We’ve played them all, and picked our favorites to give you a few choices for the holidays and beyond as we wait for a new batch of great games from 2026. As it stands, our nominees for the best PC games of 2025 are:

1. INAZUMA ELEVEN: Victory Road

Intense football RPG action with a layer of anime polish can be quite appealing to either an anime or a football fan, but this one is more than that. It offers an almost endless amount of playable content thanks to a massive roster of characters, and a lot of replay value thanks to its single and multiplayer modes. There’s a lot to enjoy here, and a very rewarding journey along the way.

2. Dispatch

Joining Robert Robinson III on this charming and often hilarious take on superheroes is sure to have you very invested in its story and mechanics right off the bat. Dispatch hits all the right notes and brings a charming cast to the stage, while a riveting narrative weaves their lives together with the SDN acting as a binding thread. It captures your attention and manages to hold it long enough for this one to become endearing.

3. Hades 2

We always knew the long wait for this one was going to be worth it. Hades 2 is an absolute blast with its roguelike action-RPG gameplay loop, blending very well with its story and unique art style. Its potent combination of style, substance, and satire is sublime, while the combat does come with enough challenge to keep you on your toes. Look no further than this one for hours of quality fun.

4. The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered

If you haven’t gotten around to this one after playing the first game, or perhaps coming to the franchise after the live-action shows, this one is definitely going to have you invested. The remaster does a brilliant job of improving on the strengths of the original release, making it the best possible way to experience the adventure that awaits. For those of you already familiar with how it all ends, another playthrough is always on the cards anyway.

5. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

Every hour you sink into this action-packed JRPG is going to be worth it, with its story, characters, combat, and general allure drawing you in and leaving you with so much to do in its world. It’s also very replayable, which is a great way to keep the story going and your characters’ stories playing out on increasingly harder difficulties. This one does its genre justice and is a world that calls to you at every turn.

6. Absolum

With a combat system worthy of a chef’s kiss, accompanied by a roguelike gameplay loop that’s very addictive indeed, Talamh is a place you might find pretty hard to leave. The battle against the Crimson Order and Azra is the perfect excuse for some good old beat ‘em up action, and this one is excellent on that front. Between all the character archetypes on offer, it’s probably going to keep you busy for a while.

7. Clair Obscur Expedition

This one’s already winning quite a few awards and nominations, and with good reason. The Continent and Expedition’s beloved cast of characters are reason enough to fall in love with The Paintress’s world. But all of the adversity and loss they have overcome have you invested in the entire journey. It’s almost as if you’re a part of the expedition too, and the one who decides its fate. It’s an experience that comes along every once in a while to show you what a great game can do.

8. Hollow Knight: Silksong

This one’s release was among the year’s most pleasant surprises, and taking over a new adventure as Hornet was an absolute treat. The combat was familiar yet fresh, while the explorable world’s size and scope were overwhelming at first, and simply delightful as we kept losing ourselves in its confines. Add a very enticing art style and excellent level designs, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

9. Blue Prince

This is among the more unique ones on this list. Helping Simon secure his inheritance of the Mt. Holly Estate might not be the most action-packed game on this list, but it certainly stretches your mental faculties in your quest to locate the mansion’s hidden room. No two days are alike, and you’re soon going to be thinking about this one even when you’re not in your gaming chair.

10. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Oh, what an RPG this one turned out to be. With a massive map full of quirky folks, mysteries, intrigue, and some good old adventures to be had along the road, it was a sequel that stayed true to its roots while building out the franchise in a number of meaningful ways. The story is top-shelf, while an abundance of things to do is going to keep you quite busy as you play it all.

11. ARC Raiders

This extraction shooter has been among the few games we’ve visited almost daily, not because we had to, but because we wanted to. It’s been the perfect choice for a quick session where we kick back, and set out to meet other players in a world where the community has now made identifying friends from foes a part of the fun. Its design lends itself to the chaos that such decisions can cause, and you’re going to have a lot of unpredictably fun moments with this one.

