Jurassic World Evolution 2 Review (Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 & PC)

Jurassic World Evolution sinks its teeth into the ideal sandbox—a place where you can not only incubate and foster dinosaurs, but witness them run rampant and, true to the nature of the franchise, tear the flesh from their spectator’s bones. Without having to lift so much as a finger, it captures an idea that, quite frankly, appeals to our morbid curiosity. Don’t get me wrong, it makes it so that the process of building a prehistoric theme park is a tremendous amount of fun, but at the same time it makes it so that even the worst case scenarios often culminate with a painfully entertaining climax. That’s a park-building game I can get behind, truly.

The second installment in Frontier Developments’ soon-to-be three-piece construction saga brings about a ton of fresh quality-of-life features and a brand-new Story Mode, the latter of which introduces a slew of new locations and post-Isla Nublar scenarios to work through. What’s more, it introduces Chaos Theory, an entirely separate branch of scenarios that pay homage to the movie’s pivotal moments and, through a series of interactive storytelling sessions, allow you to alter the timeline to formulate custom branching points and endings. To add, we have an even more in-depth customization suite, greater management flexibility, and a trove of never-before-seen fossils and blueprints to unlock and implement. So, quite a lot of bang for your buck, all things considered.

If you’re wondering whether or not Jurassic World Evolution 2 is the better choice over its predecessor, then be sure to stick with us a while longer as we brush off a few fossils and incubate a deeper review.

In the Wake of Failure

Jurassic World Evolution 2 takes us to the tropical plateau of a new prehistoric playground—an open-ended world of fascinating fossils and DNA strands, bottomless architectural blueprints and state-of-the-art defensive countermeasures. Similar in design to its original chapter, Evolution 2 grants us access to a swathe of barren land, a generous collection of fossils, and a sizable catalog of exhibits, vendors, facilities, and of course, modes of enhancing the environment through an in-depth genetic modification process. And at the heart of all of this we have a flexible, albeit often thought-provoking sandbox sim that prioritizes one thing over the other colony-building games of its kind: the evolution of prehistoric culture and the implementation of modern science.

Evolution 2 carries a tremendous amount of weight in its Story Mode, with numerous challenges, off-the-cuff curveballs, seasonal changes, and consequential decisions that ultimately affect the world for better or worse. There are foundations to build on, expeditions to launch, and above all, a meaty chain of quests to sift through over a timeline of thematic adventures. Like the original segment in the Jurassic World Evolution series, then — but with a few additional customizable features and avenues of play, naturally.

The good news is that, despite the second chapter housing a similar progression system as its former incarnation, the sequel does accommodate some new elements. In addition to the lengthy Story Mode and staple sandbox itinerary, we also have Chaos Theory to ponder, which we briefly touched base on a little earlier. This new mode, while still serving as a similar branch as the primary mode, brings about a lot of exciting changes to the series, including linear goals, themed quests, and a treasure trove of references to the source material. And frankly, it’s Chaos Theory, of all things, that elevates Evolution 2 to a new era of sandbox gaming, no doubt due to its inclusion of content that’s befitting of its movie counterparts.

Taking Another Bite

The gameplay is more or less the same as it was before, as are the tasks and business milestones that you have to complete in order to progress deeper into the isles and beyond. As before, you start with a large plot of land, and then, through the power of coin and pivotal upgrades, gradually increase your dinosaur population and, after a set amount of time, amass greater wealth, resources, and of course, guests. There are hotels to build, enclosures to erect, and, just like before, a wide variety of set pieces to install. To that end, I’d say that it’s still the same ol’ Jurassic World Evolution, though perhaps with a few more gadgets and gizmos and more graphical improvements. Oh, and not to mention a few extra technical fixes to help the wheel turn on its axis a little quicker, too.

Truth be told, the original Jurassic World Evolution fell short in more ways than one, with its lackluster campaign and restrictive gameplay mechanics sullying an otherwise excellent tribute to the franchise. This time around, however, you can visibly see and, more importantly, feel the changes that Frontier has made to boost the sequel’s quality and replay value. Is it still a dinosaur-based park management game? Yes. Does it do anything massively different to bolster the bones of its original blueprint? No. But it does, however, add more depth to the construction process, and not to mention plenty of extra avenues of play to keep you coming back for a second expedition.

Verdict

Jurassic World Evolution caters to an itch that we, as prehistoric enthusiasts and franchise fanatics alike, are unable to scratch with the usual suspects that tie in with the world-building platform. With thanks to its pulpy campaign and generously-sized sandbox mode, the second installment immediately claws its way through to the apex as a genuinely stronger and more well-rounded iteration of the original. It’s still the same Evolution, but with more avenues to explore and modes to play, as well as the fitting Chaos Theory endeavor to give die-hard fans of the movie saga a little extra freedom to bathe in the lore and incubate their own custom infusions into the pot.

Suffice it to say that, if you are looking to embark on that next all-important prehistoric journey into a sandbox affair that offers both creative freedom and an opportunity to bend the lore ever so slightly, then you needn’t look any further than Frontier Developments’ follow-up chapter to 2018’s Jurassic World Evolution. Simply put, it’s a slick adaptation that beckons to be gnawed at, and frankly, it’s one that ought to keep your appetite quelled for as long as you choose to bite the hand that feeds you, so to speak.