After months of waiting and numerous DLC packs, we are finally graced with the pack I have been eagerly anticipating: the Jurassic World Evolution 2 Secret Species Pack. This pack brings forth a thrilling array of hybrids, adding an exciting dimension to the game.
While we initially encountered hybrids like the Scorpius Rex in the Camp Cretaceous pack and had the iconic Indominus Rex and Indoraptor at launch, the thirst for more hybrid creations lingered. Since the introduction of the Indominus Rex in Jurassic World, the concept of blending different dinosaurs to craft awe-inspiring bioengineered marvels has captivated me, and now, with this new pack, that dream has become reality.
We got this in the form of Indoraptor in the second Jurassic World film and then the Hybrids just went off the map in the third instalment of the World franchise. They did give us more in the DreamWorks Animation Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series but it still didn’t satisfy the need for Hybrids. Fast forward to Jurassic World Evolution 1 when we got hybrids in the base game. These were amazing and what I was after.
Then when Jurassic World Evolution 2 came out it was sad to see they took them out and I had to wait years for them to bring back more hybrids. The only new hybrid if you will is the Spinoceratops as it was introduced after JW: Evo 1 was released. The other three we have had before in the previous game and didn’t have to pay for them as they were in the base game. This was one thing that did wind me up as I would have liked to have seen different hybrids instead of ones that we have had previously.
The New Dinosaurs:
- Spinoceratops: This little cute showed up in the fourth season of Camp Cretaceous. Even though it is part Spinosaurus the Spinoceratops is a peaceful species. Instantly recognisable with its fin on its back and imposing horn it is a beautiful hybrid and one that also favours fish as well as plants. Fans of the Netflix series will be happy to see skins based on the dinosaurs from that show as well as many others.
- Ankylodocus: This is the largest bioengineered species in the pack. Having sharp spikes on its back and the iconic clubbed tail the Ankylodocus is a gentle giant and one that any park owner would love to put on display. Even more so since it has had a glow-up from the previous game and looks so much nicer. This model in the DLC pack I think is a fitting replacement for the one they used previously.
- Stegoceratops: First brief appearance on Dr Wu’s computer in Jurassic World. The Stegoceratops comes with the spiked tail of the stegosaurs and the horns of a triceratops. You wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of this herbivore. Again, the model has been updated since the previous game and we do get more animations that show just how cute this dinosaur can be.
- Spinoraptor: This genetically modified species is cunning and ferocious just like its parent species. Like Velociraptor the Spinoraptor loves to be in small groups. This was one of my favourite hybrids in the first game, so it is a welcomed addition to the DLC pack as I will love having it back on display in Jurassic World Evolution 2. The model does look nicer, and I love all the skin variations.
Each one of these hybrids does come with the bioluminescent skins which are fantastic, and more dinosaurs need these added to their list of skins. They did in a way start the process as Indominus Rex and Indoraptor also have these brilliant skins. You thought they looked awesome before then wait till you see them all under the moonlight. Your guests will love them, probably as much as I do.
The Good
I can happily say that more hybrids are welcomed in my parks. I have been waiting for so long for this pack to come out. It was nice to see the line-up of dinosaurs coming because I enjoy having three of them in the first game and getting to put them back on display is brilliant. Even though we have seen these hybrids before we haven’t seen them with the bioluminescent skins which is a skin line, I think enhances any dinosaur that has one.
Not to mention that it makes parks at night thrive. I love the fact that Indominus and Indoraptor have these skins added to them. The red on the Indoraptor and the greenish glow on the Indominus is incredible. The social, behaviour and kill animations are always things I enjoy when new packs come and these dinosaurs come with some nice ones, like Stegoceratops rolling in the mud, Spinoraptor holding onto the side of the fish feeder when feeding and of course the brutal Spinoraptor guest kill animation.
These were a sight to see and add excellent dinosaurs to a continuing growing good roster. Before I move on to the bads one thing I will outline in this section is the lack of fighting back the Ankylodocus has. It would have been brilliant to have this being the only sauropod that could defend itself against being killed. I mean it has a massive, clubbed tail but hopefully, this can be added later down the line with an update.
The Bad
One thing I would say about this pack is I don’t like the lack of new hybrids. It would have been amazing to see a hybrid flyer, hybrid aquatic or new hybrid dinosaur but instead, we get reworks of old hybrids that originally were free in the previous game. So, to pay £5.99 for them feels a bit harsh as Frontier could have given us these in a free update and then given us never-before-seen hybrids with the paid-for DLC pack.
The only real new hybrid game-wise is the Spinoceratops, but it is so similar to Stegoceratops that it feels like the same dinosaur, apart from the Spinoceratops can eat fish. It would have made more sense to bring out Spinoceratops with the Camp Cretaceous pack rather than wait until the hype has died down and give it to use in a hybrid pack that had three herbivores and only one carnivore.
It’s nice to have Spinoraptor back and I do like Ankylodocus’s new look, but I feel like this was a missed opportunity for the pack as they could have done so much with the addition of Aviarys and lagoons or they could have done a 50/50 split and gave us two herbivores and two carnivores. I would have loved to have seen one flyer, one Aquatic, one carnivore and one Herbivore but I’m hoping that there is still time for another pack to grace me with these hybrids.
Conclusion
For £5.99 to get dinosaurs that were originally free seems like a bit of a stab in the back. There is nothing wrong with the dinosaurs on offer in this pack and they are excellent additions to anyone’s park. I feel like they could have done a bit more in terms of giving us new hybrids, more variations in the hybrids or giving us our first aquatic or flyer hybrid but that wasn’t the case. The fact that we get bioluminescent skins for the hybrids kind of makes up for having them make a return but maybe should have reduced the price of the pack.
The new models and animations are again fantastic and bring them into the newer game. I was super happy when I first saw the Indominus Rex and Indoraptor bio skins as these are two of my favourite dinosaurs from the Jurassic Franchise. Overall, I think Jurassic World Evolution 2 Secret Species Pack lacks compared to its predecessor, I finally got a hybrid pack but it fell short of being the masterpiece I was hoping for.
When you look at Jurassic World Alive and see all the awesome hybrids, they come up with it would have just been nice to see Frontier do the same. Maybe they are tied with what they can make which if this is the case sucks but I’m hoping that this will be the first pack of a few that brings more hybrids to Jurassic World Evolution 2. For these reasons, I’m giving the Jurassic World Evolution 2 Secret Species Pack a 6 out of 10.
Jurassic World Evolution 2 Secret Species Pack Trailer
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