Jurassic World Evolution 2

Jurassic World Evolution 2
Developer(s)	Frontier Developments
Publisher(s)	Frontier Developments
Director(s)	Rich Newbold
Series	Jurassic Park
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S
Release	November 9, 2021
Genre(s)	Construction and management simulation
Mode(s)	Single-player

Jurassic World Evolution 2 is a construction and management simulation video game developed and published by Frontier Developments. A sequel to Jurassic World Evolution (2018) and set after Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S on November 9, 2021. The game received generally positive reviews from critics, who deemed it an improvement over its predecessor.

Gameplay

Similar to the first game, Evolution 2 is a business simulation in which the player constructs a Jurassic World prehistoric theme park. The game features more than 75 prehistoric species, including various dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and marine reptiles. Players need to build enclosures, aviaries, and lagoons to contain these animals for visitors' viewing. These animals have different needs, such as the type of food they eat and the extent of forestation they require in their habitat, that must be met to keep them healthy and satisfied. The game features a dynamic territory system which sees animals combating against each other for resources if they live in the same habitat. Their territories are constantly shifting depending on the resources available in their habitat. When compared with its predecessors, the game features a more complex artificial intelligence for the prehistoric species, which will now hunt in packs and interact with others more frequently and realistically. The terrain tool has been completely reworked, with players needing to plant the appropriate trees and shrubs for the herbivores to eat.

Players need to build various facilities and recruit scientists for research and incubating the prehistoric species. The scientists recruited offer different gameplay benefits, but overworked and disgruntled workers will sabotage the park and intentionally let the animals escape. To incubate a prehistoric animal, the player must first extract their DNA from their fossils. Their DNA can be adjusted to give the animals unique traits, such as resilience towards a certain kind of disease. Players also need to recruit rangers and veterinarians in order to keep the animals happy and healthy. To entertain the guests, players can construct different rides such as the Gyrospheres, which can now pass through multiple enclosures and be attacked by prehistoric animals. Guests are categorised into different groups with different interests. For instance, nature lovers are more keen to see herbivores, while adventurists are more interested in seeing carnivores. Amenities such as toilets, gift shops, and restaurants also need to be constructed, and players can customize them with different modules and decorations in order to meet the needs of different guests.

Unlike the first game, which is set on an archipelago, Evolution 2 is set in the contiguous United States and features various biomes such as forests and deserts, with each providing unique challenges for the player while they are designing their parks. The maps featured in the game are significantly larger than those in the first game. The game features various modes, including a campaign mode which is set after Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, a "Chaos Theory" mode which revisits key narrative moments in the films (such as constructing the Jurassic Park facility near San Diego, as seen in The Lost World: Jurassic Park), and the returning Challenge and Sandbox modes. Jeff Goldblum and Bryce Dallas Howard return to provide the voice for Ian Malcolm and Claire Dearing respectively.

Development and release

Official Logo for Jurassic World Evolution 2

Like its predecessor, Jurassic World Evolution 2 was developed and published by Frontier Developments. The game was announced by Goldblum in June 2021 during Summer Game Fest. The game's campaign mode is considered canon with the films, taking place prior to the 2022 film Jurassic World Dominion. Frontier worked closely with Universal Pictures, ensuring that the game fits into the studio's future plans for the franchise. The company was given access to Universal's collection of sound effects and theme music from the films.

Jurassic World Evolution 2 was released on November 9, 2021, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S. Players who pre-ordered the game will receive three vehicle skins inspired by The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

Updates and DLC

Like its predecessor, Jurassic World Evolution 2 will be supported post-launch with the release of paid DLC and free updates. The first DLC, the Early Cretaceous Pack, was released a month after the game's launch and adds four creatures from that era. The second DLC pack adds dinosaurs from the DreamWorks animated show Camp Cretaceous, and was released on March 8, 2022. The game's first expansion, the Dominion Biosyn Expansion, features a new campaign, new species, and new appearances based on Jurassic World Dominion, and released on June 14, 2022, four days after the film's release in the United States. The late cretaceous pack that was released on September 15, 2022, added 4 species: Barbaridactylus, Styxosaurus, Australovenator, and Alamosaurus

