Within the canon of Trespasser, this herbivorous dinosaur is one of the two species of sauropods inhabiting Isla Sorna and also the largest dinosaur that lives there.
Trespasser: Jurassic Park; Script: John Hammond (June 1997)
Brachiosaurus is mentioned in two places in this document, on pages 29 and 39. On page 29, Hammond introduces this dinosaur via two voiceovers as their oldest creation and mentions its giant size which surpasses other dinosaurs. These voiceovers were recorded and designated VH117 and VH118. According to their location in the voiceover list, they were probably part of the Plantation House level.
VH117: Brachiosaur – oldest of our re-creations by 50 million years. The only true Jurassic native.
VH118: One of the largest creatures ever to live, the brachiosaur moved like planets among the smaller species.
On page 39, among the voiceovers intended for the Plains level, is a mention that a Brachiosaurus or several Triceratops possess a challenge even for such strong and dangerous predators as the Tyrannosaurus. Because this voiceover has not been recorded, it does not have its own designation.
A T-Rex wins against anything except a brachiosaur, or several triceratops, or a good jeep on a good road.
Walkthrough (August 1997)
Here, too, Brachiosaurus is mentioned in two places, in the levels Industrial Jungle (p. 8) and Plains (p. 15). In the concept of the Industrial Jungle level, a lone Brachiosaurus grazes partway in the lake, which the player must overcome on a raft that was left there by the InGen hunting party.
A brachiosaur grazes peacefully partway in the lake, and raises his head curiously when Anne approaches. Otherwise, he leaves her be unless we decide it would be more fun to have him stomp around and get in her way.
In the concept of the Plains level, Brachiosaurs represents one of the many species of dinosaurs that inhabit this area, and their size makes them unmissable from a great distance.
Brachiosaurs are visible in the extreme distance, grazing on the few trees, and nearby a stegosaurus family and a pair of triceratops drink from the same.
ANNE SELECTIONS (May 1998)
Among Anne's voiceovers is only one mentioning Brachiosaurus (p. 13). Anne complains about the incredible smell that these herbivores give off as she approaches one of them. This voiceover was recorded and designated VA63. According to its placement in the voiceover list, it was probably supposed to be part of the Plantation House level.
VA63: Now that is an incredible smell.
Promotional Materials
Among the promotional materials is one staged promotional image, probably taken in one of the earliest versions of the game's engine. It shows a Tyrannosaurus running to a herd of Brachiosaurs standing on the edge of a coniferous forest. This scene probably supposed to be from the Plantation House level, as the presence of both dinosaur species in this level was confirmed by Anne's voiceovers.
Development Builds (September-October 1998)
The oldest preserved version of the game including a Brachiosaurus model is the development build 96. A total of three Brachiosaurs occur in the Beach and InGen Town levels. In the Beach level, there are two subadults, in a small valley, above which leads the path from the starting beach to the interior. No voiceovers or music is played if the player approaches them. This version of the level is also found in the build 97.
The subadult Brachiosaurs in the build 96/97
The third subadult Brachiosaurus in the InGen Town level is located off the map, and under normal circumstances, the player has no chance to meet it. However, its presence confirms the at least planned implementation of the above-mentioned concept of the Plains level, the remnant of which was merged with the InGen Town level during the development of the game. This version of the level is also found in the preserved builds 97, 99, and 103.
The Brachiosaurus in InGen Town level in the builds 96/97, 99 and 103
In the Beach level in the build 99, one of the subadults was replaced by an adult (it is the same model, only enlarged). This change applies to the build 103 and all later builds, including the Official Strategy Guide (p. 79) and the retail version 116d/117. As of the build 103, the music track Reveal Dinosaur Plains, originally intended for the Plantation House level, is activated near both brachiosaurs, when approached.
The adult (on the right) and the subadult Brachiosaurs
The Retail Version 116d/117 (October/November 1998)
In the retail version of the game, in addition to the two Brachiosaurs mentioned above in Beach level, there is one subadult in the Jungle Road level, near the last section of the monorail called the Final Exam. In the Beach level, the encounter with the Brachiosaurs is introduced by Hammond's voiceover VH117, and if the player approaches one of them, the comment VA63 is activated.
The Brachiosaurus in the Jungle Road level
Trivia
- Hammond's claim that the Brachiosaurus is historically the oldest dinosaur cloned by InGen (within the Trespasser canon) is not true, as the Stegosaurus lived from 155 to 150 million years ago.
- Brachiosaurus is the only dinosaur in the game for which a subadult model has been created.
- The encounter with the Brachiosaurs as the first dinosaurs in the game is likely to evoke a scene from Jurassic Park (1993), where the inspection team also met these sauropods as the first dinosaurs on the island.
- According to the Official Strategic Guide, the Brachiosaurus is 25 meters long, 14 meters high (body 5.5 meters high) and weighs over 45 tons (p. 25).
- The Brachiosaurs in the retail version possess no danger to the player and it is not possible to kill them by ordinary means. However, if the player approaches the subadults in the build 96/97, they will attack them.
- Although a model of a subadult Brachiosaurus is used in the Jungle Road level, its polygon mesh belongs to the adult model and is located outside it.
Sources:
ANNE SELECTIONS, DreamWorks Interactive 1998.
Kramer, Greg, Trespasser Official Strategy Guide, Indiana: Brady Publishing 1998.
Kramer, Greg, Trespasser Official Strategy Guide, Indiana: Brady Publishing 1998.
Walkthrough, DreamWorks Interactive 1997.
Trespasser, DreamWorks Interactive 1998.
Trespasser: Jurassic Park; Script: John Hammond, DreamWorks Interactive 1997.
