Planet Zoo 2 Review: Sharks, Birds and a Sequel That Earns Its Number

Planet Zoo was a brilliant builder with one obvious hole: everything had to walk. Planet Zoo 2, which Frontier Developments released on October 13 for PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, fills that hole with water and sky. According to Frontier, fully aquatic species in freshwater or saltwater aquariums and fully flying birds in customisable aviaries are firsts for the series, and a new conservation layer lets you release animals into expansive, customisable Wildlife Reserves once you meet the requirements of global conservation projects.

To be clear about how this verdict was reached: it is not based on my own time with the game. It weighs the launch-week reviews against Frontier's official information, and every gameplay impression below is credited to the outlet that made it.

What the critics like

The launch reception is strong. Insider Gaming's Josh Challies gave it 10/10, praising the new building tools - the pathing stamp, snapping custom fences, a brush for foliage and rocks, an upgraded terrain brush - and a franchise mode where zoos feel more connected. GameSpew's Kim Snaith (9/10) singles out the aquarium building with freshwater and saltwater tanks, down to the way the audio shifts at the waterline, and says the reserves feel like a nature documentary and work in both campaign and sandbox. DualShockers and Checkpoint Gaming also landed at 9/10. Even GameWatcher's more reserved Fran J. Ruiz (7.5) calls the aquatic and flying species the highlights and praises the creative tools and the Frontier Workshop, which lets players share and download creations across platforms.

What the critics flag

The old Planet Zoo problem has not gone away. GameSpew warns that getting to grips with the controls and systems is difficult even on mouse and keyboard, and GameWatcher calls the menus and submenus overwhelming, says some deeper management systems take too many clicks, and lists launch bugs such as key bindings resetting and objectives becoming impossible after a reload. GameWatcher also finds the Wildlife Reserves fairly simple, more a short break than a full alternative to the zoo. Insider Gaming notes that the launch reserves cover only African, Sumatran and European locations, with no North or South American or Australian ones, and that animals from the first game's paid DLC have not returned. On console, Xbox Achievements (70%) found the controls fiddly and saw occasional frame-rate dips, while Steam Deck HQ rated the Deck experience 3/5 at mostly 30 fps.

Price and editions

The Standard Edition is EUR 49.99 and the Deluxe EUR 64.99. Deluxe adds six species - the Golden Eagle, Golden Lion Tamarin, Great Hammerhead Shark, Axolotl, Blue and Gold Fusilier and Longfin Batfish - plus exclusive animal signs. That means the Hammerhead, the Axolotl and the Golden Eagle, three of the most eye-catching water and air animals in a game built around water and air, sit behind the higher price. My advice: Standard is enough to start, and the Deluxe pack is worth picking up on sale rather than at full price.

Who it is for

If you loved Planet Zoo, every review points to a natural, substantial upgrade. If the original felt overwhelming, the critics are clear that the sequel is still a dense, menu-heavy game, and console players should expect a fiddlier experience than on PC.

Verdict

Based on the critical consensus and Frontier's feature list, Planet Zoo 2 looks like a sequel that genuinely expands the idea: water, air and conservation add new things to build and a reason to breed. Dense menus, launch bugs and the Deluxe-only species keep it from the top marks some outlets gave it.

Score: 8/10

Image: Republic of Korea from Seoul, Republic of Korea / CC BY-SA 2.0, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hanwha_Aqua_Planet_Ilsan_08_(16338677795).jpg