12. Assassin’s Creed Shadows

With a perfect blend of the samurai and shinobi’s ways, and a massive recreation of feudal Japan to let those two archetypes loose in, Shadows is a great addition to the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Naoe and Yasuke are great characters, their skillsets lending themselves to some very interesting ways to achieve your goals. A stunning world and protagonists whose blades could strike from the shadows or the light is certainly an adventure worth having.

13. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

Cloud Strife’s fight against the Shinra is the perfect backdrop for an explosive story, combined with some incredible gameplay mechanics that make this one’s long-awaited PC version worth playing even if you’re not a fan of Final Fantasy. We’d recommend hooking up a DualSense to your PC for this one to get the most out of its haptic integration, while enjoying all of the visual bells and whistles that it has to offer. It’s the best of both worlds, really.

14. Monster Hunter Wilds

Beautiful biomes, a wide variety of impeccably designed monsters to hunt, and a plethora of quests to keep you travelling across the Forbidden Lands make this one a fine choice for those of you looking for a meaty RPG. Excellent build variety and deep combat mechanics, along with a charming world full of things to pique your curiosity, are more reasons to jump in and enjoy yourself thoroughly.

15. Lumines Arise

Simple mechanics can often lead to complex gameplay loops, and Lumines Ares is a great example of that. No two rounds of this puzzle game are the same, and it takes the concept of Tetris to a whole new level with a very unique visual design and audio design that weaves itself into the game’s DNA quite creatively. This one’s impressive and addictive, which is quite a potent combo.

16. Battlefield 6

Among the year’s best looking shooters, Battlefield 6 might have drawn a bit of flak for its campaign, but that does not take away from the fact that its shooting mechanics are very much on point. If you’re looking for a multiplayer shooter that shows off what your PC can do while also being a great option for those extended gaming sessions, this one has everything you need and more.

17. The Alters

If a game that has you creating alternate versions of yourself to progress further in its story sounds cool to you, you’re in luck. Jan Dolski’s story might seem quirky on the surface, but there’s a surprising amount of depth on offer here, and your choices carry a lot of weight in the bargain. This one’s among the most creative titles we’ve played this year, and is going to remain among the most unique ones we’ve encountered over the years.

18. The First Berserker: Khazan

Khazan’s revenge-fuelled rampage is a stylish, well-designed game that puts its combat front and center and challenges you to play it on its terms before it gives you the satisfaction you crave from a title of its calibre. With an interesting story and characters backing up the action, along with a distinct visual style to sell it all, this one is going to have you white knuckled as you take on its many threats.

19. Bionic Bay

Atmospheric, immersive, and mentally challenging, Bionic Bay makes excellent use of a solid premise to give you an experience that’s going to have you wanting more. It’s a test of your patience just as much as it’s a test of your ability to get creative with solutions to the problem in front of you. It’s exhilarating when you get it right, while the way it all comes together is a reward on its own with this one.

20. Jurassic World Evolution 3

With Jeff Goldblum coming back to the fold as Dr. Ian Malcolm, and a very encouraging approach to setting you up for success as you manage your dinosaurs and facilities, this one gets you locked in pretty quickly. We still go back to our parks for some routine maintenance from time to time, watching the dinosaurs we’ve helped bring to life thrive. It’s quite relaxing and a lot of fun until Extinction Now rears its ugly head.

And there you have it. These are the PC games from 2025 we think deserve your attention. But there has to be a winner, right? We’ve an inkling you already know what’s coming.

The winner of the best PC game in 2025 is

Clair Obscur: Expedition

Clair Obscur: Expedition , a game that has surpassed expectations and goes above and beyond to enthrall its players.

Its visual style lends it realism while leaving room for artistic flourishes. Its cast of characters sells its material so well that you find yourself even rooting for its antagonist. You’re going to be humming its soundtrack and maybe even listening to it in the gym. Its story is going to take you to places you might not be ready to visit. Its combat might fool you into thinking it’s an easy experience with no challenge involved. In short, it’s everything a great game should be, and is one that’s going to remain close to our hearts in the years to come.

And that’s a wrap on the best PC games of 2025! We’re looking forward to doing it all over again next year, and to keep bringing more of gaming’s best to your screens.

Let’s dive into the most amazing games of this year that can offer 50 to 100 hours (maybe even more) of great gameplay.

