It’s hard to be too critical about this, however, considering the number of critters included – plus Frontier Development has already started introducing expansions to plug in the gaps, with polar bears and reindeer introduced by the Arctic Pack. There are some notable animal omissions, though – penguins, kangaroos and sea lions are all missing. Zoom up close and you’ll be able to see the single strands of fur on a grizzly bear, while a greater flamingo will be born with grey feathers and only turn fluorescent pink in adulthood – Frontier Developments has certainly done its homework. There are over 50 beasties available, and all have photo-realistic models with breathtaking attention to detail. The stunning animal animations are a big contributing factor to my Planet Zoo obsession. This is a slow-paced experience with few challenging difficulty spikes, but seeing your zoo expand from a small park to a sprawling animal wonderland is so rewarding that it’s difficult to quit the addiction – I’ve played over 50 hours so far, and I’m still coming back for more. Soothing music plays in the background, swelling to a motivating crescendo when you start to shape out a creature’s enclosure.
Remaining true to its roots, Planet Zoo has the same therapeutic charm as its Tycoon predecessors. It’s certainly in safe hands though, as it was developed by Frontier Developments – the team responsible for bringing RollerCoaster Tycoon’s spiritual successor to the modern masses with Planet Coaster. Planet Zoo is everything you could wish for from a Zoo Tycoon successor, even if it isn’t strictly a sequel. Despite the many ports to modern consoles and handhelds, a true successor sadly never arrived to propel the series forward and satisfy my nostalgic itch.
I’ve been waiting for Zoo Tycoon 3 for 16 years.
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