Planet Zoo 2 Review

Ever dreamed of running your own zoo? Not just throwing a few animals into enclosures and charging visitors to have a look, but creating a magnificent wildlife park where every habitat has been carefully designed, every animal has a home suited to its needs, and visitors leave with a smile on their faces. Well, grab your clipboard, put the kettle on, and prepare to get your hands dirty, because Planet Zoo 2 has arrived on Xbox Series X|S, bringing a whole new world of animal management and creative possibilities to our consoles.

Developed by Frontier Developments, Planet Zoo 2 builds upon the foundations of its predecessor, giving players even more opportunities to create spectacular attractions while placing greater emphasis on wildlife conservation. With aquatic animals, aviaries, natural reserves and an impressive collection of creatures to discover, this is a sequel that wants to make your zoo bigger, better and more meaningful.

Of course, running a zoo is no walk in the park. Between keeping the animals happy, managing your finances, looking after your staff and ensuring your visitors have a good time, there is an awful lot to think about. Thankfully, there is just as much enjoyment to be found in watching your little patch of land transform into a thriving wildlife destination.

Planet Zoo 2 isn’t without its problems, particularly when it comes to navigating its many management systems with an Xbox controller, but there is an awful lot to love here. For anyone who enjoys getting creative and losing themselves in a good simulation game, Frontier has delivered something rather special.

Building the Zoo of Your Dreams

At its heart, Planet Zoo 2 is all about taking an empty space and turning it into something extraordinary. You decide where the paths go, how the habitats are laid out, which facilities visitors can use and how the whole attraction looks and feels. Whether you fancy creating a sprawling safari park, a beautifully landscaped woodland retreat or a modern wildlife destination, the possibilities are enormous.

The building tools offer an impressive degree of freedom, allowing you to shape the environment and create habitats that feel far more natural than a simple fenced-off patch of grass. You can adjust the terrain, introduce vegetation, arrange rocks and water features, and carefully consider how everything fits together. The improved construction tools also make certain tasks less awkward than before, particularly when laying paths and connecting different areas of your zoo.

There is a tremendous sense of satisfaction in seeing your ideas come together. One minute, you’re staring at an empty plot of land; the next, you’re watching families wander along paths that you designed, stopping to admire animals in habitats you’ve spent hours perfecting.

Naturally, your mileage may vary depending on how creative you are. Some players will happily spend hours constructing elaborate buildings and intricate exhibits, while others may find themselves staring at the screen wondering where on earth to begin. Thankfully, blueprints and ready-made designs provide a helping hand, allowing you to get a zoo up and running without having to build absolutely everything from scratch.

The sheer amount of customisation available is impressive, although the construction menus can occasionally make the process more complicated than it needs to be. Still, once you get comfortable with the tools, the creative freedom is one of the game’s greatest strengths.

The Animals Are the Real Stars

Let’s be honest, nobody buys a game called Planet Zoo 2 because they want to spend all their time staring at spreadsheets. The animals are the main attraction, and Frontier has done a wonderful job of bringing them to life.

The selection of species is impressive, with the standard edition offering around 130 species and the Deluxe Edition expanding the roster further. From familiar favourites to less commonly encountered wildlife, there is plenty to discover, and each animal has its own requirements that you’ll need to consider when designing its home.

A lion isn’t going to have the same needs as a penguin, and a tropical animal won’t necessarily thrive in a chilly environment. You’ll need to pay attention to factors such as terrain, vegetation, temperature, shelter, food and the amount of space available. Get things right, and you’ll have happy animals and satisfied visitors. Get things wrong, and those warning notifications will soon start appearing.

What makes this particularly enjoyable is the way the animals behave within their environments. Watching them explore their habitats, interact with one another and go about their daily routines can be surprisingly captivating. There were moments when I found myself stepping away from the management side of things simply to watch the animals for a while.

The visual presentation helps enormously. The creatures are beautifully detailed, with convincing animations and plenty of personality. Seeing your animals enjoying a habitat you’ve carefully designed is one of those little pleasures that makes the hours disappear.

There is also an educational element to the experience, with information about different species and their needs encouraging you to think about wildlife beyond the game itself. Planet Zoo 2 understands that these animals shouldn’t simply be treated as attractions; their welfare matters, and the game encourages you to take that responsibility seriously.

From the Zoo to the Wild

One of the most welcome additions is the greater emphasis on conservation, particularly through the introduction of natural wildlife reserves.

Previously, the experience was primarily about building and managing your zoo. Now, there is a stronger connection between the animals in your care and the wider ecosystems they belong to. You can venture into reserves, explore different environments and work towards restoring natural habitats.

These sections provide a refreshing change of pace from the day-to-day running of your zoo. Rather than concentrating solely on visitor numbers and finances, you’re encouraged to consider the wider environment, including biodiversity and the balance between different species.

The ability to release suitable animals into the wild gives the conservation side of the game a more tangible purpose. Instead of simply breeding animals to increase your collection, you can work towards a broader goal that connects your efforts inside the zoo with the natural world beyond its gates.

