Ep 26. Jurassic World: Evolution

Zero Punctuation is a long-running web series hosted by the acerbic, fast-talking Yahtzee Croshaw. Croshaw reviews video games with a brutal honesty, quick wit, and a refreshing lack of filter. In the show's 26th episode of season 12, Croshaw reviews the park-building simulation game, Jurassic World: Evolution.

Croshaw begins the episode by summarizing the basic premise of Jurassic World: Evolution -- the player is in charge of building and managing a dinosaur theme park. Croshaw notes that the game is based on the 2015 blockbuster film Jurassic World, which he describes as a fun summer popcorn flick that was "too dumb to take seriously but too enjoyable to dismiss outright."

Croshaw then launches into his critique of the game, starting with the visuals. He notes that the in-game dinosaurs look "pretty damn impressive" and that the environments are "gorgeous and detailed." However, he quickly adds that the human characters look like they were "sculpted out of Play-Doh" and that the animations for them are stiff and awkward.

Croshaw then moves on to the gameplay mechanics, which he describes as "solid, but not exactly groundbreaking." He praises the fact that the game allows players to create their own dinosaurs and name them whatever they want, but he notes that breeding new dinosaurs is a tedious process that involves micromanagement and lots of waiting. He also points out that the game's AI can be frustratingly dumb at times, with dinosaurs constantly trying to break out of their pens and guests wandering aimlessly around the park.

Despite these flaws, Croshaw admits that he found himself getting caught up in the game's addictive loop of creating new attractions and managing the park's finances. He notes that the game's difficulty curve is well-balanced, with challenges that ramp up slowly but steadily.

Croshaw ends the review with a final verdict on Jurassic World: Evolution. He praises the game's dinosaur designs and addictive gameplay loop, but calls out its flaws in human character design, AI, and breeding mechanics. He ultimately recommends the game to fans of park-building sims or the Jurassic Park franchise, but warns that it may not be for everyone. As always, Croshaw's review is delivered with his trademark wit and scathing honesty, making for an entertaining and informative watch.