Planet Zoo 2 Preview Highlights Aquatic Species, Avian Additions and Customizable Nature Reserves

Frontier Developments is gearing up for the launch of Planet Zoo 2, the upcoming sequel to its popular zoo management title. Slated for release on October 13, the game builds upon its predecessor by introducing major new features, including aquatic and avian species alongside customizable wildlife reserves where players can release animals and follow their journeys back into the wild.

Previewing the early stages of the campaign and Sandbox mode across a two-hour session revealed several structural changes to how players interact with wildlife. The journey begins in one of the game's biggest new additions, a wildlife reserve located in Africa. Players take on the role of a researcher, tracking down and photographing various species using a research vehicle. Navigation mechanics inside the research vehicle draw comparisons to the Jurassic World Evolution series.

The gameplay loop also emphasizes a connected world. Players can create habitats in their zoos, care for animals, and then release groups like giraffes directly to the wildlife reserve. While the original game featured a Franchise mode connecting various zoos, the new system aims to make these connections vital as players nurture animals across land, sea, and air. This includes building aquariums with reef exhibits for creatures like Hawksbill Turtles and coral fish, which require careful management of basic requirements such as water pumps, food, fauna, and water depth.

Planet Zoo 2 introduces a distinction between basic animal happiness and a new 'Thriving' requirement tier. Thriving criteria involve detailed tweaks, including raising food grades and adding multiple enrichment items, creating a deeper challenge for managing finances alongside creature welfare. In Sandbox mode, players can test quality-of-life additions such as an improved pathing tool and a customizable brush used to place plants, trees, and rocks into habitats in a single stroke.

With a globe-spinning campaign jumping from location to location, the sequel aims to deliver an expansive simulation experience. Fans of management titles can look forward to diving into the full release when it arrives in October.