Ghost of Yōtei

Returning to your birthplace to avenge your brutally murdered family is cool and all, but discovering all the puzzles? Bonding with your ferocious wolf by slaying poachers? That’s where it’s really at. Ghost of Yōtei is excellent at seamlessly weaving optional activities into its exploration – be it Bamboo Strikes, Sumi-e Paintings – and making every single one feel unique. But maybe you’d fancy earning some new armor that can deflect bullets by stealthily infiltrating a teahouse for Ginji the Armorer. Perhaps earning an incredible Charm by assisting Ran the Bowyer. Slay Takezo’s disciples for the privilege to face him in a duel. And probably engage in some bounty-hunting on the side.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Mysteria Ecclesiae is out, meaning Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has wrapped up all its DLC, but even if you didn’t venture off the beaten path, Henry’s journey is still one of the best open-world RPGs of all time. Starting from nothing, slaving away in menial jobs, finding your calling as a blacksmith (or a hunter, or an herbalist, really, take your pick), and slowly building yourself back up, Bohemia is simply bustling with things to see and do. Lead a noble life, beloved by all, or become a no-good criminal, destined only for the guillotine. It’s your choice, and the sheer reactivity of the world is something to behold over the course of 100+ hours.

Jurassic World Evolution 3

The biggest and perhaps most satisfying game in the series yet, with 90 species of dinosaurs with juvenile variants added for the first time. And that’s not even including the dinos from Evolution 2, added for free post-launch. But even with the extensive campaign, community creations and challenge modes, the real time sink is in Sandbox Mode, as you perfectly craft the dinosaur park of your dreams, optimizing every single aspect…or watching it fall into chaos. It even features a custom island generator for when you (inevitably) have to start over.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

For all the ways that Ghost of Yōtei surpasses Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the former is missing one thing: Base building. Or more accurately, hideout customization, where you can adjust the very moss on rocks to cultivate your league in the most aesthetically pleasing way possible. Of course, Shadows has plenty of other content, from castles to attack, skills to master, loot (weapons and armor) to plunder, and so on. In fact, there are even new story quests, collaborations, parkour improvements, and Corrupted Castles to challenge.

Clair Obscur

On its own, the story is an absolute rollercoaster, especially when optimizing builds and employing the most broken techniques possible. Act 3 is where all bets are off, however, and Clair Obscur unveils the full gamut of its post-game. A painted serpent in the skies; the Flying Manor where a familiar foe awaits; the Endless Tower with multiple sets of challenges – there’s just so much to discover, especially if you’re circling back and wiping the floor with previous Act bosses. It would all be for nought without a superboss waiting at the end, but don’t worry – Clair Obscur has that too.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

There’s nothing quite like wrapping up Silksong after years of waiting, going online and then asking out of pure bafflement, “Wait, Act 3?” Because you can explore the world of Pharloom, ascend to the top, defeating its toughest bosses, and yes, maybe rescue a few Fleas along the way. But there’s so, so much more, beyond what you’d even expect (or prep for). So go and complete those wishes, discover even more incredible characters, and if you’re feeling especially masochistic, there’s the one-hit KO Steel Soul Mode for a true challenge.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered

Technical problems aside, the Oblivion remaster is a treasure trove of content, even without accounting for mods. You get the massive base game – a heroic quest to stop the Gates of Oblivion from manifesting in Cyrodiil, with all its side quests, quirky NPCs, and dungeons to plunder. There’s also various DLCs for even more adventuring (and arguably superior narratives). Play multiple builds, approach quests from different angles and most importantly of all: Endurance, endurance, endurance.

The First Berserker: Khazan

There’s more to The First Berserker: Khazan’s story than the revenge quest, least of all the retries required to best its bosses. Embarking on side quests and finding all the fragments of Ozma’s Diary is the route towards the best ending. But even if you’re content to explore or replay on higher difficulties, there’s also New Game Plus, which carries over all armor, skills and weapons, increases the level cap and lets you craft Epic and Legendary equipment. Best of all? Transmog for the true endgame – fashion.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A

230 Pokémon to catch and 65 Mega Evolutions only scratch the surface of Z-A’s content. There are dozens of side missions to complete, the Z-A Royale to grind through (complete with promotion battles), and online multiplayer, including the new Battle Club for four players to duke it out. And that’s without factoring in Mega Dimension, a completely separate realm where the true end-game, full of level 100+ threats, awaits alongside even more Mega Evolutions.

