Its nowhere near as bad as the few hysterical nerds running amok on steam reviews are making it to be, but its certainly not as good as OG either, which is the really disappointing thing.
Well the problem are of basic design, for example there is no pause and shit keeps happening so you end up reacting instead of learning how things works. Also putting unlocks under 5 Stars ratings is fucked and I dont mean cosmetic stuff like skins since thats fine, I mean gameplay stuff like having a second dig team.
I say this because due to having to constant reacting to shit happening I was just dropping restaurants and shops to try to get the rating up but the way it works is from location, having then close to viewing platforms is what makes then work but that brings another issue, that maps are very restricted so you can building a viewing platform way at the back close of the enclosure to the end of the map but then you cannot build anything there, since there is no pause there is no way to look at the map and plan, in fact you cannot even plan a enclosure properly since a bunch of stuff is happening. There is not even pause when on the menu were you take on contracts, look at the financial state, send expeditions ... things keep happening and taking your attention of things that a real issue as I cannot just stop and think.
Another really shitty thing is fences, dont try to build a Raptors only enclosure because no matter what, those fuckers will just break it and escape thats fucking dumb ... steel non-electrified ones? sure thats the basic and I can see dinos when stressed enough escaping, Raptors should not escape the ones that are bigger as they were designed to contained larger dinos so smaller ones should simply not be able to break then, so how do you handle then?
You put Ceratosaurus and Raptors on the same enclosure, they will make the Raptors behave.
Now the problem with that is Ceratossaurus so far tended to attack anything you put with then so you would assume the Raptors would also be killed but it seems Ceratossaurus dont attack smaller carnivorous dino, the Raptors will attack smaller ones but with the bigger Ceratossaurus they just run away, this then makes then stop trying to escape but this should been explained, also it doesnt explain as far Raptors are concerned no matter what fence it is, its made of paper.
Other issues is making to manage everything, feeder is empty? have to manually assign a Ranger team to refill in that is just tedious. Also when you get a warning sign clicking on it does not send the camera to that location ... no, it just opens the map, Storms have no "open the shelters" button and you have to find a shelter and then click on the open, this is minor but since no pause you have to remember were you build them. Another stupid annoying thing is at one point there is a sabotage and you have to reboot a power station ... but the game never told you how since you cannot order Rangers to do it if their station is damaged/sabotaged/with no power so you have to go to the station, drive the car to the sabotaged power station and clock on the left mouse button ... this is annoying pointless busywork, its like game designers now think the way to make completing gameplay is making it obtuse, its not evenharder, just irritating and annoying .
Also doesnt explain WHY I cannot build things outside generic messages, considering the maps arent very big you end you just making things all over the place without any kind of plan, you start placing things not because they look good or make sense to be there (like shops near the entrance) but because its were you can fit then, since making enclosures is done in real time without pause this can became a pain in the ass as you try to make things were you can after the fact since you cannot pause and correct parts of the enclosure, another annoying thing is, trying to upgrade a fence and a dinosaur is someone close to it? no can do boss ... also no replacing the entire enclosure fence, it have to be by segments.
Its "not nearly as bad" but still pretty fucking bad due to poorly made decisions, making a non-pause management sim is fucking stupid not because "I can pause and queue commands so its easy" but also because it makes players to became too reactive, I cannot even plan expeditions and research without something forcing me to leave that menu and react, plus at times you want to speed things because nothing is happening but you cannot do anything.