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JURASSIC WORLD EVOLUTION (Frontier Developments – PS4, X1, PC – June 12) – The Jurassic Park franchise has endured for 25 years and fans have had their share of ups and downs in that time, but the one thing they’ve never, ever had is a truly great video game based on Steven Spielberg’s cinematic masterpiece. How? How I ask is that possible? It’s dinosaurs and video games! One might think that would be like combining peanut butter with chocolate, but it really hasn’t been thus far. That all may chance in the not-too-distant future though, as Jurassic World Evolution is getting ready to make its way to a console near you.
How is it that this idea hasn’t been done already? Based on all of the gameplay footage we’ve seen so far, JWE basically looks a lot like Roller Coaster Tycoon, but replace the giant coasters with bioengineered prehistoric beasts. It’s a simple idea and one that makes all too much sense when you actually see it. This could well be the Jurassic Park game we’ve all been waiting for.
So far, all of the gameplay footage looks stellar. The creature design is perfect and the functionality of the game looks like exactly what one would want from something like this. You take Isla Nublar and build the version of Jurassic World you want to see. Not only will you be able to be a dinosaur theme park–complete with all of the problems that go along with the territory–but there is also a campaign mode to go along with it. While it’s early to say, if you’re a fan of this franchise, this might be the one element you’ve been missing.
Sure, the Telltale Jurassic Park game had some charm to it and filled in a lot of interesting story gaps, but the gameplay left something to be desired. And, a great many of us have an affection for the Sega Genesis game; but unless you’re at a Dave and Busters playing the JP arcade shooter, there simply isn’t a great game from this franchise to enjoy.
Will Jurassic World Evolution finally be that game? It will have already arrived by the time E3 rolls around (one full hour to be exact), but expect Frontier to be either bragging about it or apologizing for it at the convention, not to mention the sure-to-come announcements of expansions and other DLC to bolster the game. Either way, this will be something to pay attention to at E3 2018.
-Ryan Scott