Jurassic World Evolution

***Jurassic World Evolution*** is a business simulation game developed and published by Frontier Developments. It was released on June 12, 2018, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. A Nintendo Switch port of the game, titled ***Jurassic World Evolution: Complete Edition***, was released on November 3, 2020.

Based on the 2015 film *Jurassic World*, *Evolution* is a park-building simulation, in which players create a dinosaur park on a series of islands from the film franchise. Players work to maintain numerous elements of the park, such as guest satisfaction, safety, and dinosaur comfort, and are challenged by events such as dinosaur breakouts, financial setbacks and destructive weather.

*Evolution* has three main modes, Campaign, Challenge and Sandbox. In Campaign mode, players are tasked with developing parks on the legendary islands of the Muertes Archipelago, and are presented with contracts from the three main divisions of the Hammond Foundation, Science, Entertainment and Security, which in turn provide unique rewards based on the player's reputation with each branch. Jeff Goldblum, Bryce Dallas Howard and BD Wong reprise their roles from the film franchise to provide a narrative to the campaign. Challenge Mode allows players to create a park with adjustable levels of difficulty, resulting in the ability to unlock unique dinosaur skins, while Sandbox Mode provides unrestricted creative freedom for the player.

Since its launch, *Evolution* has sold more than two million copies, and has become Frontier's most successful game. To date, it has been supported by three expansion packs, the most recent being *Return to Jurassic Park*, released on 10 December 2019. Additionally, there has been four dinosaur packs released for the game, as well as a cosmetic skin pack and numerous free updates that include major changes to the base game.

A sequel, *Jurassic World Evolution 2*, was announced on June 10, 2021, and was released on November 9, 2021.

## Gameplay

### Park creation

In *Evolution*, players are able to build their own dinosaur theme park on Isla Nublar, the island featured in *Jurassic Park* and *Jurassic World*, as well as the five islands of the Muertes Archipelago, each with its own unique characteristics and challenges.

Players begin on Isla Matanceros, where the goal is to acquire a three-star rating to unlock the next island. While each island unlocks larger and more popular dinosaurs and facilities, players are able to travel across their different parks at their leisure, with the ultimate goal of the game being to attract a five star rating on each island in the Muertes Archipelago, which will in turn unlock Isla Nublar.

While earlier islands are generally idyllic, as players progress further through the archipelago, more serious challenges begin to emerge. On later islands such as Isla Pena and Isla Sorna, powerful storms are common and can disrupt power and disable fencing, allowing dinosaurs to escape into the park. Like in the original *Jurassic Park*, players also must manage potential sabotage from subversive elements within their own organisation if they neglect one of the park's three major divisions.

Players respond to these challenges by either relying on the game's AI or, in some cases, taking direct control over a ranger jeep or ACU helicopter to tranquillize a rampaging dinosaur, resupply feeders or repair damaged fences. Players are able to modify the environment of their parks by planting thick forests of trees, creating water sources and adjusting the height of the terrain. In turn, dinosaurs will interact with their environment, with different species requiring different environmental factors to prosper.

### Lore

*Evolution* draws heavily from established *Jurassic* lore, containing easter eggs and references to the first five films in the franchise. The in-game lore itself is, according to *Jurassic World* director Colin Trevorrow, "soft-canon". A key bridge to the films is the character Ian Malcolm, voiced by Jeff Goldblum, who acts as the central character and narrator to the events of *Evolution*.

Malcolm acts as the voice of reason in the game, warning against the inevitable chaos which will occur if the player adheres too closely to the three main department heads in the game.

Goldblum is joined by Bryce Dallas Howard and BD Wong, who portray Claire Dearing and Dr. Henry Wu respectively, reprising their roles from the *Jurassic* series. Owen Grady, first introduced alongside Dearing in *Jurassic World* also appears in the game in likeness only, as he's portrayed by A.J. LoCascio, rather than Chris Pratt.

### Dinosaurs

Main article: Dinosaur
At launch, *Evolution* featured 37 unique species of dinosaur, and 42 with the Deluxe Edition. The roster of dinosaurs includes most of the species present in the first five Jurassic film series, as well as a few species which had thus far appeared only in the original novels by Michael Crichton but also species which have no connection to the film or novel canons. The list of dinosaurs present in the game includes iconic species from the original *Jurassic Park*, including *Tyrannosaurus*, *Velociraptor* and *Brachiosaurus*, as well as popular dinosaurs from its first four sequels, such as *Stegosaurus*, *Spinosaurus* and the *Indominus rex*.

