Jurassic World Evolution 3 quickly becomes the the series' best-rated entry, and not just because of the cute baby dinos

Jurassic World Evolution 3 is here, with Frontier's dino park simulator aiming to build on the solid foundations laid by its two predecessors. Even with Frontier's track record of creating some of the best management games around, there's always the danger that any sequel could be too safe and samey; a cash grab that leans heavily on the love of the previous games and, in this case, the IP. Well, cast those concerns aside, as Jurassic World Evolution 3 has received glowing praise from fans. Going off of its initial user reviews on Steam, it's the best-rated entry in the series so far.

I've got fond memories of the JWE series, most of which were admittedly forged in the moments where things go disastrously wrong. I recall my wife and I howling with laughter as an escape artist velociraptor (which earned itself an expletive-derived nickname that I'll refrain from including here) began snacking on our park's guests. However, it's just as enjoyable when things are going right - your exhibits are sprawling, your visitor numbers are huge, and your gift shops are plentiful.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 makes one particularly big swing though with the introduction of a proper breeding system. By placing nest sites in enclosures with viable male and female dinosaurs, you have the chance to produce offspring - yes, adorable baby dinos will be plodding around your park. Genetic traits from the parents can be passed down to the juveniles and will be reflected in their appearance and tendencies. You may also observe certain species sticking together in strict family units, while others will quickly integrate into larger herds. But it's not as simple as hatching some youngsters and letting them get on with their lives - juvenile dinos may have different needs to the adults, such as lower feeding dispensers that they can actually reach. While it's super cute, this new system also adds another layer of strategy to the experience.

The amount of freedom when it comes to park creation has also been expanded, with a new terrain tool being one of the big additions. A globe-trotting campaign also tasks you with building parks in some unexpected locations, such as Nevada, Japan, China, and Malta.

All of these upgrades, additions, and innovations have been incredibly well-received in the game's opening 24 hours. Its Steam user review score currently sits at a 92% 'very positive' rating, which is already higher than the lifetime scores of the other two games (86% for JWE, and 90% for JWE 2). Barring any future changes or decisions that irk fans and tank its score, that sets it up for being the best installment in the series. Fans are particularly impressed with its visuals and its optimization, even on less powerful, older PC hardware. As I anticipated, the new breeding mechanic and the baby dinos are a hit too.

Strong review scores from the press also mean that its average on aggregators like Metacritic (82) and OpenCritic (83) are higher than its predecessors.

So, a decent win for Frontier and Jurassic World fans here. Whether you're well acquainted with the series already and can expertly tell an ankylosaurus from an ankylodocus, or you're just looking for a new management game to sink your time into, JWE 3 is looking like a great option. If you want in, you can grab it on Steam here.

If you love all things prehistoric, be sure to check out our list of the best dinosaur games. Alternatively, our upcoming PC games guide will take you through all of the other big releases arriving in the near future.

If you give Jurassic World 3 a spin, swing by the PCGamesN Discord server to let us know what you think. Cute baby dino pics are also encouraged.