Donkey Kong Bananza

An out-and-out blast from start to finish with a story that can be finished in less than 20 hours. But if you’ve played a 3D Mario game, you know that’s not the end – it can’t be. There are 1000 Banadium Gems, and what’s a King of Kong to do but collect them all? DK Island and Emerald Rush add even more with the latter’s rogue-like structure offering even more replay value, and that’s before diving into the limited-time events each month for new statues.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach

When you can spend dozens of hours simply delivering packages, building bridges and ziplines, and admiring the sights, you know it’s something special. Fortunately, Death Stranding 2 offers more beyond that, from a healthy selection of weapons and targets to unleash them on to side quests with cameos from your favorite personalities to Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii as a Pizza Chef, no less. Otherwise, plan out your optimal routes and just have fun with the community.

Elden Ring Nightreign

With eight Nightlords and several other bosses in between, there’s room for plenty of killing in Limveld. Choose your Nightfarer, optimize that playstyle with different Relics and – if you like them enough – complete their personal quests for even more power. That’s the base Nightreign experience, not including all the Shifting Earth locations to explore. However, you can also challenge the Everdark Sovereigns, even tougher versions of the Nightlords, or venture into the Deep of Night for longer expeditions with cursed loot. And if that isn’t enough to keep you busy, attempt to solo everything. The Forsaken Hollows DLC adds even more content in the form of new Nightfarers, and new bosses.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

The original Trails in the Sky FC takes about 66 hours if you’re aiming for everything – recipes, side quests, perfectly optimized Orbments. The remake is just shy of six hours, but even if you’re focused purely on the story and side content, it’s a long journey, made all the more fulfilling with expanded cutscenes and more combat depth.

Where Winds Meet

Everstone Studio makes no bones about wanting you to get lost in its massive world, offering thousands of NPCs to interact with and dozens upon dozens of hours of content. Even outside of the multitude of weapons, mystic techniques and Martial Arts to master, there is such a rich plethora of optional activities to indulge in. Engage in Shuai Jiao (the Sumo before Sumo became a thing), venture into dungeons, or just run around and explore the massive world while helping those in need. It’s a truly expansive experience that’s only going to get bigger once other regions launch globally.

Hades 2

There’s a moment in Hades 2 when you think you’ve understood everything that the game has to offer – its various Boons, the systems governing its weapons, the Incantations. Then the way to Olympus opens, and a brand new game is laid bare. Of course, you’ll still be growing crops, optimizing your Arcana, maxing out Keepsakes, upgrading weapons and unlocking their Hidden Aspects, and most importantly of all, discovering pets to assist you in runs. And even after the ending, there’s yet more to discover and greater challenges to conquer the Oath of the Unseen.

This guide is all about figuring out how to check and increase Park Rating in Jurassic World Evolution 3.

How To Check Park Rating

To see how your current Park Rating is faring as well as get an idea of what you need to do in order to raise it, open up the Control Room. Here you can get a broad overview of everything from the number of distinct species to appeal and its modifiers to contracts that will help raise the rating.

How To Increase Park Rating

Each park will clearly outline a set of four specific targets to achieve in order to maximize the rating and be considered successful. These are visible in the bottom left of the Control Room’s Management tab, and apply to each star of the five star scale.

The foundations of any improvements will rest upon making as much money as possible, since most of the targets will require significant investment. These improvements themselves will lead to greater profits, but it makes sense to prioritize those that do over those that are simply money sinks such as shelter coverage or dinosaur comfort.

Focus heavily on the targets that involve increasing dinosaur numbers and diversity, as well as Guest count. Contract completion is also relatively easy to achieve.

That is everything there is to know about raising your Park Rating in Jurassic World Evolution 3.

This guide is all about raking in cash as quickly and efficiently as possible in Jurassic World Evolution 3.

