Is it what we wanted?

[Nether_Wanderer]

We've been clamoring for Zoo Tycoon for ages, but I'm curious if Planet Zoo is the worthy successor or not, and if it's worth the 55 dollar price tag when I'd probably have been quite content to play an old version of Zoo Tycoon for less. Also, an old version probably could be made into a phone app for easy mobile play: the ultimate time killer when bored.

So what new goodies does Planet Zoo bring to the table to make it worthwhile?

[Witchy]

I absolutely adore this game. Sure, there's some bugs. It's a beta (I think some people are forgetting that) that's to be expected.

The level of detail in this game is amazing. I don't remember Zoo Tycoon all that well. But Planet Zoo is a visually beautiful game. The customizable habitats are really fun to play with, and the more you research a given species, the more you learn. Like the food they prefer, or enrichment tools, etc.

I love just going around my zoo, switching to camera mode, and watching the various creatures play. I haven't loved a tycoon game as much as I've loved this one in quite a while.

[ho84]

1.The graphic is like a AAA title, and the animation of animals is sufficient.
Just follow an animal or a quest and its enjoyable

2. The game itself have enough complexity and deepness. Its fun to play

These are the two major selling point to me

3. The game is not finished, when you need help you probably cant search the problem in help icon. When something is stucked they just tell you its stuck without reason or they even dont tell ypu the problem.

4. Bugs, i am not sure, as the game sometimes wont tell you the problems, so i dont know its bugs or my bad.

5. Right now there is lack of decorative thing or you build it from scratch. I am nlt that good at doing thia so my zoo looks boring.

To me, 3,4,5 can be cprrected in a short period of time, but if the game do not have 1,2 , they wont have in the future.
I domt regret buying this at all!

6. Just like planet coaster, it seems it wil have many Dlc

[cerealfruitcake]

It's a bit rough around the edges but it's already surpassed my expectations and I'm obsessed.

[Silky Rough]

Not at the moment, no. I suggest wait for reviews in November. They have a LOT to do.

[Cloakevan]

I'm falling in love with it, a lot. Played Zoo Tycoon 1 and 2, and Planet Coaster, and Parkitect (it's my jam). I am not disappointed with what is developing here! I am so glad that (so far) your actions (like building shelters from custom parts) have meaning (opposed to PlanCo which always felt hollow to me). There are a lot of interesting systems that actually require strategy. I bought it early cause I would've done so anyway lateron - seeing the beta as a bonus, buying it mainly for the dlc animals and the soundtrack which totally is worth it in my opinion. It is a buggy beta, so if you can handle that and see through the dust, have fun with it. It's super chill.

[Nether_Wanderer]

I think my conclusion then is that it's worth my money, but not UNTIL the bugs are fixed, because recently gaming companies have gotten lazy and just not worked all the bugs out after a big beta launch raked in enough dough.

[David Attenborough]

ability to build structures from scratch,climbing structures for primates etc. more advanced research system,beautiful and realistic Animals.Now we only need them to fix bugs

[ho84]

Originally posted by Cloakevan:

I'm falling in love with it, a lot. Played Zoo Tycoon 1 and 2, and Planet Coaster, and Parkitect (it's my jam). I am not disappointed with what is developing here! I am so glad that (so far) your actions (like building shelters from custom parts) have meaning (opposed to PlanCo which always felt hollow to me). There are a lot of interesting systems that actually require strategy. I bought it early cause I would've done so anyway lateron - seeing the beta as a bonus, buying it mainly for the dlc animals and the soundtrack which totally is worth it in my opinion. It is a buggy beta, so if you can handle that and see through the dust, have fun with it. It's super chill.

i agree, i played all the games you have mentioned, i cant fall in love Planet Coaster as i think its like a building game but not much management in it. and i am not so creative to make beautiful thing from scratch
PZ has the depth of gameplay, that what i want.

(i like parkitect too!)

[Lilo]

Originally posted by Tracz ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥:

ability to build structures from scratch,climbing structures for primates etc. more advanced research system,beautiful and realistic Animals.Now we only need them to fix bugs

You can build structures from scratch...

I love it, its beautiful and the freedom of design is something I've been waiting for. Its an updated Zoo Tycoon 2, with all the best mods included.

But there are some bugs right now. I'd expect many to be fixed during and after the beta period.

[Silky Rough]

Originally posted by Nether_Wanderer:

I think my conclusion then is that it's worth my money, but not UNTIL the bugs are fixed, because recently gaming companies have gotten lazy and just not worked all the bugs out after a big beta launch raked in enough dough.

Not only that but the "beta access" only delivers about 30% of the game. Unless you're keen to play a small portion, paying extra for early access via deluxe version doesn't really do much.

If that's the case, may as well wait until November, and maybe buy deluxe only if you're interested in what else it gives you. With standard, you have to wait anyway.

[diddle78]

i do love this game so far, for a beta it is not very bad (played much worser beta's) and they have around a month to fix major issues and smaller ones..and yes i do realize that even when the game coms out there will be some issues (every game has it in the end). Plus in my opinion is that they do not sit down and wait after the beta with fixes, since they relased the first yesterday already

[The Former]

It's what I wanted thus far. What really does it for me is the way they simulate the animals. I see the species-specific behaviors I expect to see. Zebras mate in harems. Dogs and wolves mate with alphas. Contests of authority to establish pecking order happen. New items or areas of an enclosure are carefully investigated. Sometimes offspring follow their mother around. All that sort of stuff, I just love those little details that make the animals feel alive.

[SidSenaad]

Beyond the bugs it's broken at a game design level for me personally. Way too much micromanagement. I don't want to spend hours selling of animals for points or re-assigning researchers.

[The Former]

Originally posted by nickienatorshadow:

Beyond the bugs it's broken at a game design level for me personally. Way too much micromanagement. I don't want to spend hours selling of animals for points or re-assigning researchers.

Just curious... What do you wanna do? Because if you're after a zoo-type game with minimal management, Jurassic World Evolution may be up your alley.

[Pheace]

Originally posted by nickienatorshadow:

Beyond the bugs it's broken at a game design level for me personally. Way too much micromanagement. I don't want to spend hours selling of animals for points or re-assigning researchers.

Research is bugged at the moment i think. I *have* seen it continuing after one was done so i do think it's designed to do that. It just automatically ends for no good reason a lot of the time at the moment.

Selling animals absolutely needs to be streamlined. For the moment overbreeding happens far too fast (wandering spiders for instance) and when I select ~10 of them the send to trade center button doesn't work so I have to manually move them there.

In the trade center selling is only an option one by one. This really *needs* to change. The tedium there is going to be undescribable in a growing Zoo. I'm already getting tired of it and that's with 2 habitats and one Exhibit. (granted it was the exhibit pumping out max spiders every 10 mins or so. )

On top of that we need a means to inspect animals in the exhibit that allows you to Back/Next to other animals in the exhibit. At the moment it leads you to that animals window and you have to go back to the menu you were before to continue. IIt's very inefficient but there are stats on the animal page you really want to consider when you send animals to the trade center to release them and you can't see them on the screen where you see all of them together