Jurassic World Evolution 2
- November 9, 2021
- Frontier Developments
- 23h median play time
When a title gets a grand number, it’s a video-game worth spending your whole life in.
Jurassic World Evolution 2: Deluxe Edition is the sequel to the 2018 management simulation game, featuring a new narrative campaign, expanded dinosaur roster, and additional game modes. This edition includes five unique prehistoric animals, six building signs, and three vehicle skins for use in Challenge and Sandbox modes .
Reviews
- story1,146 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story aspect of "Jurassic World Evolution 2" has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing it as overly simplistic and akin to a tutorial rather than a fully developed narrative. The main campaign is notably short, consisting of only a few missions that many feel lack depth and engagement, often leaving players wanting more substantial content. In contrast, the "Chaos Theory" mode is praised for providing a more immersive experience that ties into the film franchise, offering a better sense of story and gameplay variety. Overall, while the game features improved graphics and mechanics, the story mode is seen as a significant step back from its predecessor.
“The engaging storyline, complete with voice acting from key characters, provides context and purpose to your managerial decisions.”
“The story is short but interesting.”
“The story mode acts as a prequel to Jurassic World Dominion but also is the perfect tutorial to game mechanics.”
“The entire time I was playing the story mode, I was so incredibly bored by the mind-numbing gameplay, and the whole time I was thinking, 'Oh my god, when does the actual game start?? How many of these tutorial missions are there seriously gonna be??' and then the campaign ended.”
“In JWE2, the entire story mode is an insultingly trivial tutorial that unforgivably overstays its welcome.”
“The campaign is a mere 5 to 6 hours and the story is a blatant setup for DLC.”
- gameplay1,106 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Jurassic World Evolution 2" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting improvements over its predecessor, particularly in graphics and mechanics. However, the introduction of micromanagement elements, such as the scientist system and tedious tasks, has led to frustration among players, who feel these features detract from the overall enjoyment and flow of the game. While some appreciate the depth and variety of gameplay options, others criticize the repetitive nature and lack of clear tutorials, making the experience feel more like a chore than a fun simulation.
“Its gameplay loop is fun and enjoyable and the dinosaurs feel so real.”
“The introduction of new management tools and improved AI behaviors of both dinosaurs and park visitors contribute to a more dynamic gameplay environment.”
“Jurassic World Evolution 2 is an exceptional sequel that exceeds expectations with its stunning visuals, gameplay mechanics, and captivating narrative.”
“The entire time I was playing the story mode, I was so incredibly bored by the mind-numbing gameplay, and the whole time I was thinking, 'Oh my god, when does the actual game start?'”
“This god-awful system slows down the gameplay significantly, and is an absolute chore for both story gameplay and sandboxers alike.”
“The gameplay is constantly repetitive.”
- graphics1,014 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Jurassic World Evolution 2" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and realistic animations, significantly improving upon its predecessor. Players have praised the intricate details of dinosaur models and environments, creating an immersive experience that enhances gameplay. However, some users have reported graphical glitches and performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems, which can detract from the overall experience.
“The graphics are amazing, and I'm consistently stunned at the level of time and effort that has gone into animating every small detail.”
“The game's graphics are stunning, with realistic animations and detailed environments that make you feel like you're really running a dinosaur park.”
“The graphics are superb, rich in detail and the dinosaurs are beautifully designed.”
“Dinosaurs are all glitched graphically and in a zoo tycoon type game where the animals are the main draw, it's a pretty big issue.”
“The graphics may be just a little better but everything else is worse!”
“Even though the graphics are bad with an old computer, gameplay is really good.”
- grinding297 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 81 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being excessively tedious and time-consuming, with many players feeling that it detracts from the overall enjoyment. Reviewers frequently mention the burdensome micromanagement tasks, repetitive missions, and the need to unlock content through monotonous gameplay, leading to a sense of frustration. While some appreciate the depth of management, the overwhelming consensus is that the game requires an unreasonable amount of grinding, making it feel more like a chore than a fun experience.
“Sandbox mode is also much better; all of the research is unlocked straight away, so no grinding the story mode using hard-earned in-game cash to unlock scale patterns and genetic stuff.”