Contracting

Frequently check the Management tab of the Control Room in order to browse Contracts. These can serve as a steady source of income if you can fulfill their objectives. Do this before undertaking upgrades or research as they often overlap, thus allowing you to reap the rewards for something you were going to do anyway.

Note the significant bonus cash reward for contract completion within a specified timeframe, if applicable. If you are not confident you can do it within the time specified, try to achieve any objectives that will get you close enough to completion before actually accepting the contract. Note that these contracts refresh automatically, so you are still on the clock to some degree.

Never expend the absurdly high $45,000 cost of refreshing the contracts list manually.

Fossil Expeditions

Your scientists can be an expense unto themselves, but they can also reap large profits. Dispatch them on global expeditions regularly, in order to bring home both fossils and minerals for turning quick profits.

Genome extraction is an added bonus for the purpose of improving the diversity of your dinosaur species.

While Gold and eggs are highly prized, they are also rare drops. The lowest valued fossils sell for $40,000 a pop, but add up in sheer numbers found over time.

Photography

You can earn cash for photographing dinosaurs in your park by simply visiting your exhibits in a vehicle. Whip out your camera and take some decent pictures. Photographs are judged for uniqueness of species and their behaviors on display in the photo, ranging from eating to swimming to sleeping. Both juveniles and adults count as distinct subjects, but avoid spamming the same subject over and over.

Note that you can reposition the vehicle while looking down the lens.

A number of bonuses can apply to the base value of photographs, including composition of the photo and subject count.

That is everything there is to know about making money fast in Jurassic World Evolution 3.

This guide is all about setting up Dinosaur Encounters in Jurassic World Evolution 3.

How To Build Dinosaur Encounters

Head to the Attractions menu, and select the Dinosaur Encounter building.

Either connect the Dinosaur Encounter building to a pre-existing Enclosure or place it first and then build a new Enclosure around it.

If not already appropriately populated, select dinosaurs to place inside the Enclosure.

Once hooked into your pathing system and powered up, it will be open to the public.

Best Use Of Dinosaur Encounters

Small herbivorous species of dinosaurs are the ideal candidate for populating the Dinosaur Encounter.

A handful of medium-sized dinosaur species may also be suitable up until they reach full size in adulthood.

The building is propped right up against the Enclosure fence, which should make pathing and powering easier. However, if you find that it just will not accept being placed on a pre-existing Enclosure due to some geometry issue, simply demolish just enough of the fence in order to place the building down, and then restore the fence so it forms a seam with the structure.
The Dinosaur Encounter’s food supply will have to be resupplied by maintenance every now and then.

The $137,500 investment is a lot, especially compared to the 100K cost for the Balloon Tour, but this Attraction revolves around the relatively quicker foot traffic, and should see a higher turnover. Grid draw is a mere one power as well.

That is everything there is to know about building Dinosaur Encounters for best effect in Jurassic World Evolution 3.

This guide is all about securing your park with Emergency Shelters in Jurassic World Evolution 3.

How To Build Emergency Shelters

Head to the Guests menu, and select the Emergency Shelter building.

Either select a preset Emergency Shelter building from the menu or create a custom one to your liking.

Select an appropriate location based on need and place the Emergency Shelter.

Once hooked into your pathing system it will be open to the public.

Best Use Of Emergency Shelters

Worst case scenarios are covered by Emergency Shelters, which are part and parcel of Shelter Coverage in terms of Guest Comfort rating.

They also provide security to your own park employees, and effectively prevent a sharp plummeting of the park’s Safety rating when something goes wrong.

Determining where to place them for best effect is made easy through heatmaps, but also by simply anticipating where problems are most likely to arise, such as Attractions that are attached to Enclosures, for example.

Some outcomes simply cannot be anticipated, such as calamitous weather, and you will have to pivot quickly to deploy maintenance and capture teams instead.

Storm Protection upgrades for buildings should be a high priority to mitigate the effects of weather events.

That is everything there is to know about building Emergency Shelters for best effect in Jurassic World Evolution 3.

This guide is all about plotting a route for Balloon Tours in Jurassic World Evolution 3.

How To Build Balloon Tours

Head to the Attractions menu, and select the Balloon Tour building.

