Jurassic World Evolution 2 Dominion Malta Expansion review: Is it worth it?
FrontierThe Dominion Malta Expansion is the latest major DLC pack for dinosaur park sim Jurassic World Evolution 2, but is it worth your time and money?
One year after Jurassic World Evolution 2 delivered what we called the “definitive dinosaur gaming experience”, another major DLC pack has arrived, this time taking players to the Mediterranean to explore the underworld of the dinosaur black market.
Just like the Dominion Biosyn Expansion before it, the Dominion Malta Expansion is a significant addition to the base game that comes with its own campaign mode, new dinosaurs, and new gameplay features that dedicated fans will definitely want to experience.
Jurassic World Evolution 2 Dominion Malta Expansion key details
- Price: $19.99 / £15.99
- Developer: Frontier
- Release date: December 8, 2022
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation & Xbox
Jurassic World Evolution 2 Dominion Malta Expansion trailer
New dinosaurs and a fresh location
The previous Dominion Biosyn Expansion felt like the first must-have DLC for Jurassic World Evolution 2, and our thoughts on the Dominion Malta Expansion are pretty much the same: If you love the base game and crave more dinosaur action, you’ll love this one too.
There are four new dinosaurs to meet this time around: the Atrociraptor, the Lystrosaurus, the Oviraptor, and the Moros Intrepidus. As you’d expect, they’re just as lovingly created as the other dinosaurs in the game, although it’s worth pointing out that they’re all quite small creatures – they’re certainly not going to make the same impression as a Tyrannosaurus Rex or a Quetzalcoatlus.
The biggest feature in this DLC expansion is the new campaign, which takes players to Malta and tasks them with managing parks across three locations at the same time. The campaign ties in nicely to the movies – it’s not an essential story by any means, but fans of the franchise will appreciate the lore-building that goes on.
FrontierWe praised the use of characters from the movies when Jurassic World Evolution 2 was released, so it’s nice to see that trend continue even in the DLC. Familiar faces in the Dominion Malta Expansion campaign include pilot Kayla Watts, Velociraptor trainer Barry Sembène, and even Soyona Santos, with their actors returning to voice them and adding authenticity to the campaign.
The Dinosaur Exchange takes center stage
One of the biggest new features of the expansion is the Dinosaur Exchange, which lets you buy various dinosaurs like the new Oviraptor. It’s a nice replication of the night market seen on screen in Jurassic World Dominion, where your purchases will influence trust levels – take in a bunch of dinosaurs rescued from poachers to give your trust with the Authorities a boost, or buy from shifty breeding programs and get cozy with the Underground.
Sellers also have ratings to indicate how trustworthy they’ll be at delivering on their promises, which makes the whole thing feel a little bit like shopping for rare collectibles on eBay. Overall, it’s a welcome addition that provides a quicker (but sometimes riskier) method of acquiring new dinosaurs.
FrontierYou can further influence your trust levels with the Authorities or the Underground by completing monthly contracts, which are offered at regular intervals. These contracts can be anything from keeping your dinosaurs disease free or encouraging your territorial creatures to start more fights.
You’ll also have to make choices that impact the running of your park: When a construction worker is injured during work on a new building, for example, you can take ownership and pay their medical fees or deny responsibility and put a dent in that all-important public image as a consequence. If materials for a building are delayed, you can wait and slow down your building time or source them from your contracts in the Underground for a higher cost.
These features are all welcome additions that help recreate the feeling of actually running your own dinosaur park, with all of the obstacles and moral dilemmas that would come with that. You couldn’t really ask for more from a DLC expansion.
The Verdict – 4/5
The Dominion Malta Expansion is a solid addition to the Jurassic World Evolution 2 experience. It doesn’t do anything dramatically different, but there are enough new features and extras on offer to warrant picking up your park manager hat once again.
Reviewed on PS5.