“So interesting and not tedious.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Tedious is the word that sums this game up perfectly, like if middle management was a person and that person designed a game for other abstract incarnations of tedium and they all sat around eating plain salt crackers drinking tap water and discussing spreadsheets. That's how this game feels.”
“The primary problem is the tedious excruciating grind you must go through across campaign, challenge, and chaos theory modes just to unlock even the barest minimum in the sandbox.”
“It's just a ridiculously tedious thing you have to do in order to unlock maps for sandbox mode.”
- stability196 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Many users experienced game-breaking issues, such as dinosaurs getting stuck, mission objectives failing to complete, and the game freezing, particularly as park size increases. While some players noted minor glitches that were tolerable, the overall consensus is that the game is plagued by stability issues that detract from the experience.
“Probably the most bug-free game I've ever purchased on launch day.”
“I appreciate the more simplistic park management, and the fact it wasn't buggy.”
“Runs great, looks great, plays great.”
“This game is ridiculously buggy.”
“The reason I am not recommending this game is because there are some major glitches such as rangers getting stuck, dinosaurs starving to death, and dinosaurs teleporting out of their enclosures, making most game modes difficult or even unplayable.”
“The game is very buggy and I wish they did more with it before release; I would not have minded waiting until Dominion released.”
- humor92 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- -2 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding the antics of dinosaurs—such as eating guests and engaging in amusing animations—hilariously entertaining. Many reviews highlight the game's references to the Jurassic franchise and the comedic elements of gameplay, including quirky dialogue and unexpected glitches that add to the fun. However, some players note that attempts at humor in dialogue can fall flat, leading to mixed feelings about certain comedic aspects.
“The game has a good dose of humor and references to the Jurassic Park/World franchise, which I enjoy and may please fans of the franchise.”
“It's hilarious that lawsuits are an actual mechanic in the game.”
“I couldn't stop laughing when I saw how many dinosaurs dislike Dr. Kajal Dua, lol.”
“It's not funny.”
“The jokes fall flat and feel forced.”
“I expected more clever humor, but it just didn't deliver.”
- music90 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in "Jurassic World Evolution 2" is widely praised for its ability to evoke the iconic atmosphere of the Jurassic Park franchise, featuring a mix of original compositions and familiar themes from the films. While many players appreciate the beautiful soundtrack and sound design, some express a desire for more variety in the music rotation, as certain tracks can become repetitive. Overall, the music is considered a significant strength of the game, enhancing the immersive experience for fans.
“The music in Jurassic World Evolution 2 plays a crucial role in creating the authentic and exciting atmosphere that fans of the Jurassic Park universe will love.”
“The musical score has been carefully composed to recreate the iconic sound of the movies and enhance the game's dramatic moments.”
“The sound design is impeccable, with realistic dinosaur roars, ambient park sounds, and a soundtrack that evokes the iconic themes of the Jurassic Park franchise.”
“Some music is the same every time; I'd like some more rotation to the music so it's not the same all the time.”
“One thing that is a notable step backwards is the soundtrack. The new tracks are so bland and forgettable, I'm not even sure if it plays music during the game itself.”
“The grandeur in music is no longer here, and I miss John Williams sorely.”
- optimization63 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues such as frame drops, micro stuttering, and crashes, particularly when managing larger parks. While a few users report smooth gameplay on high-end systems, many others highlight the need for optimization patches to address the numerous bugs and performance inconsistencies that detract from the experience. Despite its appealing graphics and gameplay, the game's optimization appears to be a major concern for a substantial portion of the player base.
“It has great graphics, gameplay (as much gameplay a city builder can give), and runs smoothly.”
“Game is also very nicely optimized and has great graphics.”
“Well optimized game, running a 1060 6GB, i7-7700HQ, 16GB RAM.”
“I experience frame drops and micro stuttering despite having a relatively high-end system (I run the game at native 1440p).”
“Completely garbage optimization and was released before the game was stable and finished.”
“Evolution 2, on the other hand, from day 1, has been riddled with all kinds of game-breaking bugs (mission objectives not completing when they should, important icons vanishing, vehicles and creatures glitching out, etc.), glitches, optimization problems, crashes related to the graphics and GPU, wonky animations from the creatures and other objects, inexplicable frame rate drops, and a myriad of other issues that would probably take a whole separate review to fully explain.”
