critics praised the dinosaurs featured in the game. sam loveridge of "gamesradar+" liked the variety as well as the cutscene that was displayed when a dinosaur is released from the incubation center. she enjoyed being able to control the jeep and the acu helicopter from a third-person perspective, a mechanic she applauds for allowing players to relate to the dinosaurs. she added that she "lost entire evenings to [the game] without even thinking" due to its relaxing nature. game revolutions paul tamburro praised the dinosaurs' design, in particular, frontier's attention to detail and the dinosaurs' animation. james swinbanks of "gamespot" agreed, praising the dinosaurs. he also enjoyed the need to learn each dinosaur's personality, requirements and behaviors, adding the process is "surprisingly satisfying". "game informer" s daniel tack liked that players can experiment with different genes, though he commented that it was not a "freeform experience". dan stapleton of "ign" disagreed and felt that unlocking genes was tedious, describing the process as a series of "mandatory robotic actions". while he liked the dinosaur variety, he lamented the lack of "pterosaurs" and aquatic prehistoric reptiles at launch. "destructoid"s dan roemer commended the inclusion of lesser- known dinosaurs species, singling out "giganotosaurus" and "deinonychus".