Donny Yario

I didn't play Breath of the Wild but I feel like if I do, I'll be disappointed.

In the very niche genre of park building games, there's so much that could be done in a game and so much that developers can choose to focus on while leaving other things out. Jurassic World Evolution sits in the middle of the road for me in this regard. There are so many cool, unique features including the variety of dinosaurs, the genetic modification, research, fossil expeditions, the story arc, and the really unique contract and reputation mechanics. That being said, despite the game's excellence as a Jurassic World game, the game leaves a lot to be desired as a park building game. Where other park builders put a good amount of emphasis on the guests, park upkeep and operations, beautification, Jurassic World Evolution lacks. In a sentence, it's difficult to make the theme park in your mind; the resources the game provides are very limited. For example, the "scenery" tab which obstensibly contains exactly what you'd expect, is limited to a lousy selection of trees and rocks that can't be placed too close to each other. I like to compare this game to Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis because this game really is meant to be its successor. In that game, there were at least options to place various guest-oriented things like fountains and rest areas and while Jurassic World Evolution has it beat in the sheer number of available guest assets, it really hasn't taken the next step in terms of customization and variety. It is disappointing to see only one type of hotel, one type of restaurant, one type of bathroom, viewing platform, monorail station (or setup), etc. Eventually your parks end up looking like a cookie cutter subdivision. Hell, even the original Zoo Tycoon has a far better variety. Nonetheless, the game is fun to play and gorgeous to look at. It's challenging and in a way it's glaring constraints spark creativity.

Neil Jordan does an excellent job capturing the themes of Greene's original text and porting them into the impactful medium of film.