If there’s one thing we should all agree on it should be that the world is a much better place with more Jurassic content in it. Whether it’s the origin story of Jurassic Park or the expanded venture of Jurassic World, there is just something spectacular about watching those fascinating creatures come to life. Of course, as each film also shows it can, and does, go wrong very quickly with human input, however, we all have the belief we can do it much better than the films and Jurassic World Evolution 2 allows us a shot to prove – or disprove that notion.
For me, Jurassic World Evolution 2 was a big tick in all the right boxes, but that’s not to say that every addition can have the same impact so how does the first paid DLC pack fair in terms of quality content.
The point of the Early Cretaceous Pack is to add more dinosaurs to the overall experience and whilst I personally found the base game dino count to be impressive enough, there’s no way you’ll find me scoffing at the opportunity to see even more make their way through the hatchery doors.
For the price of £5.99, the Early Cretaceous Pack introduces 4 new dinosaurs to our parks, the Kronosaurus, Dsungaripterus, Minmi and the Wuerhosaurus.
The first of these, the Kronosaurus, comes named after the powerful King of the Titans Kronos and is one of the largest ever pliosaurs. Being a marine dino, the Kronosaurus comes bearing a unique behaviour pattern when compared to other marine dinos, which in turn makes looking after this deadly beast a challenge.
The Dsungaripterus is next and whilst I may not be able to say that name properly, it’s even more of a pain to keep under control. As the packs only flying dinosaur, this one is likely to be everyone’s most challenging effort, and for me, I certainly had my fair share of escapes before even getting close to any form of control. The Dsungaripterus does come with a unique look thanks to its distinctive head crest and long, upcurved jaw that sets it apart from the Pteranodons, however, this is one you’ll want to keep in small numbers to avoid any unwanted incidents.
The Minmi is a small, tank-like dinosaur and this one is a force to be reckoned with. What it lacks in size, it certainly makes up for in its devastating punch. Whilst the Minmi belongs to the Ankylosaurian family, the horizontally oriented bone plates that run along its back are a key difference to telling this one apart, this helps it with defence against predators. I’ve still yet to convince myself I can throw it in with a carnivore to find out, but let it be known the Minmi can get aggressive when needed. Fortunately, it’s not too difficult to look after.
Finally, we have the Wuerhosaurus, which comes as part of the Stegosaurid family, and this is without a doubt the easiest one of the four to look after. Sitting low to the ground, the Wuerhosaurus feeds off low vegetation and uses only the spikes on its tail for defence. It’s not the best of the bunch, it’s not going to start a mass riot, but it ensures a nicer and more calming dinosaur to entertain your park visitors with after dealing with the likes of the Kronosaurus and the Dsungaripterus and it’s also a cute little creature.
Whilst having each of these new dinosaurs is always going to be a welcome addition to any avid park builder’s collection, it has to be said that what you are paying for here is simply 4 more dinosaurs, there are no additional missions or challenges and when you consider the cost, that is a tad expensive.
Whilst I’m not sure what we should be expecting from these packs, it would have been nice to have seen some in-game items that cater to the pack such as buildings with a unique art style to celebrate the early cretaceous period or simply even a few more dinosaurs as whilst Jurassic World Evolution 2 certainly has a fair few to enjoy, there are still some amazing options such as the Utahraptor that would have been a beautiful addition to the Early Cretaceous Pack DLC.
Whilst gameplay isn’t massively affected by each of the included dinosaurs, it has to be said that Frontier Developments have done a fine job of ensuring that each creature comes fully detailed down to the final scale and they certainly look fantastic the moment they arrive in the park.
Conclusion
Whilst the Early Cretaceous Pack DLC doesn’t really bring anything game-changing, or all that exciting in terms of fresh content we haven’t seen before, however, the option to extend your dino collection is always a welcome one. Sure, the included dinosaurs could have been a little more exciting, at least where the Werhosaurus is concerned, however, the included choices aren’t terrible and managing the avian antics of the Dsungaripterus can be enjoyable.
Of course, with the new movie set to release soon, it will be interesting to see what comes next in terms of premium content for Jurassic World Evolution 2, however, there are still plenty of incredible dinosaurs to add and ideas that could be implemented, and if prices stay the same as the Early Cretaceous Pack at £5.99, then it won’t be breaking the bank either.
This game was reviewed based on Xbox S|X review code, using an Xbox S|X console. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.