Either select a preset Balloon Tour building from the menu or create a custom one to your liking.

Plot a route for the tour, with both commencing and ending points located at the building itself.

Once hooked into your pathing system and powered up, it will be open to the public.

Best Use Of Balloon Tours

Just about all species of dinosaurs can be visible on the Balloon Tour’s route.

Since the Balloon Tour can float right over various structures including other Attractions, as well as large unsecured tracts of land, Guests can entirely avoid dangerous land tours, and you can avoid massive security arrangements for worst case scenarios.

The Balloon Tour has no effect on your Transport Rating given its plodding speed, and is unlikely to be used specifically for traversing huge distances.

At a cool $100,000 to construct for just a singular Balloon to be deployed at any given time, it can be quite the investment. The relatively low load of two power to your network is the only upside.

That is everything there is to know about building Balloon Tours for best effect in Jurassic World Evolution 3.

This guide is all about enhancing your park’s Appeal by building Ziplines strategically in Jurassic World Evolution 3.

How To Build Ziplines

Head to the Attractions menu, and select the Zipline.

Either select a preset Zipline tower from the menu or create a custom one to your liking.

Select a point of entry and a point of exit.

The height of the Zipline will automatically accommodate the topography of the terrain it traverses.

Once hooked into your pathing system and powered up, it will be open to the public.

Best Use Of Ziplines

Huge herbivores are ideally suited to be the dinosaurs visible during Zipline traversal.

Ziplines can also function as an alternative to tedious foot travel, so you may consider using it to augment your Transport Rating between two points, perhaps even killing two birds with one stone with careful planning.

Ziplines do come at a hefty cost of five units of power to your network though, despite the relatively low price of $37,500 to construct.

That is everything there is to know about building Ziplines for best effect in Jurassic World Evolution 3.

Now, four years on from the launch of the series’ sophomore outing, Jurassic World Evolution 3 arrives on the scene, promising yet more iterative improvements and expansions on an established and successful formula. The end result, to little surprise, is a fantastic, addictive, authentic (when it needs to be), and riotously enjoyable game that, in spite of ultimately being only an iterative improvement on its predecessor’s mechanical foundation, still ends up feeling like an unmissable experience for fans of the genre and the franchise.

"The biggest of Jurassic World Evolution 3’s additions to the series’ gameplay foundation is juvenile dinosaurs."

If you’ve played the previous Jurassic World Evolution games (or, really, any game that fits the mould of the classic construction and management sim), you’re going to have a good idea of what to expect going in. Jurassic World Evolution 3 puts players in charge of building, managing, and expanding their own dinosaur theme park, building enclosures; genetically creating, modifying, and looking after dinos; looking at guests and their satisfaction levels and building a variety of amenities and park improvements in response; managing park finances and taking on different kinds of contracts; and more.

It’s the Zoo Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon formula adapted and altered to fit with the Jurassic Park/World franchise, same as the first two Jurassic World Evolution games- only this time, a number of relatively smaller improvements come together to offer what might be the most polished and easily enjoyable version of this already winning formula.

The biggest of Jurassic World Evolution 3’s additions to the series’ gameplay foundation is juvenile dinosaurs. Yes, that’s right- you’ll now get to see baby, miniaturized versions of all manner of dinosaur species that will then grow and thrive over time (assuming, of course, that you’re ensuring that they do), from adorable small-sized Lokiceratops to smaller, not-quite-mature versions of even the most vicious and ferocious looking creatures in the game’s expansive roster.

"Keeping an eye on those very dino numbers and ensuring that things don’t get too chaotic, is a big part of the core loop in Jurassic World Evolution 3."

That goes hand in hand with the introduction of dinosaur breeding. Players are now asked to pay attention to (and modulate according to their needs) the gender of each dinosaur in your park, because dinosaurs can and will now procreate. Though you will, of course, still be sending out expedition teams to bring back fossils that you can then use to modify and artificially birth new dinosaurs of different species, once they’re let loose in enclosures, dinosaurs will often mate and procreate on their own, leaving eggs in nesting sights.

