Dinosaurs from another planet have crash landed on Earth, and it’s up to you to give them a good home in a special dinosaur zoo.  What kid wouldn’t want to design and run their very own dinosaur park?  Parkasaurus is a simulation game very similar to titles such as SimCity or Zoo Tycoon.  It’s available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.

You view the action in an isometric perspective and can start out with an interactive tutorial before you are let loose to run your park.  The tutorial is highly recommended, as it helps you learn the ropes and you can run your park from there.  You’ll build enclosures for the dinos where you can put things like grass, trees, water, etc.  Depending on what you put in the enclosures, you can make different biomes like rainforests or deserts to keep your dinos happy.  You can also hire staff like veterinarians, janitors, security, and scientists to help out in the park.  Scientists can work at a science building you create and earn points you can use on a skill tree to benefit your park.  There’s also a town you can visit where you can buy food, dino eggs, and more.  You can also view the stats of your dinosaurs, employees, and guests.  You earn money from visitors who donate, and the better your park, the more money you’ll earn.

Nothing wrong with the game per se, but I did have a couple of small problems with it.  This game would work best with a mouse, but like SimCity on the Super Nintendo, they did the best they could for the console.  Also, even though you can zoom in on things, the screen can get pretty busy and it can be hard to pinpoint where your dinosaurs and employees are.  You can find them by wading through confusing menus, but I wish there were a better way to quickly spot them.  The game can feel a little overwhelming after the tutorial, but seasoned veterans of simulation games will feel right at home.

Kid Factor:

Parkasaurus is rated E-10 with ESRB descriptors of Crude Humor and Fantasy Violence.  You clean up poop and dinosaurs can escape, but I didn’t notice anything too violent after that.  Strong reading and management skills are a must, so this game is best for older kids.

Tags: Game Reviews