Game Review: Jurassic World Evolution 3 (Xbox Series X)

Cards on the table, folks, I love Frontier Developments’ Jurassic World Evolution series. As a fan of builder and management simulators and the dinosaur franchise in general, what it offers has a massive amount of appeal. It’s why I eagerly lapped up the first and second games and would have, eventually, picked up this latest entry had the developer/publisher not provided me with a review code (thank you!).

I dig this franchise, but while I was very excited to experience a new entry, I couldn’t help wonder just how the experience could be improved. Jurassic World Evolution 2 was a great game, and while there is always room for improvement, there’s an argument that a whole new entry is unwarranted when the only thing different between entries are tweaks here and there.

Hell, sport franchises get away with it, right?

Here’s the thing though, Jurassic World Evolution 3 is so much more than some tweaks though. Frontier Developments have looked at their franchise to date, taken what works & improved on almost everything. Alongside that, they’ve trimmed the fat off, made the UI more accessible, made the management aspects more fun, and put the focus back on the dinosaurs.

This time the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ will be coming from a whole different set of dinosaurs, naturally born. Of course, the screams will follow soon enough.

Yes, the big selling point, and to tie the game franchise into the movies, is that humanity is trying to live alongside dinosaurs. However, conservation (the Dinosaur Integration Network) is necessary if they are to survive. The dinosaurs need to be looked after as they’re not equipped for this world. This is where ‘parks’ come in as conservation doesn’t come cheap.

Nor does breeding programs. If you want baby dinos running around, delighting and terrifying visitors in equal measure, you’re going to have to work, and pay, for it. That feeling of satisfaction that comes with a successful breeding program never gets old. You’ve given a male & a female everything they needed, and the result is an adorable baby dino, that thanks to the incredible visuals, you can see up close.

This is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best-looking entry in the franchise so far.

It’s also the most accessible, as the campaign mode takes a more relaxed approach, returning to the traditional park-building setup and putting the player in specific scenarios designed to showcase all the game has to offer. Sure, it doesn’t quite fit the latest film narratives, but personally, I am fine with that.

It also puts more emphasis on the contract system. This, the opportunity to turn big money bonuses, is a game-changer, especially on harder difficulties where every penny counts. More money, means more opportunities to make each park everything it can be, and allow you really put your personal stamp on things. No entry has allowed you to do this in quite the way that Jurassic World Evolution 3 does and it’s all thanks to the tweaks and upgrades.

Tweaks and upgrades like how you can use the scenery of a location as natural enclosures. How every building has a variety of customisation options that include its appearance, down to the lighting.

Some of it can be quite overwhelming too, such as the wealth of decorations you can choose from, as well as creating your own. For the first time, a park really can feel like your own unique playground. Allowing creative players to really add their own touches and show them off to the world via the Workshop. Where, alongside sharing your own, you can download and play other player’s creations.

Naturally, as fun as the Campaign mode is, it is the Sandbox mode that will keep players coming back for more, time and time again. Where every aspect of an island can be fine-tuned. Do you fancy making an Aquatic kingdom filled with fearsome beasts from long forgotten depths? Maybe you want a place where herbivores can relax amongst leafy forests and valleys? Or maybe you want a bunch of dangerous predators running around for your paying audience to see up close? Everything and anything is available to you, the park builder, via the most diverse entry in the series to date.

It’s been around 20 hours, and I’m still working my way through the campaign (gotta get five stars on every map, after all) and foresee myself sinking double that as time goes by. It really is that addictive, guaranteed to delight returning players and serve as a great entry point for those who may want to experience the franchise for the first time.