Developer: Frontier Developments
Publisher: Frontier Developments
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PC
Planet Coaster 2 – Review
One can’t help but feel old when realizing that Rollercoaster Tycoon turned 25 this year. This instant classic came out back in 1999 and was loved by many. While its sequels often failed to reach the same heights as the original, we’re sure that this franchise holds a special place in the hearts of many gamers. Sadly, the last few iterations saw an even bigger decline in quality, and thus the genre enthusiasts were craving for something to scratch their theme park-building itch. In comes Planet Coaster in 2016, bringing modern building tools for a modern audience. Now, another eight years down the line, we are presented with the sequel, which updates the mechanics of the first game as well as introduces new waterpark building options. We, for one, were quite excited.
Story
While we wouldn’t necessarily call the different scenarios you can play through an actual interesting narrative, the overall presentation of the different challenges you have to tackle as well as how tutorials are presented is nicely handled. You’ll get to read through quirky dialogues while hearing what is expected of you and how certain functions work. It’s a simple way of allowing new players to get the hang of things while still offering enough interesting ‘developments’ to keep players motivated to press onward.
Graphics
The Planet series has fairly iconic graphics, where the main attractions and overall views can look rather impressive. The people that visit your park, however, are ugly ducklings who seem to come from the same two parents. Even so, the quirky and colorful cast of park visitors is lively enough to add some life to your budding theme park. The game also allows you to ride all the rides yourself, making this an interesting simulation-like experience. All in all, everything looks good, and even crowded and expansive parks didn’t really cause any performance issues. We did notice quite a bit of clipping, but that’s not really that uncommon with games that allow free-building of structures. The game also has the same style as the Planet Zoo series, making it into one big ‘Planetverse’.
Sound
The game’s sound design isn’t too bad, but it’s nothing to write home about either. The chill soundtrack feels like the proper backdrop for building your park(s). The sound effects are mainly environmental noises, from nature sounds when you’re building on a fairly deserted plot to more active noises from your park visitors or the actual rides.
Gameplay
Planet Coaster 2 is the sequel to the massively popular Planet Coaster, which was released back in 2016. If you played the original, you will know what to expect here, albeit with updated control schemes and the newly added waterpark features. On paper, it’s a very straightforward affair, as you’ll have the option to play through different scenarios where you improve existing parks, or you can just build your very own park from the ground up. In practice, however, it does take a while to get the hang of things.
As mentioned above, the game has different scenarios that you can play through, and outside of having a nice framework to start building, they also explain how things work. For the most part, the tutorials are clear, and the game even blocks you at times from starting other activities before you finish what is asked of you. This makes sure that you immediately read the instructions properly and do not have to go looking for them later. Even so, not everything is explained properly, and some of the game mechanics are at times a bit unclear. It’s a bit of a trial-and-error process, especially when you start free-building rides. Nonetheless, outside of the very finicky building controls, it’s extremely satisfying when you manage to build an impressive rollercoaster or even a waterslide from the ground up. Planet Coaster 2 allows for some interesting and unique builds, and this aspect alone will certainly keep enthusiasts entertained for many hours.
Even though following the main scenarios and building a realistic park is a lot of fun, it’s also fun to mess around with how far you can take things. Planet Coaster 2 is a dream tool for gamers who want to make wacky rides, or even for those who like to see things go wrong. You can create hellish rides and people will still try them out for some reason. It’s a blast to see what happens when you start experimenting to your heart’s content.
Conclusion
If you were a fan of the first game, we reckon you’ll love this one too. While certain gameplay mechanics have made way for new ones in this sequel, a lot of aspects will feel familiar. The waterpark options are a fun addition and add more than just additional rides for your traditional theme park. While it’s still a great game, if you were expecting a totally different experience for the sequel, you’d probably be disappointed. If you are looking for a new sim that feels polished, looks great, and is simply loads of fun to play, then we can wholeheartedly recommend Planet Coaster 2.
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