For MeinMMO author Ody, Jurassic World Evolution 3 wasn’t originally on the list of the best games of 2025. However, upon release, he was proven wrong – and could hardly keep his fingers off the game.
Actually, Jurassic World Evolution 3 (JWE3) should not have gripped me as much as it currently does. I haven’t played either of the two previous parts extensively, and besides, it is based on the Jurassic World movies. These rely too heavily on generically looking screen monsters for my taste – call them hybrids or mutants – as opposed to focusing on how cool real dinosaurs can be. This is unlike the Jurassic Park trilogy, which I loved as a child.
A few weeks before release, the list of new features seemed too tempting for me to simply ignore the game: Modular building like in Planet Zoo and Prehistoric Kingdom? Count me in! Plus, the new baby versions of the animals already looked incredibly cute and just begging to be cuddled in the trailers (which can also be done with the new petting zoo).
The hype for the game hit me late but hard. When the game was released on October 21 at 4 PM, I immediately immersed myself in it for 8 hours straight. For me personally, JWE3 is already one of the best games of the year. But what makes it so good?
A good building game that just happens to have dinosaurs
First and foremost, JWE3 is simply a good building game, whether you like the licence or not. Especially the modular building creates a lot of space for creativity that was simply lacking in its predecessor. Other park builders had a considerable advantage over the series, also because JWE always wanted to be as accessible as possible. However, Part 3 actually manages to cater to both camps.
If you want, you can now build your very own buildings and facilities from many different individual parts. They can be placed freely, opening up countless possibilities for individual structures. If you want to be as quick as possible, you can choose from some pre-made buildings. Due to time constraints, I have mainly used those for my parks, and they look really stylish.
Enclosures can also now be beautified much more easily, for example, with complex rock formations and strategically placed vegetation. In addition, the new environment tools should set standards for future park builders:
- Waterfalls now automatically occur when you place water down a steep elevation
- When raising and lowering the terrain, rocks appear that give the ground more texture
- Ramps can be easily created and bring a whole new level of verticality to your parks
All in all, it has never been easier in any other game in the series to stamp out a beautiful park.
Jurassic World Evolution 3 even rivals a game for true enthusiasts
When it comes to the selection of animals, the base game offers a good balance between more modern, nature-inspired designs and the classic designs from the movies. If you want to have the Velociraptors from the movies in your park, you have just as much opportunity as someone who wants to get a large, feathered relative of the T-Rex into the zoo. For me, as a fan of realistic designs, a clear plus.
The new babies top it all off: They behave as one would expect from young animals and bring fresh life to every enclosure.
With the new tools, JWE3 outshines its biggest rival for enthusiasts, which is Prehistoric Kingdom. The park builder is still in Early Access but already provides many things that the Evolution series has been lacking.
Prehistoric Kingdom still offers unique features – such as flowing growth in its animals (in JWE3, young animals immediately become adults after a while without any intermediate steps), designs based on the latest research, and extinct mammals. However, JWE3 has caught up significantly in many aspects and is, in my opinion, currently the clearly more rounded game.
If you want to build your own dino park like John Hammond, there’s currently hardly any way around Jurassic World Evolution 3. The game is not perfect, but on a very good path. And it can get even better if developer Frontier listens to its dedicated community and makes adjustments in the right places.
A new feature in Jurassic World Evolution 3 is, by the way, the buying and selling of dinosaurs. This works through an online marketplace in the game. You can quickly get new dinos, but caution is still advised when shopping: In Jurassic World Evolution 3, there’s Ebay for dinos, but you should be careful about whom you buy from
