It took quite some time for me to tackle the nerve to write up a Planet Zoo review, simply because it’s such a massive game with so much to see and do, but here we are!
Like many of you, I grew up playing Zoo Tycoon. After a long day at school, it was a relaxing adventure, which, in time, turned into chaos as I released all of the animals in my park. I spent countless hours building up the perfect exhibits, with food courts and gift shops to accompany the majestic beasts of Africa and the Arctic.
But Zoo Tycoon aged drastically over the years. The gameplay grew tiresome and stale. Then, along came developer Frontier Developments and their Planet Zoo announcement in April of 2019. I still fondly remember the trailer because I immediately interrupted my wife and sat her down to watch the trailer in its entirety for perhaps, the fourth time since its release.
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Planet Zoo was all I wanted — a magical game from my childhood brought to my adult life. Did it disappoint? Did Planet Zoo hit the mark? Read on to find out!
“Build a world for wildlife in Planet Zoo. From the creators of Planet Coaster and Zoo Tycoon comes the ultimate zoo sim. Construct detailed habitats, manage your zoo, and meet authentic living animals who think, feel and explore the world you create around them.”
That’s the official description of Planet Zoo, straight from Frontier Developments.
It’s accurate. The precision and complex building system first introduced in Planet Coaster, another popular reimagining of a childhood game most of us knew and loved, was reintroduced in Planet Zoo. But this time around, it was better than ever.
Does nostalgia play a big part in how much I love Planet Zoo? Absolutely! But at its core, before we dive into the good and the bad of the game, Planet Zoo is an excellent reimagining of Zoo Tycoon. It’s not perfect; no game ever is perfect. Frontier did a lot right with their zoo management and building simulation game, and they deserve a bit of praise for their efforts.
The Good of Planet Zoo
As I previously said, Planet Zoo does a lot right.
- Animals — At launch, Planet Zoo featured 76 animals selected from the countless species alive today. The wide variety of creatures means that no zoo is ever the same, especially considering you won’t have space for all of them on a single map. A few personal favorites include Bengal Tigers, Giant Pandas, Giant Galapagos Tortoise, and the Golden Poison Frog — the list goes on for quite some time.
- Building — We know Frontier for its intricate building systems, which allow you to create a structure of your imagination using carefully selected set pieces. In Planet Zoo, those pieces come from a broad selection of themes, including Asian and South American (thanks to DLC). If you want to carefully construct a Japanese-themed temple in your Giant Panda exhibit’s center, go right ahead! The tools you need are there, which is a significant plus for the game.
- Management — Planet Zoo was never designed to be a zoo-building tycoon solely. It’s also an intricately designed management simulation, allowing players to choose their marketing methods and budget, take out business loans, train employees, and educate the hordes of tourists flocking through. Overall, the management side is nicely fleshed out, meaning we have a lot of tinkering at our fingertips. Another plus in our book!
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The Bad of Planet Zoo
But again, Planet Zoo, like all other games on the market today, is not without its faults. At launch, there were notable bugs and glitches, which appeared wholly ignored during the beta period. I reported a few bugs during the testing phase, only to find them on launch day. It wasn’t very reassuring, to say the least.
I don’t need a game to hold my hand after my time on this planet. But I know players out there who would lose their shit and freak out because Planet Zoo did not feature fleshed-out tutorials or because it was too complicated in scope. It is at times, too. Planet Zoo is a big game with much to see, do, and build. To some, that’s overwhelming and makes the game inaccessible.
Frontier’s DLC Practices
I could easily categorize Frontier’s DLC practices under the negative traits of Planet Zoo. I almost did, too. Should we support expensive downloadable content, especially so soon after the launch of a game? I mean, Frontier released Planet Zoo on November 5th, 2019. On December 17th, just a few short weeks later, they launched the Arctic Pack. It was a staggering $9.99 and featured 200 new building pieces, two new scenarios, and four brand-new animals: Polar Bear, Reindeer, Arctic Wolf, and Dall Sheep.
To date, Frontier has released three downloadable content packs: Arctic Pack, South America Pack, and Australia Pack — all priced at $9.99. Each one features new challenges, building items, and a handful of animals. The community is torn. Some of these packs are highly rated on Steam, with positive reviews, and some are ripped to pieces for their lack of content.
The DLC is expensive, but it’s optional. I’m torn because I love adding to my zoo. But damn, those packs are expensive.
Is Planet Zoo Worth Playing in 2023?
So, what’s the consensus? Is Planet Zoo worth the asking price? Absolutely! Planet Zoo is an exceptional game with a load of available content straight out of the box. You don’t need the DLC to enjoy the experience, though it does a lot of unique options to customize and build your zoo the way you’ve long dreamt!