It is safe to say that for years, fans of the original Jurassic Park have yearned to dive back in and explore the original 1993 park which we saw on Isla Nublar. Last year’s entry into the long-running film series, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, provided a tantalising taste of the original park as we discovered a large-scale model in Benjamin Lockwood’s Manor. Now, however, Frontier Developments have gone one step further, providing fans with an opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the sights and scenes of a 1993 Jurassic Park in the form of their new DLC, Jurassic World Evolution: Return to Jurassic Park, which will release this December.
This DLC is set to embrace the roots of the franchise itself – with new buildings and attractions which feel inspired by the classic source material, and other great entries into the franchise like Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis. The new DLC will add an assortment of fantastic new features – including new buildings like the classic Visitor Centre from the original film, alongside an Aviary which draws heavy inspiration from the design we see occupying Isla Sorna within the second and third Jurassic Park films. Both these buildings promise to breathe some heavy nostalgia into the parks which we will be able to create as part of this DLC – but they also tease something even better which is coming in this DLC.
Yes, that’s right – Pteranodons are finally joining the Jurassic World: Evolution line-up as the first aerial reptiles to become a part of our parks. Aerial animals are a feature which have been requested since the game’s debut, so it is incredibly exciting for fans to finally see them being introduced in the form of a Pteranodon. Whilst we are unsure as to how exactly these animals will function, it is safe to say that these creatures will be positioned inside the Aviary itself unlike other dinosaurs within the game – so it will be interesting to see if other Aerial Reptiles are added in the future!
Another exciting addition is the Compsognathus – a BRAND NEW dinosaur which will be one of the smallest animals to join the in-game roster. This game has been highly requested – especially after its return in Fallen Kingdom. Information suggests that this animal have free-roaming behaviours different to other dinosaurs, so it is exciting to see how this dinosaur will stand out from the crowd. The DLC will also introduce several other new elements – including a seven-mission story mode which will bring Dr Alan Grant, Dr Ellie Sattler and Dr Ian Malcolm back to both Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna after the events of the 1993 film. Yes, the Jurassic Park trio will be voiced by Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum respectively.
It has also been confirmed that a brand-new 1993 overlay will be introduced – adding new dinosaur models, textures for buildings and other details which will augment your JWE experience. This overlay will be available in all sandboxes, although it sounds as though Jurassic Park and Jurassic World objects and styles will not be able to be mixed together at this stage. That said, the DLC will still provide a brand-new avenue for play.
There is a lot to take in from the little information and pictures released. The iconic Ford Explorers appear in a picture, the Triceratops has a new skin and model that is JP accurate, the Stegosaurus has a brand new model and skin to match its Lost World appearance, and the Jurassic Park 3 Brachiosaurs also appear! With any luck, the DLC will also include the Velociraptor variants from both Lost World and Jurassic Park 3 – plus we’re crossing our fingers for Pternodons from Lost World and Jurassic World to flesh out the aviary!
This comes alongside a brand-new FREE update for JWE players, which will introduce a couple of fan-requested features alongside some bug fixes and other elements. These include the ability to place down toilets for your park visitors, and the ability for Ranger Team vehicles to be damaged by dinosaurs. Both new features, alongside others which we are no-doubt yet to uncover, promise to inject even more new energy and life into this game as it continues to grow and evolve.
Check out the full trailer for the upcoming DLC below.
There is also a new Species Profile now live for the DLC, which you can find here:
We’re very excited to get our hands on this new DLC! How do you feel about returning to Jurassic Park? Are you excited to revisit a 1993 Isla Nublar? Let us know if you’ll be playing Return to Jurassic Park on the 10th of December!
Source: Frontier Developments
