Frontier Developments has released Planet Zoo 2, the sequel to its zoo management game Planet Zoo, on PC, PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox Series X|S, adding aquatic and flying animals to the series for the first time.
According to a release, the game launched on October 13th. Frontier calls it a ‘generational leap forward’ for the genre. Players step in as the newest Conservation Coordinator for the Fauna and Ecosystems Network (FEN); the job, this time, is conservation on a global scale. A trailer was released alongside the news.
Management sims put players in charge of running a place, from its layout to its money. Here, that place is a zoo. Frontier calls its take on the genre Creative Management Simulation (CMS), and the Cambridge studio has built its business on it.
Aquariums and aviaries
Players can now build fully customisable aquariums and aviaries, which opens the game up to aquatic and flying species. Over 130 animals are in at launch. Frontier says the animals look better too, with more detailed coats (from fur to feathers) and ‘authentic behaviours’, calling it the ‘most true-to-life representation of animals in the series to date’.
Each species has its own needs. Habitats are built to match each animal's natural environment, the release says. Frontier's piece-by-piece building tools are back; so is the Frontier Workshop, the studio's hub for sharing player-made creations.
Wildlife reserves and the Planet Hub
The bigger change sits outside the zoo. Players take on projects around the world to restore Wildlife Reserves, raising animals before releasing them into the wild.
Planet Zoo 2 has three modes: Career, Franchise and Sandbox. In each, players can build a global network of zoos and reserves. They can also trade animals with other players, or work together on community goals. A new Planet Hub shows it all. There's a first-person camera as well: zookeepers can walk through their own zoos and reserves, or through ones made by other players.
The Standard Edition has a suggested retail price of $49.99 (£39.99/€49.99). The Deluxe Edition costs $64.99 (£54.99/€64.99). The release doesn't say what the Deluxe Edition adds.
Frontier Developments (AIM: FDEV) is an independent developer and publisher. It's based in Cambridge, UK. The studio specialises in management sims; its other series include Planet Coaster and Jurassic World Evolution, all built on its own COBRA technology.
The following was sent as a press release to Inven Global.