It is a clever addition, and one that gives Planet Zoo 2 a little more heart. There is something satisfying about knowing that your work isn’t just about creating an impressive attraction, but also about helping wildlife thrive.

The reserve systems aren’t always as engaging as they could be, and some activities can feel more like management chores than exciting conservation work. Nevertheless, the concept is excellent, and it adds another layer to an already substantial experience.

Aquariums, Aviaries and Even More to Explore

If you thought Planet Zoo 2 was going to be all about lions, elephants and giraffes, think again. The introduction of aquatic animals and flying birds opens up new possibilities for your zoo, allowing you to create attractions that feel more diverse and ambitious.

Aquariums provide an opportunity to showcase aquatic wildlife, while aviaries allow you to create dedicated spaces for birds. These additions make a real difference to the variety of exhibits you can build, giving you more options when planning themed areas and deciding how visitors will explore your park.

Aquatic habitats also introduce additional considerations, including water quality and the conditions required by different species. Once again, it isn’t simply a case of putting an animal somewhere and hoping for the best. You’ll need to think carefully about its environment if you want to keep it healthy.

The birds are another welcome addition, bringing movement and life to areas that might otherwise feel a little static. However, the selection of avian species feels somewhat limited compared with the wider animal roster. It’s a shame, because there is so much potential in this area, and I’d love to see Frontier expand it further in the future.

Even so, aquariums and aviaries help Planet Zoo 2 feel like a more complete zoo-building experience. They offer fresh creative opportunities and make it easier to design a destination that has something interesting around every corner.

Managing the Madness on Xbox

Of course, building a beautiful zoo is only half the battle. Once the gates open, you’ve got a business to run, and this is where Planet Zoo 2 demands your attention.

You’ll need to balance your income and expenditure, recruit staff, maintain facilities, monitor visitor satisfaction and ensure your animals are receiving the care they need. Every decision has consequences, and allowing too many problems to pile up can quickly turn your dream zoo into a rather expensive headache.

The management systems provide plenty of depth, and there is a genuine sense of achievement in finding the right balance. Expanding too quickly can put pressure on your finances, while failing to provide the right facilities can leave visitors unhappy. It’s a constant juggling act, but that is precisely what makes the simulation rewarding.

However, the learning curve can be steep, particularly for newcomers. There are a lot of menus to explore and a considerable amount of information to digest, and the Xbox controller doesn’t always make navigating everything as straightforward as it should be.

Switching between construction tools, animal information and management screens can feel clumsy at times. A simple task can occasionally involve more menu navigation than you’d expect, interrupting the creative flow. It isn’t a deal-breaker, but it does take some patience to become comfortable with the interface.

I’d strongly recommend starting with the story and career content before diving into a larger project of your own. These scenarios introduce the mechanics gradually and give you a better understanding of how the different systems fit together.

Once you’ve found your feet, the game becomes far more enjoyable. Just be prepared to spend a little time learning the ropes before you’re running the wildlife park of your dreams.

Plenty of Ways to Play

One of Planet Zoo 2’s biggest strengths is the freedom it gives you to play your own way.

The story and career content provides objectives to work towards, introducing new systems and challenging you to overcome different management problems. It’s a useful starting point, particularly if you’re new to the series, and offers a sense of direction when the sheer number of possibilities feels overwhelming.

Franchise mode offers a longer-term challenge, allowing you to develop your zoo business while working within a more restricted budget. It adds another layer of progression, although its online requirements are worth bearing in mind.

Then there’s Sandbox mode, which is perfect for those who simply want to unleash their imagination. With the ability to adjust the rules and remove many of the usual financial restrictions, you can concentrate on building the zoo you’ve always wanted without constantly worrying about whether the books balance.

I particularly appreciate this flexibility. Sometimes, you want a demanding management challenge; other times, you just want to build a giant aquarium and fill it with fascinating aquatic creatures. Planet Zoo 2 caters to both moods, giving you plenty of reasons to return.

Final Verdict

Planet Zoo 2 is a wonderful example of what makes simulation games so appealing. It gives you the tools to create something personal, encourages you to experiment and rewards you for taking the time to get things right. Whether you’re designing elaborate habitats, watching a newborn animal take its first steps or expanding your zoo into a thriving attraction, there is a tremendous amount to enjoy.

The introduction of aquatic animals, aviaries and natural reserves makes this feel like a meaningful evolution of the original formula, rather than simply another collection of animals and building pieces. The stronger conservation focus is particularly welcome, giving your efforts a purpose beyond entertaining visitors and keeping the finances in the black.

It isn’t perfect, though. The management systems can become demanding, and the Xbox interface occasionally makes simple tasks more awkward than they should be. A few rough edges also take the shine off an otherwise impressive experience. These issues are worth acknowledging, but they don’t erase the sheer amount of creativity and enjoyment on offer.

If you love management games, enjoy getting creative or simply want to build a wildlife park that you can call your own, this is an easy recommendation. It may ask for patience, but the reward is a living, breathing world that you can shape one habitat at a time.

So, get those gates open, keep your animals happy and remember to watch the budget. Your visitors are waiting, and there’s a whole wild world to build!