Dinosaurs are acquired by constructing an Expedition Center, which allows players to send paleontologists to real-world dig sites to gather fossils, which in turn provide DNA. Players can then integrate the DNA of a host of modern animals to fill sequence gaps, giving each dinosaur unique traits as a result. Once players reach 50% viability by extracting more DNA, they are able to release a dinosaur into an enclosure via the Hammond Creation Lab. Each available DNA strain corresponds to a unique trait which can be applied to the dinosaurs, such as their level of aggression, their lifespan and even their appearance. Alternate skin colors and variations are available to differentiate dinosaurs from one another.

Dinosaurs react intelligently to both the environment, to each other and to guests. Territorial species will fight to maintain dominance, while others are content to share their enclosure with other species. However, the individual needs of each dinosaur, such as hunger, thirst and adequate surroundings, must be maintained to prevent them from attempting to escape their enclosures. Often as a result of their large size, all dinosaurs, including herbivores, are hazardous to guests and must be contained to prevent panic.

### Divisions

In *Evolution*, players come into contact with key figures in the Hammond Foundation charged with the park's development. These individuals are affiliated with either the Science, Entertainment or Security divisions, each of which offer missions that help the player progress through the islands.

The Science division, headed by Dr. Kajal Dua, seeks to advance cloning technology and provide the park with complete dinosaur genomes.The Entertainment division, led by Isaac Clement, is responsible for ensuring guest satisfaction and ever more impressive species of dinosaur. The Security division, headed by George Lambert, is responsible for ensuring safety, while simultaneously creating more dangerous species to test the park's defenses. While players are encouraged to take full advantage of the benefits provided by a single division, this also leads to the potential of sabotage from one of the others if they feel they are not receiving proper attention.

## Development

### Background

Main article: Evolution pre-release timeline
*Evolution* was developed and published by Frontier Developments, who expressed interest in making a dinosaur game before they were approached by NBCUniversal. NBCUniversel chose Frontier Developments because of their experience with park management games such as Planet Coaster and Zoo Tycoon, and wanted a game to accompany the theatrical release of their 2018 film *Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom*.

The development on the game began two years or so before the eventual release with a team of approximately 100 people, and a budget of around £8 million. It was built using Frontier Developments' Cobra game engine. While developing the game, the team at Frontier worked to tie the game into the expanded lore of the franchise, watching all four films released in the franchise, and reading the original novels by Michael Crichton.

### Marketing

The game was first announced by Frontier Developments on 20 August 2017 during the Gamescom 2017 event, and the first gameplay footage was revealed on October 7 at Frontier Expo. On December 23, 2017, IGN released an IGN First Video previewing the game. Starting on January 19, 2018, Frontier began releasing weekly videos that featured individual species of dinosaur known as "Species Profiles".

### Dinosaurs

To create their dinosaurs, which they intended to be the best ever featured in a game, Frontier worked closely with Universal Pictures, which provided the dinosaur models and sounds used in the *Jurassic* films to ensure authenticity to the franchise.

The *Tyrannosaurus* was one of the first dinosaurs to be developed for the game, with the development team using obtained audio files from the films, altering them slightly to ensure both authenticity and realism. When possible, the team endeavoured to include both Jurassic lore and real-life paleontology, ensuring that the animals felt like Jurassic Park dinosaurs, while also retaining a degree of realism. For example, the *Edmontosaurus* featured in the game is based on its depiction on the *Jurassic World* website, however, it includes a small head crest based on the latest paleontological findings.

### Soundtrack

The soundtrack contains music that is featured in *Evolution.* The music was composed by Jeremiah Pena and it was released on December 14, 2018 with 39 tracks.

## Release

*Evolution* was digitally released on June 12, 2018 on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, with a physical release for consoles following on July 3rd of the same year. Pre-ordering the game granted players with additional vehicle skins unique to each platform.

*Evolution* features both paid DLC and free Update content additions to its base game after release.

### Editions and DLC collections

Alongside the standard edition, the *Deluxe Edition* of *Evolution* was released on the same day. It consisted of the base game and the *Deluxe Dinosaur Pack* which added five additional dinosaurs. A variety of bundles were released for each platform as more DLCs were released.

*Jurassic World Evolution: Complete Edition*, a Nintendo Switch port of the game, was revealed at Gamescom 2020 and released on November 3, 2020. It includes all the downloadable content and updates that had been previously released for the other platforms.

