When I’m not playing video games or writing reviews for them, there’s a good chance I’m doing something involving animals. My husband and I have pretty much always owned a ridiculous number of pets, and outside of caring for these we love trips to zoos and aquariums. I’m not saying this because we’re cool and unique though, because pretty much everyone loves animals in some form or another. You’d think there’d be more games for animal lovers because of this, but so often animals are just cute companions in more boring human games. Don’t worry though because Planet Zoo 2 has more animals than you could possibly imagine in its digital exhibits, and could easily be one of the best games of this stacked year.
I was given the opportunity to preview Planet Zoo 2 for two hours, and in that time I got to see so many of the elements that make this tycoon game tick. With a story based on the importance of conservation and treating animals right, it only makes sense this journey begins outside of the zoo gates. The first of the few stages of the campaign mode I was permitted to play started in an African conservation area, and didn’t involve putting up walls and building toilets.
I was given free roam of the plains of Africa with my deliberately goofy looking custom character, with the ability to walk or drive a little buggy to scope out the animals. I saw all sorts of majestic creatures on this adventure, and was encouraged to take plenty of photos with my camera to earn points and document the creatures in question. Finding a nice spot to photograph zebras and discover baby hippos brought me back to the joy of playing Pokémon Snap, and wasn’t something I was expecting from a tycoon game.
The second stage took me back into more familiar tycoon territory though, with a zoo in need of assistance and some animals in need of a good home. I’d always been a little intimidated by Planet Zoo as a series, worrying the complexity of its systems would be a bit much for an old school management fan. Building enclosures though is made incredibly simple, with a range of tools to create walls, windows and enrichment items with ease.
There’s a lot to think about when housing a new exotic animal in your park, but the needs of each one are very simply displayed. Anything your new lion isn’t happy about will be shown by various red and yellow happiness bars, and by clicking them you’ll be taken to what you need to fix it. Maybe your new exhibit doesn’t have enough soil or bushes to mimic a natural environment, or maybe you’ve just got a bored lion that wants some toys. Tinkering around creating the perfect enclosures is a lot of fun, and rewarding when you get to see the happy animals enjoying your hard work.
After the zoo had been suitably helped, I was taken to the final stage of the day. This Nordic park was an aquarium, which is an entirely new addition to the sequel. There’s a lot to think about when adding new aquariums to your zoo, like filtration and temperature. As a lover of all things aquatic though this was right up my alley, and I was delighted to see manatees playing with balls and turtles swimming majestically across all the corners of my underwater paradise.
To finish off my session with Planet Zoo 2 I was thrown into sandbox mode, and could truly see the amount of content in the game. Hundreds of animals were available to adopt, but even that was just the tip of the penguin filled iceberg. The amount of decoration options available was even more ludicrous, ensuring you can make your zoo totally unique. The depth goes even further, with specific food vendors listing allergens in the menus. This game is going to absorb me like nothing else, and I can’t wait.
So much of what I loved during my time with Planet Zoo 2 was how easy and entertaining it is to play, but really the animals themselves steal the show. After spending years with Zoo Tycoon and its tiny low res models I was entranced by what Planet Zoo has to offer. Realistic animals who actually exhibit behaviour can be found in practically every enclosure, and I could spend hours snapping my camera to a Horned Owl and watching it go about its day. So much effort has been put into making these zoos feel authentic right down to the animals themselves, and it makes for a joyous experience.
I went into my preview with Planet Zoo 2 cautiously optimistic, and when my time ended I was in mourning. I am desperate to get my hands on Planet Zoo 2 again now, because I’m almost certain it’ll be something I end up obsessed with. Keep an eagle eye on Planet Zoo 2 when it releases on October 13th, because it this just might be one of the best tycoon games you ever play.
Planet Zoo 2 is coming to PC, PS5, and XBOX on October 13. Make sure you check out our TikTok account to see videos of the game in action.
