Developer –Frontier Developments

Publisher – Frontier Developments

Platforms – PC, Xbox, Playstation

After a long stay on a hidden tropical island, Jurassic World Evolution 2 has finally escaped. The world is different, but the name of the game remains. Build an park, capture dinosaurs, and try to keep them from eating the neighborhood.

In the time since the previous game, the entire park genre pretty much exploded. RTS and Sim games went into a second resurgence as of late and it’s now a crowded genre.

The first game was a fun but flawed title, and with the resurgence of the genre, it would need to be more than a fun concept to have any chance in a suddenly crowded genre.

Playing through a variety of modes keeps the action fresh. Campaign actually provided the bulk of the game’s variety. Each story mission had a special look, characters, and a multitude of different creatures and areas of expertise that touched and taught the entire span of the game.

Alas, despite it’s unique flair and outstanding visual presentation, Jurassic World did have some clunk areas and the two halves of the game, dinosaur management and park creation, lacked a depth needed to truly sink lots of time into the game after a single playthrough.

Right away this sequel stand out more in every regard. More unique traits and flair help the game standout. The dino’s that live inside your park. Whether they are eating food or getting beat up by predators, they truly stand out due to the excellent visuals.

The entire game essentially follows on the original premise. Park management is akin to the standard park simulators. Expand your island, and capture dinosaurs and devious predators to thwart any damage to park visitors.

As you generate research and build up cash, you get to explore and find a much more varied roster of creatures than the original. As your size grows, more frequent attacks and tougher dinosaurs can cause serous issues.

It’s a fun mechanic, and it really provides a bridge that make the two different forms of management come together. Every choice in one area will have an effect on the other. Even more than different dinosaurs and environments, those choices are what drive the gameplay variety and already want me to experiment with completely different builds and play styles for subsequent sessions.

The end game is a lot of fun, and as the park grows and the visitors gather, I would still enjoy watching dinosaurs get into battles over territory.

Jurassic World Evolution 2 is a marked improvement from the original. It’s not perfect, and some bugs did crop up although they never caused an real issues. If you enjoyed the original, despite it’s flaws, then this is a great entry for old fans and newcomers to the thriving park builder genre.