Friends! How have you been? Big apologies for not bringing you the review for Jurassic World Evolution: Return to Jurassic Park earlier, but it has been a super busy few weeks. Still, this is a title that deserves your attention if you're a big fan of the Jurassic Park franchise! Take note however: this is a DLC that you're likely only going to want to pick up once you've played through the Jurassic World Evolution tutorial missions at the very least. To put it simply, it's for players who know what they're doing, and don't need any hand-holding.
Iconic characters renowned for their time in Jurassic Park are re-introduced to gamers, with Jeff Goldblum lending his voice to the Ian Malcolm avatar once more. He's not entirely convinced that we should be going back to Isla Nublar to give the dinosaurs another chance, but he's strapped in for the ride. Sam Neill and Laura Dern also return to voice their original roles of Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler respectively, making this one of the most enveloping experiences a Jurassic Park fan can enjoy.
Upon your arrival, you'll be given a number of tasks to right the wrongs of past events, and it's here that you'll really be thrown into the meat of this story. Unlike the original game, which brings the technology of Jurassic World to the forefront, it's back to basics with our Return to Jurassic Park. New dinosaurs will be flown in by helicopter, rather than being created in a hatchery; building designs will take you right back to the original movie with forensic attention to detail; and fans of the original novel will be pleased to see the inclusion of the Aviary, which never made it into the film.
My favourite part of the whole experience, however? The very fact your visitors are no longer allowed to roam wherever they choose, but instead have to take a seat in the instantly-recognisable Jeep Wrangler YJ vehicles. This means you'll have to plot the entire route through your safari park, ensuring that they're given optimal chance to enjoy themselves and get the most out of their trip. Get the meat-eating dinos as close to the track as possible, and they're sure to impress. Just also make sure to be quick to fix any problems that may arise as the result of a swift weather change...
When you've reached the end of the campaign mode, you'll be able to take all of your favourite classic items and dinosaurs back into the sandbox and challenge modes, allowing you to spend hundreds of hours with arguably the best additions the developers have made to-date.
This now feels like it's the ultimate Jurassic Park simulation video game. Fans now have the option to throw themselves into the past and play around with the original safari setting that turned the franchise into such a success; or move into the present day and enjoy the technological advancements that Jurassic World offered up. A real treat that I can't wait to spend some more time with.
Jurassic World Evolution is available now, with the Return to Jurassic Park DLC available separately, as an add-on to the main game. A code for Return to Jurassic Park was given to Female First in exchange for a fair and honest review. The game is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows.
Tagged in Jurassic Park