Jurassic World Evolution 3

The third instalment of the Jurassic World Evolution game franchise is the biggest yet. As with its predecessors, it is a dinosaur park management simulation in which players build and manage a functioning theme park with dinosaurs as the main attractions. The aim is to run a profitable park that keeps guests and dinosaurs happy — ideally without any dinosaurs breaking out and wreaking havoc. The game is aimed primarily at people who enjoy designing attractive parks and want to express their creativity — in German, this is called "Schönbauer". The economic elements have also been expanded slightly from part to part, mostly revolving around ensuring guest satisfaction and well-being, as well as keeping the attractions functional and the dinosaurs healthy. As with the other games in the Planet franchise, the focus is more on the creative aspect, but economics and management still play a role in the overall package.

However, the most significant new feature is the breeding system. Notably, baby dinosaurs or juveniles have been introduced for the first time, each with their own behaviour. It is now possible to breed dinosaurs (in a hatchery (more targeted genetic traits) or a nesting area (less direct control over genetics and traits)) while taking genetic inheritance into account. Gender differences are now more pronounced, with male and female dimorphism, and new social interactions have emerged among the dinosaurs. There are now over 85 species of dinosaur, 75 of which can be managed, bred and raised across generations. Breeding in the game requires the management of space, comfort, compatibility, fertility and the needs of both adults and juveniles. Juveniles have different and more specific needs than adults, and they contribute more to visitor appeal when they are well managed.

When designing the facilities and enclosures, players naturally have to consider the needs of the dinosaurs. For instance, semi-aquatic dinosaurs need to be able to venture into deep water, whereas flying dinosaurs also need to be able to walk on land. Additionally, the park design has been significantly enhanced by an expanded terrain editor, enabling the creation of cliffs, waterfalls, and intricate biotopes. It also introduces a fully modular building system, enabling players to swap out walls, change colours, and combine parts.

Players can test their park management skills in three game modes: Campaign, Challenge Mode and Sandbox. Campaign mode serves as a detailed tutorial in which players must take action at several locations around the world, striking a balance between competing human interests and a new adversary while ensuring that dinosaurs can live securely and peacefully. Jeff Goldblum returns as Dr Ian Malcolm, voiced by Martin Umbach in German. The campaign is longer than in the previous game, but the story is rather secondary, and it's not overly challenging either. Instead, Challenge Mode provides further opportunities to hone park management skills. There are nine challenges, the aim of which is to restore unprofitable parks, recapture escaped carnivores or make the most of existing facilities. Sandbox mode is the ideal canvas for creativity, alongside a new Island Generator. Another series first is the ability to share creations across platforms, allowing players to showcase their parks, dinosaur enclosures and scenery with a global community via the in-game Frontier Workshop.

The overall premise of Jurassic World Evolution 3 is fittingly encapsulated by the word 'evolution' in the title. Building on the series, it offers improvements in detail, dinosaur families, fancier parks and more creative tools. However, there is still room for greater innovation and better menu navigation, as well as a more diverse range of dinosaurs. Nevertheless, it is the strongest game in the series yet.

Following a course correction a few years ago, Frontier Developments is back on track. Its third-party publishing initiative (seven games), Frontier Foundry, largely fell short of expectations - though there were two notable exceptions: Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters and Stranded: Alien Dawn. Consequently, the British company withdrew from this segment. However, its in-house developed games, Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin and F1 Manager 2023, also struggled in the market. Consequently, Frontier Developments has undergone a complete reorientation and is now focusing exclusively on creative management simulation games (CMS), such as Planet Coaster/Zoo and Jurassic World Evolution.

The company now plans to release a new CMS every year, with each game developed over a three-year production period. They also intend to nurture their established franchises and keep games alive with DLCs.

In FY25, Frontier's CMS games accounted for 77% of total revenue (compared to 62% in FY24 and 58% in FY23), with the remainder coming from Elite Dangerous and Frontier Foundry games. CMS games grew by 25% year-on-year. Planet Zoo generated 25% of the company's revenue in FY25, while the Planet Coaster and Jurassic World Evolution franchises generated 25% and 27% respectively. The company keeps its games relevant by releasing DLCs and updates.

Their last CMS was Planet Coaster 2 (2024), of which over 600,000 copies of the base game were sold. With six major free updates over six months, they significantly improved player sentiment, which was initially mixed but is now positive. This was also due to a 'monetisation reboot', which relied on the proven strategy of offering both free and paid content. The Jurassic World Evolution franchise is particularly important to Frontier, and like their other games, the first two instalments were supported for a long time with content updates and DLCs, especially after the films were released, which generated a lot of interest. "The franchise has had a strong start to FY26 [note: this year] through enhanced promotional activity around the Rebirth film," said Frontier.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 was released on 21 October 2025. It is currently available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with the standard edition priced at £49.99/$59.99/€59.99 and the Deluxe Edition priced at £64.99/$74.99/€74.99. The Deluxe Upgrade includes an additional four dinosaur species (Protoceratops, Guanlong, Thanatosdrakon and Concavenator), a Mosasaurus skin, the "Clark County" scenery items pack (53 items), and three terrain vehicle skins.

Conclusion

Bigger and better: Jurassic World Evolution 3 is the best game in the series yet, but it clings a little too closely to its familiar roots.

Features

• Dinosaur Park Simulation, now with juvenile dinosaurs and better breeding options
• More creative tools, and integration of the Frontier Workshop (UGC)
• Excellently recreated Jurassic World atmosphere