Welcome to the first installment in the Spotlight series, where we will take an in depth look at either an upcoming film, video game or novel. Detailing everything there is to know about the upcoming release and our own personal thoughts. To start things off, and following on from our recent Top 10 Moments from the Jurassic Park Franchise article with @JurassicCollect, we’re going to take a look at the upcoming Jurassic World: Evolution
After first being announced at Gamescom 2017 Jurassic World: Evolution quickly became one of the more anticipated games of 2018. A spiritual successor to the cult classic Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis with an update flair taken from the Jurassic World film.
However it wasn’t just the general premise of venturing back into the dinosaur park building simulator that had people excited (Although, how does that idea not excite you?), but it was also the announcement of which company was on board to create the game and the announcement trailer that showed off a beautifully crafted first look at the game.
Frontier Developments have previous history in the park building simulator genre, with their previous games Zoo Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 receiving 7.1 and 7.8 scores from Gamespot respectively. Scores, that whilst really good, still perhaps do not match the level of fan appreciation surrounding these titles.
Needless to say the announcement that Frontier Developments had been gifted the opportunity to craft the next great Jurassic park simulator would be satisfactory on its own to get the juices flowing. But the announcement trailer offered more than most announcement trailers do in the modern gaming industry, and since its release Frontier Developments have been steadily releasing promising gameplay footage, screenshots and information that have continued to whet the appetite of eager fans.
Frontier’s Chief Creative Officer, Jonny Watts: “As long-time fans of the entire Jurassic series we’re thrilled to be putting players in charge of their own Jurassic World. We’re excited to bring over fifteen years of management, simulation, and creature development expertise to a destination and franchise that remains an inspiration to us.”
That expertise and passion for the franchise is already shining through to the game (Presuming that the finished product lives up to pre-released footage and screenshots, unlike releases such as WatchDogs).
As of the time of this writing not too much is known about how the game will actually play. However, we do know the following:
- There are 3 paths for you to follow whilst building your park – Entertainment, Security and Science
Immediately this offers replayability to the game, and whilst you may try to balance all 3 paths, it has been hinted at that your objectives through each branch may contradict with each other, making it difficult to build a park that compliments all 3 aspects.
- The game will take place on Isla Nublar and the surrounding islands of the Muertes Archipelago (The Five Deaths)
It’s not entirely clear how this feature will be implemented, but it appears to be as though this will work as an in-built leveling system whereby you proceed to the next island after doing well on the first and so on.
- Dig sites are returning
How the specific mechanics of this feature work into the game are as of right now murky at best, but it appears as though you spend points to work in a given dig-site and a countdown then begins before bringing in dino bones etc. but at this point that is guess work.
- A dynamic weather system/Emergencies
Tornadoes weren’t uncommon in Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis, and whilst disastrous weather like this hasn’t been taken out of the game completely Frontier Developments have emphasized the desire to not have these sort of events constantly taking you away from the management of your park. Similarly, you will have to manage your dinosaurs in order to prevent them from escaping and rampaging through your park.
It’s currently unclear whether the game features a “Site B” mode in the vein of Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis, but it’s certainly something that a lot of fans will be calling for so that’s one thing to keep an eye on going forward.
With that being said, it’s unlikely that the game will only feature one game mode, so expect more to be announced over the coming months, with any Site B mode saved until just prior to release or kept secret entirely.
Jurassic World: Evolution releases Summer 2018 to PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
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