Planet Zoo is a game that I think a lot of people, including myself, have been waiting a very long time for. If, like me, you were one of those people who played the hell out of Zoo Tycoon when you were a kid, you'd probably agree that there hasn't really been a good zoo management game in a very long time. Yes, we don't talk about the countless awful reboot attempts...

Frontier obviously caught well on this, as they've definitely hit the mark. It's amazing how something so new and so fresh can feel so nostalgic at the same time. Planet Zoo takes everything that made Zoo Tycoon so good and enhances it tenfold. It has the same level of investment and addiction that the original games had, whilst providing gorgeous visuals and an immense amount of creative freedom.

If you've ever played Planet Coaster, you would notice the similarities between that and Planet Zoo. Obviously, it's made using the same engine, and some of its core features, such as the pathing tool and the facilities have carried over to this game. Except, instead of having rides, we have animal exhibits that are fully customisable. Like Zoo Tycoon, you create your exhibits in accordance to your animals needs and welfare, which plays an important role in having a reputable zoo.

As well as managing your animals needs, you must also attend to the needs of your visitors. All of the needs from Zoo Tycoon, such as hunger, thirst etc, carry over into this game, with the addition of an education need, which can be provided by information signs or speakers. Managing the needs of both your animals and guests can be challenging at times, which after spending some time on the game, you will quickly realise that the challenge is both good and bad.

Whilst having the challenge makes it more entertaining, there is one problem; time. Time seems to move very fast in this game. Creating exhibits can take quite a bit of time. Because of this, either a lot of things will be happening in the background that will require your attention, or the animals you are creating an exhibit for are already having babies. This gets more annoying the more animals you have. You can pause time in the game, but it does get irritating and monotonous having to do that every single time.

As I mentioned before, the visuals are stunning. Each and every animal has been designed with so much attention to detail. What you see in the screenshots is exactly what you will see in the game. It's so entertaining to just watch the animals. The animations are incredible, and they act like real animals would. The game itself is quite well optimised as well so seeing these visuals in action shouldn't be a problem. As well as the animals, the environment details are just as good.

The game provides the player with a massive amount of creative freedom. Almost everything is customisable. You can construct buildings brick by brick and can make your own gardens. You can edit the ground both terrain wise and sculpture wise. You are also able to share your constructions online with other people, and can download other people's creations and use them in your zoo. There is a real sense of community in this game that makes you feel like your not playing alone.

There is one major problem I have with this game though, and it is a problem with many strategy games. There's too much micro-management. It's noticeable straight away. You have to have certain buildings to be able to do certain things. You have to manage water, electricty, education as well as the animals needs and the guests needs, and in some cases the staff's needs. Sometimes you'll encounter problems that don't have any obvious solutions, which can damper the creative freedom the game gives you. An example of this is the pathing system, and how restrictive it can be sometimes, in terms of where you can place the path.

All in all though, this game is fantastic. If you were a fan of Zoo Tycoon, this game is a must buy. If you are looking for a zoo management game, or just any management game in general, then this game is definitely worth a shot. There's plenty of content to keep you here for hours and hours upon end. Just be aware and prepared for its shortcomings. I'd give this a 9/10.

Thanks for reading!

Be sure to check out my review group! - https://steamcommunity.com/groups/narukoopasreviews

Planet Zoo is a game that I think a lot of people, including myself, have been waiting a very long time for. If, like me, you were one of those people who played the hell out of Zoo Tycoon when you were a kid, you'd probably agree that there hasn't really been a good zoo management game in a very long time. Yes, we don't talk about the countless awful reboot attempts... Frontier obviously caught well on this, as they've definitely hit the mark. It's amazing how something so new and so fresh can feel so nostalgic at the same time. Planet Zoo takes everything that made Zoo Tycoon so good and enhances it tenfold. It has the same level of investment and addiction that the original games had, whilst providing gorgeous visuals and an immense amount of creative freedom. If you've ever played Planet Coaster, you would notice the similarities between that and Planet Zoo. Obviously, it's made using the same engine, and some of its core features, such as the pathing tool and the facilities have carried over to this game. Except, instead of having rides, we have animal exhibits that are fully customisable. Like Zoo Tycoon, you create your exhibits in accordance to your animals needs and welfare, which plays an important role in having a reputable zoo. As well as managing your animals needs, you must also attend to the needs of your visitors. All of the needs from Zoo Tycoon, such as hunger, thirst etc, carry over into this game, with the addition of an education need, which can be provided by information signs or speakers. Managing the needs of both your animals and guests can be challenging at times, which after spending some time on the game, you will quickly realise that the challenge is both good and bad. Whilst having the challenge makes it more entertaining, there is one problem; time. Time seems to move very fast in this game. Creating exhibits can take quite a bit of time. Because of this, either a lot of things will be happening in the background that will require your attention, or the animals you are creating an exhibit for are already having babies. This gets more annoying the more animals you have. You can pause time in the game, but it does get irritating and monotonous having to do that every single time. As I mentioned before, the visuals are stunning. Each and every animal has been designed with so much attention to detail. What you see in the screenshots is exactly what you will see in the game. It's so entertaining to just watch the animals. The animations are incredible, and they act like real animals would. The game itself is quite well optimised as well so seeing these visuals in action shouldn't be a problem. As well as the animals, the environment details are just as good. The game provides the player with a massive amount of creative freedom. Almost everything is customisable. You can construct buildings brick by brick and can make your own gardens. You can edit the ground both terrain wise and sculpture wise. You are also able to share your constructions online with other people, and can download other people's creations and use them in your zoo. There is a real sense of community in this game that makes you feel like your not playing alone. There is one major problem I have with this game though, and it is a problem with many strategy games. There's too much micro-management. It's noticeable straight away. You have to have certain buildings to be able to do certain things. You have to manage water, electricty, education as well as the animals needs and the guests needs, and in some cases the staff's needs. Sometimes you'll encounter problems that don't have any obvious solutions, which can damper the creative freedom the game gives you. An example of this is the pathing system, and how restrictive it can be sometimes, in terms of where you can place the path. All in all though, this game is fantastic. If you were a fan of Zoo Tycoon, this game is a must buy. If you are looking for a zoo management game, or just any management game in general, then this game is definitely worth a shot. There's plenty of content to keep you here for hours and hours upon end. Just be aware and prepared for its shortcomings. I'd give this a 9/10. Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out my review group! - https://steamcommunity.com/groups/narukoopasreviews