Parkasaurus Dinoluxe Edition Review – Roaring Good Time

Parkasaurus Dinoloxe Edition (PS5) Review

As a big fan of theme park sims and tycoon games, 2020’s Parkasaurus checked a lot of boxes. First, it had depth, with a number of nested systems and parameters to monitor. Second, it was something of a cozy game, in that it traded realism for stylized art and relaxed pace. Finally, it had dinosaurs to play with. What more do you need?

Parkasaurus first saw the light of day on PC, with the Nintendo Switch version appearing in 2022. The Dinoluxe Edition releases on Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The new version includes the game’s two DLCs, Prehistoric Wonders and Sea Monsters.

Loop Me In

If you’ve played other games in the genre, you’re already familiar with Parkasaurus’ basic loop. In some form or in some order, you need to build exhibits and park amenities, attract guests and make money while meeting the needs of the dinosaurs, and research new species.

If you’re like me, you often head right to the sandbox mode. But Parkasaurus’ campaign is worth spending time with, too, if for no other reason than to get comfortable with its mechanics and controls. The campaign is similar to that in Planet Coaster or Planet Zoo. Your task is to rennovate or improve a series of dinosaur parks. Each new park offers at least one puzzle-like challenge. The game’s two DLCs integrate seamlessly into the campaign by adding new tutorials and challenges specific to the content. Players coming to Parkasaurus in the new console editions will just be playing a game with all available missions, species and construction options.

Lighthearted Mayhem

Whether playing the campaign or in sandbox mode, Parkasaurus’ art and approach to the dinosaurs helps it stand out from games like the Jurassic World Evolution sims. The retro-voxel art is riotously colorful and goofy. The game actively encourages this approach through mechanics like having dinosaurs wear silly hats to attract visitors. That the game doesn’t take itself too seriously comes through not only in the art, but the expoitable jank built in to its systems. For example, first person mode allows you to explore the park from a visitor’s point of view. It’s main function is to turn the game into a first-person shooter so you can tranquilize escaped animals. Turns out, you can also tranquilize all the guests. Don’t worry, they’re fine (as Josh might say in Let’s Game It Out).

Terraforming and building are both done on a tile-based system, which creates blocky landscapes and buildings. One unique twist is that some terraforming mechanics will actually morph the landscape into an entirely different biome suitable for a new range of species.

Parkasaurus allows players to shape the parameters of the sandbox mode, from unlocking everything to gating some species behind research or economies. It’s always good to have options.

Tar Pits

Speaking of options (or lack of them) on the PS5, Parkasaurus is locked at 60fps at 4K with no other graphics options. Obviously, it isn’t an incredibly visually intense game, but it can get pretty cluttered when there are tons of guests, animals and attractions on screen. Zoomed in, some of the textures get blurry and the game feels like it wasn’t really built for close-up viewing. Players looking for realism will not find it in Parkasaurus, of course, but the dinosaur species and their general habitat needs are more-or-less accurate, though of course they can be ignored. You will either vibe with the art or not.

Tycoon and management sims have been on consoles for several generations, but have never entirely solved the UI/controller challenge. Parkasaurus has a lot of menus and submenus in various nooks and crannies of the screen. The controls get better with familiarity but they will never be as easy or efficient as mouse and keyboard.

If a purple tyrannosaurus wearing a sequined top hat sounds appealing, then Parkasaurus might be the tycoon game for you. Trading humor and a bit of weirdness for realism, Parkasaurus Dinoluxe Edition on PS5 has more gameplay depth than its visuals suggest, and the Dinoluxe Edition includes the DLC folded in. Aside from some awkward controls and an art style that might not connect with everyone, Parkasaurus Dinoluxe Edition brings a cozy, casual feel to what is often an intimidating genre.

***PS5 code provided by the publisher for review***