Published by Digital Pajamas and Behaviour Interactive, and developed by WDR Studios, Terrible Lizards is a first-person horror adventure that combines dinosaur-themed creature horror with fast-paced parkour. Set in 1992, it follows Jordan, a college student traveling along Route 66 whose car breaks down near Dalton’s Dinos, a kitschy roadside dinosaur attraction in the New Mexico desert. With no immediate help available, he decides to explore the seemingly abandoned attraction, only to discover that its exhibits hide something considerably more dangerous than dusty fossils and malfunctioning animatronics. It’s an intriguing setup that initially suggests familiar mascot horror territory, but the story gradually develops into something more elaborate and entertaining than that first impression might suggest.
The narrative is one of the game’s pleasant surprises. What begins as an investigation of an abandoned tourist attraction eventually leads Jordan into an extensive underground facility, where the mystery surrounding the park, its missing founder and the disappearance of a child becomes increasingly bizarre. There is a surprisingly substantial backstory involving scientific experiments, a shadowy organization and some rather unconventional prehistoric creatures. Notes, recordings and other environmental clues help fill in the details, while live-action video sequences add personality and an entertainingly cheesy presentation to the storytelling. The combination of dark subject matter and deliberately over-the-top 1990s horror aesthetics works particularly well, giving the adventure an identity of its own. The main disappointment is that the narrative doesn’t quite stick the landing, with the conclusion arriving rather abruptly after the considerable buildup.
Where Terrible Lizards really distinguishes itself, however, is in its gameplay. Rather than relying on traditional survival horror mechanics, WDR Studios has built the experience around first-person parkour. Jordan can sprint, jump, climb and slide, with additional movement abilities such as wall-running and bouncing off specially designed surfaces introduced as the adventure progresses. There are no weapons, no conventional combat encounters and no complicated inventory systems to worry about. When something monstrous starts pursuing him, running away is the only sensible option. Fortunately, Jordan is remarkably agile, and the movement system feels responsive enough to make navigating the environments enjoyable in its own right. Controlling momentum in midair and chaining different movements together gives the platforming a satisfying sense of flow.
The best moments come during the more intense chase sequences. Being pursued by enormous, malformed dinosaurs while the surrounding environment falls apart creates some genuinely exciting situations, requiring quick reactions and a good understanding of the available routes. These sequences are also well integrated into the level design, with environmental markers helping players identify where to jump, climb or otherwise continue their escape. Between these frantic encounters, the game offers more relaxed exploration and relatively straightforward traversal puzzles. Restoring power, locating keys and finding ways through blocked passages provide some variety, although the slower sections aren’t always equally engaging. The complete absence of combat ultimately works in the game’s favor, as stopping to fight would undermine the speed and momentum that make its central mechanics so enjoyable.
There are nevertheless some inconsistencies in the execution. Although the controls generally feel good, collision detection can occasionally be unreliable, with Jordan sometimes failing to grab a ledge despite seemingly making the correct jump. This is particularly frustrating when it happens during a demanding chase, where maintaining momentum is essential. Enemy behavior is another weaker element. The more scripted pursuit sequences are effective, but the sections in which creatures stalk the player while other objectives are completed can feel less convincing. Some enemies aren’t particularly intelligent and can become stuck in the environment, reducing the tension considerably. The game’s four relatively lengthy levels also mean that certain sections could benefit from tighter pacing, especially when exploration and traversal start to feel repetitive.
Visually, Terrible Lizards does a respectable job of establishing its distinctive setting. Dalton’s Dinos is a wonderfully tacky attraction, filled with oversized dinosaur displays, animatronics, old-fashioned equipment and other details that help evoke its early-1990s setting. The presentation embraces the era’s aesthetic without taking itself too seriously, and the creature designs are particularly memorable. These aren’t simply recognizable dinosaurs brought back to life; their unusual, distorted appearances contribute to the game’s unsettling atmosphere and eventually become part of the wider mystery. The underground environments are less immediately interesting, and spending extended periods in caves and industrial facilities means that some of the visual variety found in the opening sections disappears. Still, lighting and environmental details help maintain an appropriately ominous atmosphere, even when the locations themselves become somewhat repetitive.
The audio presentation complements the visuals nicely. Voice acting is generally solid, with Jordan’s reactions and conversations with the people guiding him helping give the adventure some personality. The live-action sequences are another highlight, adding an amusingly dated quality that fits the game’s setting and occasionally makes its increasingly strange storyline even more entertaining. Environmental recordings and scattered audio logs also contribute to the storytelling, rewarding players who take the time to investigate their surroundings. The overall presentation leans into its creature-feature influences, balancing unsettling moments with a healthy dose of camp rather than attempting to deliver relentlessly serious horror. Consequently, those expecting a particularly frightening survival horror experience might find the emphasis on fast-paced action somewhat surprising, but the combination has its own appeal.
On PlayStation 5, Terrible Lizards is an entertaining debut that gets considerably more right than its unusual premise might initially suggest. Its parkour mechanics provide a refreshing alternative to the usual run-and-hide horror formula, while the dinosaur attraction and the increasingly strange mystery surrounding it give the adventure plenty of personality. There are some technical and mechanical rough edges, and the underground sections don’t always maintain the excitement of the opening hours. Nevertheless, the combination of fluid movement, memorable creature encounters and surprisingly engaging storytelling makes this a worthwhile experience. Terrible Lizards may not be the most polished horror game around, but it certainly isn’t afraid to take a few creative risks, and that makes it an adventure worth checking out.
Score: 7.4/10