Jurassic World Evolution 2

Frontier Developments’ latest release Jurassic World Evolution 2, is a treat for anyone who loves the classic films and the Tycoon series of games that seem to have disappeared from the shelves. In essence, the Jurassic World series can be thought of as a spiritual successor to Zoo Tycoon 2’s expansion pack Extinct Animals.

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Frontier Developments builds on the success of the previous installment and the charm of the iconic franchise of Jurassic Park to make Jurassic World Evolution 2 bigger and better in many aspects.

This sequel is set in the United States rather than the remote archipelago of the previous setting. After the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, this story introduces biomes like deserts, mountains, and forests. This makes for interesting imaginative designs.

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Jurassic World Evolution 2: Welcome to Jurassic Park

Nostalgia (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

While Jurassic World Evolution 2 is basically a business simulation game, it is just as grand as the original film in the movie franchise. Frontier Developments pulls out all the stops in making this game an absolute visual delight for the players.

Before one gets into the nitty-gritty of the game and decides on whether it is a worthwhile engagement, players are met with the USP of the franchise - dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs in Jurassic World Evolution 2 are, in a word, gorgeous. They are better programmed than the previous game with improved interaction in territorial dominance and cohabitation. The game includes more than seventy-five prehistoric species this time around. They are also built-in with having their territories in the game while cohabiting with other species in the same enclosure.

"Clever girl" (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

The dinosaurs in the game are spectacularly realistic. While looking at them moving across the screen or honking at their fellow creatures or stalking live prey, players are filled with the same kind of awe that John Hammond must have felt when he created Jurassic Park and wanted to open it for the public.

Menu (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

Jurassic World Evolution 2’s is divided into four main game modes: Five campaign missions that take place after the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, five Chaos Theory missions where the players build parks that are directly associated with the movies, five Challenge missions, and the sandbox mode.

Campaign Mode - Learn the ropes

Campaign missions are more of a glorified tutorial than actual chapters with difficulty or requiring any particular thought or plan. Players are given a huge amount of money and practically handheld throughout the five missions. The game describes the different mechanics for the players to get habituated with while creating their perfect park.

Arizona (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

In the campaign mode, players are accompanied and guided by a number of characters from the franchise, like Owen Hardy, Claire Dearing voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard, and Dr. Hu. But, it is Ian Malcolm, voiced by Jeff Goldblum, who steals the show. Much like in the film series, Dr. Malcolm adds a healthy dosage of philosophy with cynicism in describing the handiworks of the scientists.

Whereas the dialogue interactions between Owen and Claire at times feel stretched out and forced, Goldblum shines through his delivery and ensures the players actually feel the majesty of the dinosaurs.

The campaign missions are situated in different places in the United States - starting with Arizona, then Washington, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and finally California. Each location is picturesque and a beauty to behold.

Jurassic World Evolution 2 is visually impressive. The lush green forest, huge amounts of red trees, and the snow-covered land showcase different biomes that players check out in the campaign missions.

Capturing (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

Players are introduced to capturing dinosaurs in the wild by a rescue helicopter during their first mission in Arizona. The Response Facility provides both Ranger Teams and a Capture Team. The former monitors dinosaur welfare and makes park repairs, and the latter can be used to tranquilize dinosaurs for transporting. Direct control of these vehicles is a really fun aspect of the gameplay.

Ranger Team 1 (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

After the animal is put to sleep and brought back to an enclosure, the Ranger Team scans the dinosaur and assesses its comfort level and needs. Each dinosaur species has different kinds of requirements from their enclosures, like the amount of water, open spaces, ground vegetation, forest.

Players are to meet these needs by tweaking the environment within the enclosure. This time around, herbivores do not have a different feeding unit, but they realistically munch on the vegetation itself.

Weather anomalies are a nuisance that can disrupt a player’s game plan. It is a bother to deal with, and although it showcases the unpredictability that was there in the actual movies, it can ruin a well-thought-out park if not prepared for. The game has the Emergency Shelter building for people in the park in cases of these extreme weather situations and dinosaur escapes.

Dinosaurs in the snow (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

Out for a drive (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

In Washington, players experience snowfall. Its beauty is further multiplied when the player has to drive the 4x4 in the snowy forest in search of a dangerous escaped carnivore. The drive is a pleasant experience as players analyze samples and finally find and capture the Allosaurus.

