Almost 5 years after its launch Planet Zoo stampedes its way onto consoles. Is there enough meat on the bone in this edition, or does it feel toothless?
The circle of life
Developed by Frontier Developments, makers of the wonderful Planet Coaster and more recently the incredibly popular Jurassic World Evolution franchise, Planet Zoo is a Management and Park simulator that is right in Frontiers wheelhouse. A spiritual successor to their zoo tycoon series, Planet Zoo tasks you with the ultimate goal: building and sustaining a zoo in which animals can thrive and visitors can enjoy. From its outset Planet Zoo aims to educate and support your goal. The career mode begins with tutorial missions that really help in letting you get to grips with the many tasks involved.
These missions are beautifully crafted, starting you off with learning the basics of the zoo, whether it’s being taught how to adopt the animals and bring them to your zoo, or learning park management basics such as where generators need to be placed and amenities should be situated. Frontier have done an incredible job in giving the player as much information as they need during the opening missions but not overloading them; they have struck a real balance between information and gameplay within these opening hours. Thoughtful and engaging characters guide you on these career missions with great voiceover work for each character; they really feel alive and part of your team and help you really feel a sense of togetherness within the game.
The wonders of the world
Planet Zoo takes you on a wonderful adventure across 7 biomes akin to the different continents around the world. These environments are gorgeous, with each biome looking as incredible as the next. I was particularly struck by how good the games lighting was, particularly breath-taking at times. Watching my zoo hit sunrise or sunset really encapsulates the animals and their environments at their very best. A beautiful musical score throughout the game really helps keep an uplifting tone that I appreciated immensely.
Each animal within the game has been carefully crafted and animated, each having their own personalities and traits that really make each animal feel alive and a part of the world you are creating. Frontier have done an incredible job breathing life into these creatures; I could sit for hours watching these animals majestically roam around my screen. The Zoopedia found within the game is personally one of my favourite aspects, allowing you to really understand these animals and their needs whilst educating yourself in a engaging way.
The Perils of Park Management
The career mode takes you across these biomes, each coming with their own set of missions and tasks that by the end, really challenged me to get creative and put a lot of thought into my actions. Earlier missions can be as simple as fixing enclosure gates to delivering animals to their new enclosure, while harder missions throw all sorts of spanners in the works for you, whether it be financially or ethically. A zoo on top of toxic waste and a zoo with toxic water really help create unique scenarios. Different missions require different depths of touch and handling. Frontier have done a superb job making the career mode feel vibrant and different each mission.
Designed orginally for mouse and keyboard, Frontier have done an excellent job bringing Planet Zoo to the console controller. As a veteran of simulation games, I found the menus easy to navigate and use. The UI could be a little overwhelming for players new to the genre but the tutorials do a wonderful job familiarising you with these menus. Animals needs, such as foliage and biome requirements can be found within seconds of clicking on the animal, making it easy and concise. Voiceover from the characters in the career help navigate you through these menus and by the time you have finished the career, I really felt like I had a complete grasp of my task handling the care of the animals and the zoo.
With the ethical and moral questions that surround a game about a zoo, I am happy to say Frontier have been to craft a game that is so in touch with these issues. The game consistently promotes the animals’ welfare and the idea of releasing the animals back into the wild. The story of the career mode itself revolves around greedy businessmen trying to squeeze as much money out of these animals as they can, with your job being to focus on the animals themselves. I found Planet Zoo to be genuinely educational towards the perils of keeping animals in enclosures and sanctuaries. You can really feel a sense of care and understanding from Frontier with a sensitive subject like this.
What lies beyond the enclosure?
It’s a testament to the game’s depth that only now have I reached the other modes within the game. Planet Zoo has a variety of game modes that really help mix up the gameplay and pace of the game. Whether it be your standard sandbox mode which allows your creative side to really take over and have financial freedom to build whatever you please, or the timed and challenge modes which add layers of difficulty and urgency for you. Planet Zoo really has everything I wanted in a simulator game like this and I’m blown away by its content and depth.
It’s this game’s final mode that really struck a core with me; Franchise mode. This mode is an online component to the game in which you create your own franchise and take your zoos all around the world. Online players can visit these zoos to see your creations which I loved as it helped me find ideas to use within my own zoo. You can also trade animals with friends and others players to help your zoos become the ultimate destination for visitors. I really felt a connection with other players through this mode and I hope Frontier continue to update and innovate this mode.
Verdict
Planet Zoo is the ultimate Simulator game; incredible visuals, sleek menus and design, with a thoughtful story that keeps you engaged the whole time. Authentic animals and locations, coupled with depth that is unrivalled in this genre, Planet Zoo is a beautiful and memorising experience. Great variety in game modes and a truly unique online experience help keep this game refreshing and exciting no matter how much you play. It’s a testament to Frontier that I cannot wait to go back into my zoo and continue to innovate and create my ultimate sanctuary for the animals. A simulator game for the whole Animal Kingdom.