DLC and free content updates released for Jurassic World Evolution 2

Name	Content Type	Release Date	Description
Early Cretaceous Pack	Paid DLC	December 9, 2021	The Early Cretaceous Pack adds 4 new species: Wuerhosaurus, a stegosaurid, Minmi paravertebra, an ankylosaur, Dsungaripterus, a pterosaur, and Kronosaurus a pliosaur.
Camp Cretaceous Dinosaur Pack	Paid DLC	March 8, 2022	The Camp Cretaceous Dinosaur Pack is based on the eponymous show from DreamWorks Animation and adds 2 new species from the show: Monolophosaurus, and the fictional hybrid Scorpios Rex. The DLC also features an alternate model for Ouranosaurus, as the show featured a design that significantly differed from the in-game one. The pack also adds skins based on several individual dinosaurs from the series: a T Rex skin based on Big Eatie, a Kentrosaurus skin based on Pierce, a Carnotaurus skin based on Toro, an Ankylosaurus skin based on Bumpy, and Baryonyx skins based on Grim, Limbo, and Chaos. The pack also features 2 skins for the Parasaurolophus based on the fictional Parasaurolophus LUX, an artificial species of Parasaurolophus featuring bioluminescence on its spine. All added dinosaurs and skins were featured in the first 4 seasons of Camp Cretaceous.
Dominion Biosyn Expansion	Paid DLC	June 14, 2022	The game's first expansion adds a new campaign based at "Biosyn Valley", featured in Jurassic World Dominion. In addition to Claire Dearing, the campaign features former Jurassic Park consultants Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and the head of Biosyn, Dr. Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott). The expansion also adds four new species: Pyroraptor, Therizinosaurus, Dimetrodon, and Quetzalcoatlus. Two new variants for two species, Giganotosaurus and Dreadnoughtus, and six new skins (two for Tyrannosaurus, one for Dilophosaurus, and three for Parasaurolophus), all based on their appearances in Dominion, were also added.
Late Cretaceous Pack	Paid DLC	September 15, 2022	This expansion adds the Barbaridactylus, Styxosaurus, Australovenator, and the Alamosaurus. The Barbaridactylus is a nyctosaurid pterosaur from the Ouled Abdoun Basin of Morocco, Africa. The Alamosaurus is a sauropod from North America. Styxosaurus is an elasmosaurid from the cretaceous era. The Australovenator is, of course from Australia. This DLC adds no new skins to any creatures. Styxosaurus marks the second creature (Parasaurolophus) to have a "LUX" skin in the form of 3 patterns, green, blue, and a yellow-orange glow. The Alamosaurus is the second (besides Amargasaurus) to have a more distinct look, especially considering the slight spikes on its neck. The DLC costs 7.99$/€7.99/£5.99.
Dominion Malta Expansion	Paid DLC	December 8, 2022	The game's second expansion adds a new campaign based on scenes featuring an underground market in "Malta" also featured in "Jurassic World Dominion" and is set before the events of the film. The campaign features characters Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise), Barry Sembène (Omar Sy), and Ramsay Cole (Mamoudou Athie). The expansion also adds new buildings, a new mechanic named the "Dinosaur Exchange", where players buy and trade Dinosaur species in the black market as opposed to finding fossils and genomes in dig sites, three new islands based around the Mediterranean archipelago, and several new species: "Atrociraptor", "Lystrosaurus", "Moros intrepidus", and "Oviraptor". The expansion also features four additional variant skins for existing species, "Allosaurus", "Dimorphodon", "Iguanadon", and "Carnotaurus" based on their appearances in "Dominon". The DLC expansion costs $19.99/€15.99/£19.99.

Reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	(PC) 77/100 (PS5) 79/100 (XBO) 81/100 (XSX) 74/100

Review scores

Publication	Score
Destructoid	8.5/10
Game Informer	8/10
Hardcore Gamer	4/5
PCGamesN	7/10
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The game received generally positive reviews upon release according to review aggregator Metacritic.

PCGames N awarded the game 7: "Improves on its predecessor in clever ways and still boasts the most gorgeous dinosaurs ever made in a game. But dealing with disastrous events beyond your control still isn't any fun, even if it's thematic for the Jurassic Park IP".

Early sales on the PC were lower than expected, as the game was released during the same week as several other high-profile PC games. The home console versions sold as expected, and the game had approximately 500,000 players across all platforms within two weeks of its release. Frontier expected the game to raise more revenue than its predecessor within its first year, in part because of the upcoming release of Jurassic World Dominion.