Recruitment (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

Players need to recruit scientists for various jobs. They can research multiple new structures and additions. Players can also send them to different cities on the expedition map from where they will capture dinosaurs and bring them back to the park. If scientists are overworked, they are disgruntled and can cause sabotage and trouble.

Flying reptiles (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

But the highlight of the campaign missions was in the fourth chapter when Jurassic World Evolution 2 introduces flying dinosaurs and aviaries. In the first game, Pteranodon, a genus of flying reptiles, was made available in the Return to Jurassic Park expansion pack. Evolution 2 has these creatures in the main game.

The campaign interestingly deals with several topics that throng the franchise in general - scientific curiosity and its consequences, the ethics of animal welfare, the extent of corporate greed, and more. But beyond that, it falls a bit stale. There are no serious stakes involved, and they feel more like gameplay tutorials preparing players for other modes.

“This time it would be different” - Chaos Theory, Challenges and Sandbox

Chaos Theory (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

Chaos Theory is probably the most exciting and interesting addition that comes with Jurassic World Evolution 2. Lovers of the franchise can dip their toes into this bit of fan service as they take up the reigns of managing the park straight out of those films. These are what the games call a “what-if” scenario - a redo with the player in the driver’s seat.

Jurassic Park (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

The mission based on The Lost World seems to have caught the attention of most fans, for it provides the player with one of the game’s locked dinosaurs right near the beginning of the playthrough - a T-Rex. The San Diego Amphitheater, in this mission, makes the perfect centerpiece for an amazing park. These scenarios also have the same aesthetics and skins of the movies they are based on.

The sandbox mode is the second-best thing in the game. The only thing that drags the experience down is that dinosaurs, buildings, and other structures are locked from the beginning. These are easier to unlock through different modes.

Challenge Missions (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

Challenge missions are the easiest option to research and unlock. Players hone their management skills in increasingly difficult scenarios. The official description states:

“Complete the levels and earn more star ratings in the quickest time possible, to unlock progressively tougher challenges to test your dinosaur park building skills!”

Performance and graphics

Jurassic World Evolution 2 was played on PC and had the following system specifications:

Processor: Intel Core i5-9400F
RAM: 8 GB DDR4
GPU: Nvidia GeForce 1060 OC 6GB
Hard Drive Space: 1 TB + 240 GB SSD

A bird's-eye view (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

This game is a visual treat for the players to indulge in. The biomes are distinct in nature and feel as real as they can. The prehistoric species are created intricately and brought to life on the screen. The photo mode becomes a perfect tool for players to capture their animals in all their glory.

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Given its graphics-intensive nature, Jurassic World Evolution 2 will be hard to run on older PCs.

Conclusion

Life finds a way (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

Frontier Developments is doing a stellar job in adapting Zoo Tycoon’s craze into modern-day graphics and nuances. Jurassic World Evolution 2 is a solid entry to this genre and promises to be an enjoyable ride for both the movie fans and fans of these majestic prehistoric creatures. The extreme micromanaging nature of the game sometimes feels like it impedes the flow that these management games require. There are a lot of factors to control, and it’s basically clicking one thing on to another thing for the most of it. Yet, JWE2 manages to invoke immersion through its sheer breathtaking beauty.

For humanity, traveling back in time is not an option, and for that, we can not see what is gone. Thus, people keep on trying to re-invent things that have gone by in an attempt to play god. Colossal, founded by the biologist George Church, plans to bring back the woolly mammoth and introduce them to Siberia. Their novel claim is something they call De-Extinction on their official website.

Jurassic World Evolution 2 cashes in on this love for the past. The game remains faithful to its genre and franchise while trying to evoke the players' nostalgia with modes like Chaos Theory. Frontier Developments has yet again managed to show that they can make grand games that are not just pleasing to the eye but a proper authentic experience for anyone who plays it.

Building the park (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

Deal with disgruntled employees, manage a park where stepping in is courting death, tend to animals that we understand little about, and try meanwhile to turn in a little profit to stay afloat. In the end, it is all worth it to see them slowly walk around on the land that they used to rule millions of years ago.