Jurassic World Evolution 2 Review: In the Shallows

While building a dinosaur theme park with avian and marine dinosaurs in Jurassic World Evolution 2 is enjoyable, the formula gets repetitive fast.

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Players can build to the seas and skies of the past with new dinosaur species in Jurassic World Evolution 2, the direct sequel to the original Jurassic World Evolution game and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. In Jurassic World Evolution 2, players take control of their own dinosaur theme park. They can design exhibits with vibrant biomes to keep their creatures comfortable and go on live capture expeditions or synthesize a vast collection of dinosaur species from DNA extracted from fossils in a bid to create the most profitable five-star park.

For the nostalgia, gorgeous graphics, and ability to bring dinosaurs back from extinction and interact with them directly and indirectly, Jurassic World Evolution 2 delivers an exciting park management experience that stands out from other similar simulations. However, the simulation mechanics can be somewhat limited, with few design and customization options, little variety in dinosaur behaviors, and repetitive objectives in the progress-oriented game modes that could alienate fans of traditional park-builders.

Jurassic World Evolution 2’s Campaign mode is incredibly short, feeling almost like an unfinished tutorial for the rest of the game. In it, players never deal with marine dinosaurs or searching for fossils and splicing genomes at all. Challenge mode is more what players would expect of a management sim campaign, listing various victory conditions for each Jurassic World Evolution 2 park location and pushing players to manage their finances, dinosaurs, staff, and guest experiences effectively while working to meet those conditions.

Chaos Theory is a new game mode added to Jurassic World Evolution 2 that lets players select a scenario from the Jurassic Park or Jurassic World series and try to correct the mistakes made in the movie. Players are guided by their favorite characters, including Dr. John Hammond, Dr. Ian Malcolm, Owen Grady, and Claire Dearing, many of whom are voiced by the actors who portrayed their film counterparts. These scenarios feel like the true Campaign and story mode of Jurassic World Evolution 2, and, while gameplay is effectively the same, the experience of building Jurassic Park versus Jurassic World and focusing on logistical issues like increased safety and exercising caution synthesizing dinosaurs feels both rewarding and immersive. This mode truly demonstrates what sets Jurassic World Evolution 2 apart from other park management sims: its connection to the film franchises.

Despite its name, Jurassic World Evolution 2 does little else to evolve the formula of the original. Players can still discover live dinosaurs in the wild or extract DNA from fossils that can be used to synthesize dinosaurs within the park. They can play with genetic material to craft hardier, longer-lasting dinosaurs, build guest experiences and amenities, and take and submit photographs of their dinosaurs and exhibits for extra money.

Once players get into a rhythm, tasks can start to feel repetitive. For example, once players manage to balance a dinosaur’s biome between open space, foliage, water features, and terrain, they almost never require further stimulation and will remain at 100% contentment unless they contract an illness, sustain an injury, or lose a companion. In addition, the only way to unlock more species and genetic options is to send scientists on expeditions, which rarely fail, but must be completed one at a time. The primary challenge does not come as much from random encounters or dinosaur behaviors and needs, but rather from managing finances and staff to keep the cycle going.

The most notable gameplay changes in Jurassic World Evolution 2 are the addition of avian and marine dinosaurs and their new enclosures. The avian and marine dinosaurs are breathtaking to watch, though their aviary and lagoon enclosures are often impractical and difficult to integrate into a park’s design when compared to the less flashy, mostly square electric fences for every other creature. There are a great variety of species to discover in Jurassic World Evolution 2, but significantly less that players can do with these enclosures than the typical attraction. Despite their prominence in the marketing for the game, players will have a hard time accessing these creatures until several hours into the gameplay.

In most management sims, players have the option of creating a park without the constraints of money or asset unlocking with Sandbox mode. Jurassic World Evolution 2 includes a Sandbox game mode, but it feels like a missed opportunity. Buildings, dinosaurs, and attractions, including the Aviary and Lagoon enclosures, are locked in Sandbox mode until players unlock them in Campaign, Challenge, or Chaos Theory modes first. This means players cannot test out assets and build elaborate parks until they’ve gone through a majority of these other, progress-oriented modes. For fans of park-builders with robust sandbox modes, this railroading could be a significant drawback of Jurassic World Evolution 2.

Jurassic World Evolution 2 offers much the same dinosaur park-building experience as its predecessor, but the inclusion of the new avian and marine dinosaurs adds depth and creates new opportunities for players to expand their dream park. Chaos Theory is a similarly brilliant concept that puts players in control to change the outcomes of their favorite Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films. Unfortunately, even with these notable additions, gameplay can begin to feel repetitive and shallow in both the lackluster Campaign and the multiple Challenge modes, and the locked options preventing players from exercising their creativity in Sandbox mode from the start may turn off fans of Frontier’s other park-builder sims like Planet Coaster and Planet Zoo. As it is now, it’s difficult to recommend Jurassic World Evolution 2 because, despite some great new ideas, the execution feels potentially alienating for its target audience.

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