* *Deluxe Dinosaur Pack*
* Xbox One
  Premium Edition
* *Deluxe Dinosaur Pack*
* *Secrets of Dr. Wu*
* *Cretaceous Dinosaur Pack*
* *Carnivore Dinosaur Pack*
* *Herbivore Dinosaur Pack*
* *Raptor Squad Skin Collection*
  Jurassic Park Edition
* *Return to Jurassic Park*
* Xbox One
  Complete Edition
* All DLC

* *Carnivore Dinosaur Pack*
* *Herbivore Dinosaur Pack*
  Expansion Collection
* *Claire's Sanctuary*
* *Return to Jurassic Park*

### Updates

Main article: Evolution updates & DLC
*Evolution* is supported through the continual release of free content updates after it came out. Game updates may consist of bug fixes, minor additions, and new features. Some patches are notable for including major additions or features to the game.
The first major update, featuring dinosaurs introduced in *Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom*, was released to coincide with the film's release.

### Expansion packs

The first expansion pack for *Evolution* was *Secrets of Dr. Wu*, released in November 2018. The expansion featured new locations, new dinosaurs, and missions, as well as a new story involving Dr. Henry Wu, voiced by BD Wong. In the DLC, players are placed in control over Wu's secret facilities on Isla Muerta and Isla Tacaño, and become involved in the creation of three new hybrid dinosaurs: *Stegoceratops*, *Ankylodocus*, and *Spinoraptor*. The pack also added the large herbivore *Olorotitan* and the venomous small carnivore *Troodon*. Other additions included in the DLC are new building and genetic upgrades, allowing players to alter the social needs and requirements of every dinosaur species. Additionally, the pack also includes access to genetic material which allows the *Indominus rex* to camouflage.

*Claire's Sanctuary* is the second expansion pack for the game, featuring Bryce Dallas Howard who reprises her role as Claire Dearing from the movie franchise and her efforts to save the dinosaurs of Isla Nublar from the impending eruption of Mount Sibo by relocating them to Sanctuary. The pack features the *Albertosaurus*, *Euoplocephalus* and *Ouranosaurus*, the Jurassic Tour, Paleobotany and new locations.

The third expansion pack for the game, *Return to Jurassic Park* includes a plethora of content based on the original *Jurassic Park*, as well as its 1997 sequel, *The Lost World: Jurassic Park*, featuring new locations, dinosaurs and missions. In the expansion, players are aided in a new campaign featuring Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill and Laura Dern reprising their roles from the movie, as they work to reclaim Jurassic Park from the dinosaurs and open it to the public. The pack includes a new Jurassic Park themed set of buildings and attractions, as well as updates to dinosaurs such as *Velociraptor*, *Tyrannosaurus* and *Triceratops* to more closely match their appearance in the movie. Additionally, the pack also features new two highly-requested species, the tiny but vicious *Compsognathus* and the majestic flying *Pteranodon*.

*Secrets of Dr. Wu*
(November 20, 2018)*Claire's Sanctuary*
(June 18, 2019)*Return to Jurassic Park*
(December 10, 2019)
### Dinosaur packs

In addition to expansion packs, the game is also supported with Dinosaur Packs, which include a select number of additional dinosaur species. The *Deluxe Dinosaur Pack* was launched alongside the base game, and included *Crichtonsaurus*, *Suchomimus*, *Majungasaurus*, *Archaeornithomimus* and *Styracosaurus*. Late in 2018, the *Cretaceous Dinosaur Pack* expanded the game with three new creatures from the Cretaceous period, *Dreadnoughtus*, *Carcharodontosaurus* and *Iguanodon*. The *Carnivore Dinosaur Pack* expanded the roster of carnivorous species with the highly requested *Proceratosaurus*, *Herrerasaurus* and *Acrocanthosaurus*. In September 2019, the *Herbivore Dinosaur Pack* similarly expanded the roster of herbivorous dinosaurs with *Homalocephale*, *Nigersaurus* and *Dryosaurus*.

*Deluxe Dinosaur Pack*
(June 12, 2018)*Cretaceous Dinosaur Pack*
(December 13, 2018)*Carnivore Dinosaur Pack*
(April 17, 2019)*Herbivore Dinosaur Pack*
(September 17, 2019)
### Skin pack

The *Raptor Squad Skin Collection* is the only skin pack for the game, and grants access to genes allowing players to incubate *Velociraptors* with four new skin patterns based on the Raptor Squad from the *Jurassic World* movie.

