Jurassic World Evolution 2: Dominion Malta Expansion review - Commodifying dinosaurs among new arrivals 

Each Jurassic World Evolution 2 DLC provides me with another reason to dive back into the richly built and highly nuanced world of the game. The developers at Frontier Developments have done a commendable job at bringing these prehistoric species to life while weaving various narratives around them, and Dominion Malta Expansion is the next chapter.

The latest update brings four new exquisite species for players to add to their parks, along with fresh variants of existing species and film skins of building structures. However, the crown jewel of Dominion Malta Expansion lies in the new campaign which sees players attempting to maintain parks in three different locations across the Mediterranean.

The earlier Dominion Biosyn Expansion delivered a true DLC experience to Jurassic World Evolution 2 and Dominion Malta Expansion builds upon it.

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Jurassic World Evolution 2: Dominion Malta Expansion brings a new campaign and a host of captivating species

The events of Dominion Malta Expansion precedes whatever happens in Jurassic World Dominion and feature the presence of several figures from the film, including the likes of Lewis Dodgson and Barry Sembene. While the games are based on the lore and mythos of the Jurassic Park world, the borrowing of such key figures and moments allows fans a fuller experience of the franchise.

One of the most fascinating things for me in the Dominion Malta Expansion was the fact that it steers away from the scientific aspect of expeditions and fossil extractions. It also allows players the option of Dinosaur Exchange.

The game perfectly captures the morally ambiguous nature of this trading mechanic when it describes the Malta campaign as one where players will deal with the new worldwide dinosaur economy.

From a more scientific and rehabilitation-based approach to these majestic beasts and their place in a world far removed from their own time, there is a much more market-based approach to the entire idea of dinosaurs as commodities and having them in your parks for entertainment.

I suppose there's nothing wrong with a bit of capitalist greed when it comes to these prehistoric species in amusement parks, or so they say.

Players need to keep in mind that the three parks' money and scientists are independent of each other, which means you have to keep a keen eye on how each of the islands is performing. Any little thing can affect the balance and your ability to complete the campaign.

Players will also have to deal with the factions of the Authorities and the Underground in order to further unlock other in-game opportunities. The latest update brings a breath of fresh life into Jurassic World Evolution 2. I quite enjoyed the campaign on offer with this latest Dominion Expansion, making my way from one island to another and tending to all of them.

The new dinosaurs are also a delight to encounter in the park. We are introduced to Atrociraptor, who is supposedly a distant cousin to the iconic Velociraptor and, from the looks of it, similarly vicious if not more. My personal favorites of the update were the Oviraptor, with its distinct physical characteristics and mannerisms.

Other than these two, players will also get to see Moros Intrepidus, the smallest Tyrannosauroids to have ever been known to have existed, and Lystrosaurus, the only herbivore in this mix with an amusingly-shaped skull.

As mentioned in my review of the base game, the developers beautifully continue capturing and integrating a nuanced behavioral system for these animals that makes the player experience that much livelier.

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Is the DLC worth it?

The Dominion Malta Expansion turned out to be more engaging and fun than I had earlier anticipated, with its Dinosaur Exchange system being one of the biggest draws. It was a welcome shift for me along with the campaign that I think will be enjoyed by fans of both Jurassic World Evolution 2 and the franchise at large.

A new addition (Image via Jurassic World Evolution 2)

Beyond that, Frontier Developments continues to introduce more and more new species that players can add to their parks. They have done an impeccable job of it with the latest Jurassic World Evolution 2 expansion and it's quite joyous to see the Atrociraptors banding up together, especially with their unique skins.

Jurassic World Evolution 2: Dominion Malta Expansion will surely appeal to the paleontologists within the players, and I am excited to see what the developers have in store for us in the future.