath; heck, you can even skip the many mini-games that you come up against. All in the search for fun.
What you do do is head out into different areas, each one unlocked after carrying out a number of quests for the Paleo Center and it’s staff. You get to look after dinosaurs that you find on your journey as well as search out collectables. It really is just easy to enjoy fun, I jumped back into the game to get a couple of screenshots, and I ended up still playing 2 hours later. It’s easy, joyous fun for anyone that has ever enjoyed Paw Patrol.
Paw Patrol Dino World is not the finest game, and in some instances there were glitches, but you can overlook it with all the fun in play. One of my favourite parts of the game was the ability to skip the mini games, making the game easy, even for your smalls. Giving them the opportunity to just race around in the vehicles and collect the pup treats. Offering up an opportunity to acquire some new threads for your pups, dinos, and trucks. Having Rubble going around with a Chickaletta hat on, was a lot of fun!
Graphics & Audio
Paw Patrol Dino World looks just like an episode of the show is playing out on your screen. With a few little graphical glitches now and again not taking away the joy from the characters’ faces. The face movements when the characters are speaking isn’t the best though, and sometimes it does rip you out of the moment, but for the most part it holds it’s own.
The audio does let it down, though, with repeating lines over and over again. It’s ok at first, but after a while it gets a little grating and often frustrating. As someone who has watched a LOT of the show, there is an incredible amount of content that could have been sampled.
Longevity
The main game isn’t exactly long, ticking over at around 3-4 hours for a full run-through. This can be extended if you head out and collect everything. However, that timeframe is a lot of fun while you are playing. It’s a shame, though, as some might be put off by it only being a few hours. Obviously, you can speed through all the mini-games, but I’d urge you to play them. Enjoy the game in its fullest and how it was designed to be enjoyed.
Final Thoughts
So Paw Patrol Dino World isn’t perfect. It’s a little rough around some edges. However, it is a lot of fun to play, especially for a Paw Patrol fan like me. My biggest gripe is the length of the game, being only 4 hours it does feel a little like you get shortchanged. If you enjoy the Paw Patrol world, then it should definitely be on your radar, especially if you are just introducing young children into the world of gaming.
Paw Patrol Dino World receives a Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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