Jurassic World Evolution patch adds more sandbox options and a high-stakes Challenge Mode
Nature finds a way faster on Hard mode
Dino-park management sim Jurassic World Evolution was great at capturing the visual style of the films, but that John Hammond experience of hubris and greed causing inevitable disaster? Absent. Yesterday's update to the game addresses that - while it adds a few things to the game's extra-relaxing sandbox mode, it also introduces Challenge Mode, a new way to play, unlocked from the start. You've got ornery dinosaurs, decreasing public trust and more to worry about as you rush to create a five-star park across multiple difficulties. Below, a patch trailer.
Jurassic World Evolution's Challenge Mode might only make a brief appearance in the trailer below, but it's the centrepiece of this patch. In this mode you've got a tight budget and a par time in which to create a five star park on Isla Nublar. While you're not forced to hit that par time, public opinion is steadily decaying here, and randomly assigned contracts can only be (expensively) bought out of, rather than ignored. As your park is awarded more stars, more of the tech-tree opens up, but you also have to pay more of your budget in fees to the Hammond Foundation.
There's four difficulty settings in Challenge Mode, and the highest - Jurassic - is apparently brutal. Unless you have contingencies behind your contingencies, you're liable to see many of your guests disappearing down a dinosaur's gullet, as they're extra feisty, and the island is frequently battered by ferocious storms. While the Campaign mode is still the recommended starting point for new players, you're free to jump right in at the deep end with this update. The patch also adds a few new contracts, fixes a few bugs and resizes some dinos to make them match the movies better.
Jurassic World Evolution is available on Steam and Humble. Normally £45/€55/$55, Humble's current sale has reduced the price a little. You can see the full patch notes here.