PC Gamer - UK (2022-02)

The premise is simple: you’re tasked

with the construction and

management of a series of dinosaur

theme parks fashioned after those of

the titular film franchise. The

campaign picks up

directly after the events

of the latest movie,

with humanity

struggling to adapt to

life among an

abundance of (spoiler

alert) recently escaped

dinosaurs. While the

entire story can be

finished in under two hours, which

leaves little room for any real plot

development, fans will likely

appreciate the abundance of voice

work from Jeff Goldblum – who

reprises his role as Dr Ian Malcolm.

Several other cast members also

return, though their presence only

highlights the absence of Chris Pratt.

A traditional tutorial is also

conspicuously missing and, while

things never become too confusing,

the inability to recap basic mechanics

makes for an uncomfortable

transition between the linear

campaign and the other modes.

Although Sandbox and Challenge are

both self explanatory, the Chaos

Theory mode, which presents ‘what

if’ scenarios based on each of the five

films, is the star of the show. It’s

gloriously nostalgic, and each mission

is instantly recognisable thanks to the

care that has been taken to preserve

the unique aesthetics of the park’s

distinct eras. Changes aren’t just

visual either, with gameplay

mechanics like aquatic enclosures

setting the more modern settings

apart from their predecessors. For

players who just want to experiment

outside of these constraints, it’s worth

noting that sandbox mode can bypass

these building restrictions entirely.

Although the campaign focuses

solely on creating dinosaur

enclosures, the other

modes introduce

humans into the

equation. While

dinosaurs are easily

satisfied through the

placement of a couple

objects or quick change

in terrain type, park

guests have two sets of

needs to fulfil: basic requirements,

like access to food and drink, and

secondary needs divided into one of

four types. Luxury type guests, for

example, crave higher cost attractions

like spas or hotels. I was disappointed

to discover that these categories are

almost entirely redundant in practice

however, with the haphazard

placement of a few amenities always

proving enough to keep my visitors

happy. Individual guest needs could

be an interesting inclusion, but it’s

bizarre that you can still run a

profitable park while ignoring them.

CLEVER GIRL

There are also various small

annoyances, like the inconsistent

collision detection that sometimes

makes placing objects an utter

misery, but I always found that the

allure of the dinosaurs themselves

proved more than enough to hold my

interest. The 75 or so unique species

are wonderfully modelled, a fact

which you can appreciate by taking

manual control of one of your park’s

vehicles to see them up close. Where

the dinosaurs are at their absolute

best, however, is at the times where

things start to go wrong. The damage

modelling for walls and vehicles does

a great job at emphasising the

creatures’ destructive powers, and

the threat of random tropical storms

mean that a well-maintained park

could be mere moments away from

carnage. Throw the genetic traits

system into the mix, which can lead

to even more aggressive varieties of

dino, and the result is a game that

feels more in line with survival

horror than traditional park tycoon.

You know something is bound to

go wrong and you’re left on edge

waiting for it to happen. There’s

nothing else like it and, given the

simplicity of the simulation elements,

this unique dynamic is one of the

biggest reasons to recommend it.

72

Jurassic World Evolution

2 is not the best

theme-park simulator on

the market, but a touch

of chaos keeps it fun.

VERDICT

Z

oo Tycoon was one of my favourite games growing up.

Although I wasn’t interested in caring for the animals,

blocking the exits with countless vending machines and

unleashing an army of tigers upon the guests never failed to

entertain. In the decades since, I’ve never quite managed to

recreate that same sense of anarchic fun, but watching a T-rex fling

scientists into the air in Jurassic World Evolution 2 comes pretty close.

CHAOS THEORY

JURASSIC WORLD EVOLUTION 2 shines when things go wrong

By Dashiell Wood

A park could

be mere

moments

away from

carnage

DEADLIEST CATCH

A look at my park’s star attraction

NEED TO KNOW

WHAT IS IT?

A management sim

based on the Jurassic

Park franchise

EXPECT TO PAY

£50

DEVELOPER

Frontier

PUBLISHER

In-house

REVIEWED ON

Nvidia GTX 970, Intel

I5-4460, 32GB Ram

MULTIPLAYER

No

LINK

bit.ly/3dKrWnZ

Jurassic World Evolution 2

REVIEW

STUBBY ARMS

They might seem

cute from a

distance, but you

don’t want to be on

the receiving end of

those claws.

SMOOTH SKIN

No feathers here – sorry

paleontologists! The dinos may not be

entirely accurate, but they look

straight out of the movies.

LONG LEGS

Velociraptors are thought

to have been able to reach

speeds of over 25mph.

Good to know when you’re

fleeing for your life.