- replayability58 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is largely driven by its sandbox mode, which offers extensive creative freedom and numerous layouts to explore, making it highly enjoyable for fans of simulation games. While the challenge and chaos modes provide additional content, some players feel that the campaign lacks depth and that the overall management mechanics could be improved. Overall, those who appreciate sandbox gameplay and the Jurassic franchise will find significant replay value, though opinions vary on its longevity compared to the first game.
“The game provides vast replay value - as not only many different layouts will make sense and are worth trying out for the sandbox mode, but the other game modes are also waiting, such as the campaign, and this other 'choose alternative designs from the original movies' mode.”
“It's kind of great how they've created a game that lets you really think 'well, could I do better here, really?' It's got some great replay value even if you know what's coming from the movies or just having played the game already.”
“For the money, it's one of the best management games out there as it has such a variety of stuff to do and it has infinite replay value.”
“The biggest factor is the lack of replayability.”
“I wouldn't recommend buying this until they fix the above issues as there is very little replay value.”
“Game has very little replayability.”
- monetization39 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it a "cash grab" due to the extensive reliance on DLCs that often feel like content stripped from the base game. While some appreciate the additional content, the overall sentiment suggests that the monetization strategy detracts from the game's value, leading to disappointment over the perceived greed of the developers. Despite some positive remarks about the game's enjoyment factor, the overwhelming consensus is that the monetization practices are excessive and undermine the experience.
“Where the first JWE captured the fun of JP as a park sim and gave us a fully voiced story, this one is a complete cash grab.”
“While a few of these features are still a welcome addition, a majority of the new features have come to be more annoyances than anything else, and while playing through the game and realizing I'm already 40% of the way through the campaign, I quickly realized that the 'DLCs' that the game has to offer is just content that was ripped out of the base game so they could sell it back to the players as extras. Incredibly disappointed in Frontier for using such greedy monetization methods that make the game just worse in general.”
“It is not worth the money they are charging for it; they could have done a massive update for the first game and it would have sufficed, but no, this obviously is just another cash grab.”
- emotional19 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, highlighting the joy and nostalgia associated with building and caring for their dinosaur parks. However, this emotional investment is often undermined by technical issues and frustrating gameplay mechanics, such as the aging and death of dinosaurs, which can lead to heartbreaking moments. Despite these flaws, many players find moments of wonder and satisfaction, making the overall experience both uplifting and occasionally disheartening.
“Building and improving your dino park to the best it can be is very satisfying. When it works smoothly, it's super wholesome seeing the animals just living and being happy.”
“Dinosaurs soothe my emotional cortex, associating this game with the joy of being a child.”
“I cried when I finished the Canada map in 15 hours.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, effectively capturing the iconic essence of the Jurassic Park universe through impressive music and vibrant visuals. Players appreciate the detailed animations and the colorful environments, which enhance the overall experience and engagement with the game's world.
“The music and atmosphere of the game manages to capture the iconic atmosphere of the movies in an impressive way.”
“The music in Jurassic World Evolution 2 plays a crucial role in creating the authentic and exciting atmosphere that fans of the Jurassic Park universe will love.”
“It captures both the epic and atmospheric side of the Jurassic Park universe and helps immerse players in the exciting world of dinosaurs and park operations.”
“Chaos theory still teaches you new stuff, but after getting you settled in, the atmosphere leaves you with a final goal that usually revolves around getting five stars on your park.”
“The creatures are gorgeous, animations give them all personalities of various degrees, and the atmosphere and gameplay have some differences.”
“Visuals and atmosphere:”
Critic Reviews
Jurassic World Evolution 2 Review
While it doesn't go crazy, Jurassic World Evolution 2 has almost perfected dinosaur-theme-park managers. Just ignore the weird voices and occasional bugs.
80%When dinosaurs ruled the Earth
The sequel to Frontier Developments' dinosaur park management sim gives players plenty to sink their teeth into.
90%Jurassic World Evolution 2 Review
There's still some way to go to make the JWE franchise a viable management sim, but this sequel goes a long way to right a lot of its predecessor's wrongs.
80%