*Raptor Squad Skin Collection*
(November 26, 2019)
## Reception

### Critical reception

PS4: 68/100
XONE: 76/100
 Publication

*Evolution* received mixed to positive reviews. Critics praised the aesthetics of the animals, in terms of both the design and graphics of the dinosaurs. But the gameplay was criticized in terms of the repetition in the simulations and management, while finding the learning curve too steep and tutorial unhelpful. Many praised the game for its faithfulness to the franchise, while others criticized its lack of depth and story.

The dinosaurs featured in the game were praised. Sam Loveridge of *GamesRadar+* praised the dinosaurs for their variety and for having distinct personalities. She also applauded the cutscenes each have when released from the incubation center, and the ability to control the jeep and ACU helicopter, saying it allows players to relate to the dinosaurs. Daniel Tack of *Game Informer* concurred that dinosaurs were the "star of the show" and praised the ability to experiment with dinosaurs' DNA for keeping the game engaging. Conversely, Dan Stapleton of *IGN* described unlocking genes as "painfully dull and repetitive" due to how many times it was required of the player.

The game's story and contract missions were criticized. Dan Roemer of *Destructoid* praised the voice acting, particularly of Jeff Goldblum, but felt the plot thread went nowhere, and wished the game included cheat codes to skip the story entirely. Sam Loveridge of *GamesRadar+* stated that the contract missions did not form a cohesive narrative, and though they did provide structure, the learning curve felt too steep. She also felt the game did not successfully inform players of key aspects of the game, including power distribution and landscaping tools, feeling this was a recurring problem for Frontier Developments. Philippa Warr of *PC Gamer* also critized the lack of variety of missions, and noted that the game would often teach the player mechanics that they would have figured out hours prior.

The simulation and park management gameplay garnered mixed reception, with reviewers enjoying building the parks, but finding most tasks repetitive due to having low stakes. James Swinbanks of *GameSpot* praised the joy of "watching your creations live out their lives in structures you've meticulously designed and maintained", but criticized the events that occurred. He said that natural disasters and dinosaur breakouts were exciting to deal with at first, but became tiresome. Stapleton of *IGN* expressed similar sentiments, describing dealing with events such as disease outbreaks as "mandatory boring tasks" due to their low stakes, and expressed disappointment that shooting tranquilizer darts at dinosaurs was not fun. Daniel Tack of *Game Informer* agreed and compared the cooldowns caused by these events to a "poor mobile game" found between the two "entertaining extremes" of discovering new building options and creating efficient housing at the start of the game, and building a park with limitless resources in Isla Nublar.

### Commercial performance

Five weeks after its initial release, *Evolution* had sold one million copies through digital and physical sales. Seven months after the game's initial release, Frontier Developments declared the game its biggest launch and revealed that more than 2 million copies were sold. As of March 2020, three million copies of the game had been sold.

### Accolades

*Evolution* won the award for "Game, Simulation" at the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards. It was nominated for "Excellence in Convergence" at the SXSW Gaming Awards, losing to *Marvel's Spider-Man*, and was nominated for "Best Audio Design" at the 2018 Golden Joystick Awards, losing to *God of War*. It was also nominated for "Best Game Design" and "Best Audio" at the Develop:Star Awards.

