LEGO Jurassic World 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery review

LEGO Jurassic World is adding new dinosaurs to its line-up in 2024, including the long-awaited Stegosaurus – but the theme's first take on this creature is disappointing.

LEGO Jurassic Park and Jurassic World enthusiasts alike have been waiting nearly 10 years for a LEGO Stegosaurus mould following the first appearance of such a piece in the LEGO Jurassic World video game. That day is finally upon us thanks to 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery. While the prospect of a LEGO Stegosaurus and what it could lead to is exciting, the first take on the dinosaur with a modern specialised piece isn't what you may have hoped for.

Aside from the new Stegosaurus, 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery doesn't deliver in all areas but may still be worth picking up, at least until a better opportunity comes along.

--- LEGO Jurassic World 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery set details ---

Theme: LEGO Jurassic World Set name: 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery Release: June 1, 2024

Price: £59.99 / $64.99 / €64.99 Pieces: 420 Minifigures: 2

LEGO: Order now

--- Where to buy LEGO Jurassic World 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery ---

LEGO Jurassic World 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery is launching on June 1, 2024 in the UK and Europe, and pre-orders are open now in some regions. It should be available widely, not just in official LEGO Stores and at LEGO.com. The set will release on August 1, 2024 in the US.

--- LEGO Jurassic World 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery build ---

The star of the show in 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery is, without a doubt, the new Stegosaurus. These creatures are rare in the LEGO world and this is the first time that the species has received a physical specialised element in the modern era of LEGO dinosaurs.

The new Stegosaurus in 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery is the first take on this LEGO dinosaur using this specific element consisting of a singular body, head and tail as one piece as well as the four standard legs that have been used for various Triceratops and more. Unfortunately, this means that the LEGO Stegosaurus has limited movement, with zero head or neck articulation.

It means the Stegosaurus is frustratingly on a par with the minuscule Velociraptor in terms of head articulation. As much as the printing on the body and the head of the Stegosaurus is notable and eye-catching, it only causes the plain-coloured spines and tail to stand out too.

These iconic aspects of the dinosaur are not printed or decorated in any way as they are made of stiff rubber elements. They are unfortunately not stiff enough as one of the spines has deformed in our box and is permanently bent out of shape, though only slightly. Provided this can be fixed in subsequent iterations, the LEGO Stegosaurus could have a bright future ahead – but as it stands, there's plenty of room for improvement.

The rest of 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery consists of a small forest scene made up of three detachable modules. These include a tree with a lookout post, a nest and a camp to rest in. None of these are notable though the bush adds an element of storytelling potential combined with the small Velociraptor.

Together they look decent and alone they make for some fun scenes, but they are a trio of builds that will likely be mixed into your wider collection instead of being displayed or played with over time. They're not terrible and there are some notable stickers to be aware of, including what could be a reference to Claire Dearing and Owen Grady, but ultimately they aren't stand-outs of the set either.

The final build of the set features a van and a small trailer with scientific equipment. The latter is relatively uninteresting with few moving parts and functions. On the trailer, it's hard to see the minifigures interacting with the equipment but off the trailer, everything is too low to the ground and it's hard to find a place for them in play compared to the lookout post and the van. The colour scheme is appealing though, contrasting nicely with the red colour scheme of the van.

The van is surprisingly one of the better builds of the set with a deceptively complicated construction process that includes more hinges than initially expected. Outside, the van is suitably rugged with some interesting Easter eggs to spot and a size that rivals the Stegosaurus. Inside, the van has enough room for two minifigures in the front and a third lying down in the back, though only two are included in the set.

The interior of the van – specifically at the back – has some odd but appealing features. The roof and door can be raised to access as much as possible. The back includes a sliding bed with an unusual area underneath. The blue and white colour scheme and the pair of transparent wedge pieces lead us to believe this might be a freezer, though exactly what Sammy and Ben would be trying to keep cool is uncertain. Still, it's a great use of the available space.

76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery's selection of builds is adequate overall and the variety of animals and dinosaurs increases the set's appeal, even though the Stegosaurus has opted for flexible and plain rubber spines, detracting from its appearance.

--- LEGO Jurassic World 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery price ---

At £59.99 / $64.99 / €64.99, 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery is decent value and while one more minifigure would have been appreciated, the selection of models and dinosaurs means that this new LEGO Jurassic World set is far from bad value, though not quite the deal of the century.

--- LEGO Jurassic World 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery minifigures ---

76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery is inspired by Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, which is a sequel series to Camp Cretaceous. As such, the new sets are bringing back almost all of the main cast and this set includes Sammy and Ben.

While Sammy has appeared in two sets, Ben is rarer and is only otherwise available in one retired model. These minifigures are both new takes on the characters and offer some interesting but everyday outfits for non-yellow citizens in your LEGO city.

Sammy's minifigure is the best of the duo, with a brightly-coloured jacket including an intricate design that wraps around to the back of the torso. Ben's outfit isn't quite as exciting, but it matches the outfit that he wears in the new series.

For £59.99 / $64.99 / €64.99, 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery ideally should have one more minifigure and Yaz comes to mind as the best contender since she's Sammy's girlfriend in the upcoming series. That said, the context of the scene that has inspired this set may mean that only two minifigures make the most sense and at least Yaz is featured in the new 76966 Dinosaur Missions: Allosaurus Transport Truck.

--- LEGO Jurassic World 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery pictures ---

--- LEGO Jurassic World 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery pros and cons ---

76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery may not be the strongest of the new LEGO Jurassic World sets based on Chaos Theory, but it's one worth keeping an eye on for the Stegosaurus alone, as this is currently the only way to pick up this dinosaur.

Should the LEGO Stegosaurus be upgraded with more details in the future, 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery's appeal will surely decrease – but for now its selection of dinosaurs, adequate models and notable (but few) minifigures keep the set just interesting enough to catch our eye.

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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--- Alternatives to Jurassic World 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery ---

There is no other LEGO Jurassic World set with a Stegosaurus at the time of writing, but models including at least one dinosaur and a vehicle with a pair of minifigures are surprisingly common.

Good alternatives to 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery include 76946 Blue & Beta Velociraptor Capture and 76951 Pyroraptor & Dilophosaurus Transport as well as 76959 Triceratops Research – arguably the best pick for its appealing vehicle, four-legged dinosaur and two similarly interesting minifigures for almost three-quarters of the price of the 2024 set.

--- LEGO Jurassic World 76965 Dinosaur Missions: Stegosaurus Discovery FAQs ---