That, in turn, means that your park’s dino population isn’t always going to be in your control- in fact, keeping an eye on those very dino numbers and ensuring that things don’t get too chaotic, too overpopulated, or problematic in any number of other ways, is a big part of the core loop in Jurassic World Evolution 3. It’s an engaging new layer on top of an already compelling web of mechanics.

On top of dinosaur breeding and adorable juvenile dinos, Jurassic World Evolution 3 also boasts a larger, more granular set of building, editing, and customizing tools, affording players greater control over their dinosaur park than the previous two Evolution titles.

Whether it’s through elaborate decorations of all shapes and sizes, the greater freedom you’re afforded in building and shaping dinosaur enclosures around natural environmental fixtures, or the creation and sharing tools baked into the game itself, Jurassic World Evolution 3 seems to prioritize player agency and complete freedom in customization over almost all other aspects of the genre- which, of course, is exactly what you want from a game of this sort.

"Taking players to a variety of maps across the world, Evolution 3’s campaign keeps things consistently fresh and entertaining."

There are, of course, also several ways to sink your claws into the game’s offerings, with multiple modes on offer. The meat and potatoes here is the campaign, which steps back from the toothier, more fast paced nature of Jurassic World Evolution 2’s campaign (which was still a lot of fun in its own right, personally speaking), and goes back to offering an experience focused on park building and management rather than dealing with a string of disasters of growing scale (though that does still play a part here- this is still Jurassic Park, after all).

Taking players to a variety of maps across the world, Evolution 3’s campaign keeps things consistently fresh and entertaining through well thought out objectives, great maps, and of course, an excellent gameplay foundation. The writing and voice acting are also surprisingly among the campaign’s strengths. This is obviously not a story focused game by any means, as you’d expect from the genre, but the cast of characters that provide voice overs (and missions) throughout the experience are generally quite colourful and interesting in different ways. Unsurprisingly, the star of the show is the legendary Dr. Ian Malcolm, once again voiced by none other than Jeff Goldblum itself, whose constant cynicism and Goldblumisms make for genuine laughs on a constant basis.

Beyond the campaign, there’s the challenge mode, which lets players take on specific scenarios that task you with different missions in locations around the world. Personally, I found the challenge mode way less engaging than the campaign, primarily because my preferred way of playing is to distract myself away from the main objective and spend an obscene amount of time just building up and perfecting a single park. If you want relatively shorter and more directed doses of Jurassic World Evolution 3’s construction and management sim systems, challenge mode is worth looking into- but I just don’t think that that’s where the game shines.

"For fans of the genre, the Evolution games, and the Jurassic Park series as a whole, Jurassic World Evolution 3 is an excellent love letter to all of those things."

There is, of course, a sandbox mode as well, where you can build the park of your dreams with exactly the ruleset that you want- including, if you prefer, no restrictions whatsoever. Sandbox modes are usually where games of this genre tend to get most of their replayability from, and sure enough, that’s very much the case here as well.

Though the campaign is, as I mentioned, a ton of fun, it’s the enjoyable and highly customizable sandbox mode that makes Jurassic World Evolution 3 as endlessly playable as it is- especially if creating and managing (and potentially causing chaos in) your own dinosaur theme park was a childhood dream you grew up with.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 isn’t a huge step forward, nor does it do anything radically different from its predecessors in a way that would convince those who didn’t like the first two Evolution games to dive into this newest entry. But for fans of the genre, the Evolution games, and the Jurassic Park series as a whole, Jurassic World Evolution 3 is an excellent love letter to all of those things, making it a must buy, just like its predecessors. Once again, Frontier Developments has made sure that life finds a way.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

All the classics, such as the Campaign, Sandbox and Challenge Mode, have returned with new locations, scenarios, and more to master. There are over 85 species to raise, with juvenile dinosaurs added for the first time. There are new attractions such as the Balloon Tour and Cretaceous Cruise, but you can also create an entire island from scratch with the Island Generator.

Of course, plenty of tools are also available for managing your park, but if you want to explore alternate paths for classic moments from the film, Chaos Theory is worth checking out. While paid DLC is a given, Frontier Developments will also add species from Jurassic World Evolution 2 for free, complete with their juvenile variants, starting with the Kentrosaurus.