## Production credits

### Staff

 Producer
 Designer
 Artist
 Writer
 Composer

### Voice cast

 Dr. Kajal Dua
 George Lambert
 Ranger
 Transport Team
 AI

## Gallery

TrailersJurassic World Evolution Announcement TrailerJurassic World Evolution Pre-Order TrailerJurassic World Evolution - Launch Trailer
Images
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *Universal Brand Development*. Life finds a way to Nintendo Switch this November with Jurassic World Evolution: Complete Edition Retrieved March 3, 2021
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 O'Brian, Lucy (March 29, 2018). JURASSIC WORLD EVOLUTION WANTS TO SHOW YOU THE BEST DINOSAURS YOU'VE EVER SEEN *IGN*. Retrieved April 19, 2018
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Rougeau, Michael (March 29, 2018). Jurassic World Evolution Is A Chaotic Sandbox For Dinosaur Management Mayhem *Gamespot*. Retrieved June 14, 2018
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Frontier Developments. (March 29, 2018). Jurassic World Evolution - First Official Gameplay Demo [Video]. Youtube. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
5. ↑ Gilyadov, Alex (April 25, 2018). MORE JURASSIC WORLD ACTORS JOIN THE CAST OF JURASSIC WORLD: EVOLUTION *IGN*. Retrieved June 14, 2018
6. ↑ Krupa, Daniel and Murphy, Gav (May 7, 2018). THE FIRST 20 MINUTES OF JURASSIC WORLD EVOLUTION - IGN FIRST *IGN*. Retrieved June 14, 2018
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Chiodini, Johnny (March, 29, 2018). Jurassic World Evolution finds a way to be refreshingly different *Eurogamer*. Retrieved June 14, 2018
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Takahashi, Dean (20 June 2018). How Frontier leveled up movie games with Jurassic World Evolution *VentureBeat*. Retrieved March 3, 2021
9. ↑ Gies, Arthur (14 June 2018). 'Jurassic World: Evolution,' 'Elite' Dev on State of Gaming *Variety*. Retrieved March 3, 2021
10. ↑ Keyes, Rob (April 2, 2018). Jurassic World Evolution: Creative Director Michael Brookes Interview *Screenrant*. Retrieved June 14, 2018
11. ↑ Frontier Developments. (October 9, 2017). *Jurassic World Content Reveal* [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
12. ↑ Frontier Developments. (October 8, 2017). *First In-Game Footage - Jurassic World Evolution* [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
13. ↑ Walker, Alex (October 9, 2017). A First Look At Jurassic World Evolution *Kotaku*. Retrieved June 14, 2018
14. ↑ IGN. (December 23, 2017). *Jurassic World Evolution: Up Close With the Dinosaurs - IGN First* [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
15. ↑ Frontier Developments. (January 19, 2018). *Species Profile - Triceratops* [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
16. ↑ Krupa, Daniel (May 16, 2018). HOW JURASSIC WORLD EVOLUTION MADE ITS T.REX - IGN FIRST *IGN*. Retrieved June 14, 2018
17. ↑ O'Brian, Lucy (March 29, 2018). Jurassic World Evolution Gets Official Digital, Physical Release Date: Life finds a way on June 12 and July 3 *IGN*. Retrieved June 14, 2018
18. ↑ Krupa, Daniel (May 18, 2018). MAINTAINING ORDER IN JURASSIC WORLD EVOLUTION (DEVELOPER DIARY) – IGN FIRST *IGN*. Retrieved June 14, 2018
19. ↑ "Jurassic World Evolution for PC Reviews" *Metacritic*. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
20. ↑ "Jurassic World Evolution for PlayStation 4 Reviews" *Metacritic*. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
21. ↑ "Jurassic World Evolution for XBox One Reviews" *Metacritic*. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
22. ↑ "Jurassic World Evolution: Complete Edition for Switch Reviews" *Metacritic*. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Roemer, Dan (June 18, 2018). Review: Jurassic World Evolution *Destructoid*. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Tack, Daniel (June 16, 2018). Jurassic World Evolution, Life Doesn't Always Find A Way *Game Informer*. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
25. ↑ Tamburro, Paul (June 11, 2018). Jurassic World Evolution Review – Holy F\*\*\*ing S\*\*t, It’s a Dinosaur *Game Revolution*. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Swinbanks, James (June 11, 2018). Jurassic World Evolution Review: Life Finds A Way *GameSpot*. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 Loveridge, Sam (June 11, 2018). Jurassic World Evolution review: “A smart, expertly crafted dinosaur theme park sim” *GamesRadar+*. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Stapleton, Dan (June 11, 2018). Jurassic World Evolution Review *IGN*. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Warr, Philippa (June 11, 2018). Jurassic World Evolution review *PC Gamer (US)*. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
30. ↑ Arif, Shabana (19 July 2018). Jurassic World Evolution Hits 1 Million Copies Sold *IGN*. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
31. ↑ Dring, Christopher (15 January 2019). Frontier's Jurassic World Evolution and Planet Coaster both cross 2m sales milestone *Gameindustry.biz*. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
32. ↑ Kerr, Chris (20 May 2020). Planet Zoo has surpassed 1 million sales in under six months *Gamasutra*. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
33. ↑ *National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers*. (13 March 2019). Winner list for 2018: God of War breaks record Retrieved March 3, 2021.
34. ↑ Khan, Zarmena (17 March 2019). God of War Takes Home 'Game of the Year' at SXSW 2019 Gaming Awards *PlayStation LifeStyle*. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
35. ↑ Sheridan, Connor (16 November 2018). Golden Joystick Awards 2018 winners: God of War wins big but Fortnite gets Victory Royale *GamesRadar+*. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
36. ↑ Blake, Vikki (16 May 2019). Shortlist for Develop:Star Awards 2019 revealed *MCV*. Retrieved March 3, 2021.

## External links

* Official website
* *Jurassic World Evolution* on Wikipedia