Planet Zoo Reviews
Hardcore management sim fans may enjoy Planet Zoo, but others may find it overly complex and packed with an overwhelming amount of management options
If you’re a simulation fan, Planet Zoo is definitely worth checking out, whether for its in-depth customisation or just to mess around with the animals and visitors as many of us love doing in these sim games – just make sure you’re prepared for it to crash.
Planet Zoo is a highly ambitious venture. It is very fun but it has its downsides like any other simulation game. Some of the systems prohibit a simple, fun experience, others are minor issues that can be fixed easily. But the fact that they haven't been fixed yet is infuriating. It is gorgeous when it comes to looks but most of the part, it overcomplicates itself with pointless systems. The terrible optimization somewhat adds to the negative feeling and that is what ruins it for me.
An amazing portrayal of real-life zookeepers at work, with all their dedication and accomplishments on full display for all to see.
Planet Zoo is an incredible educational tool that also supports conservation which is worth cheering on 100%. The amount of thought given to every detail is astounding but user-interface wise Planet Zoo seems more enjoyable to watch than play especially in Career mode. As a sim management game it is clear that a much larger pool of patience is required to enjoy yourself however it is obvious very early that once achieved it will very satisfying which motivates you to really want you to reach that level.
Planet Zoo is a deep and well-rounded tycoon game that you can spend many hours with. But be prepared to get a little confused, especially if you don't know the genre too much.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Planet Zoo is a detailed management sim that's both rewarding and educational, and the cute animals certainly don't hurt.
Planet Zoo has a lot of ambition and depth, but it often comes at too high a cost
Planet Zoo gives players much more than cute animals and building habitats. That includes vast variety of options to buid and manage your zoo and the stress that comes with it, induced with many bugs you may encounter.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Planet Zoo is perfectly suited for an animal lover, a talented builder and an endlessly patient player who enjoys taking their time and being meticulous. For pure simulation lovers, this is going to be stressful to wrap your head around.
Another strong (yet stressful) management sim from Frontier Developments.
I will always enjoy these types of games, constantly trying to chase the high of me pouring hours into titles like ThemePark or Zoo Tycoon. Planet Zoo is another sim management game that I can wholeheartedly recommend. It may not be for the casual player with how much the game asks of you in regards to management, but to everyone else, it’s a heck of a good time. Maybe we’ll get lucky and see some Aquarium stuff out of Frontier Developments next, I’m crossing fingers here.
Even with all of its faults, it really is hard not to love this game, Every time the UI bugs me, or a keeper gets stuck, I just head to a habitat, sit and watch the baby Panda’s walking around with their parents, or head to the chimpanzees to watch them play and socialize and all of sudden I’m reminded of why this game is so great. Planet Zoo is so close to getting a platinum thumb, If only the UI was a little easier on the eye and the path-building wasn’t so frustrating. Planet Zoo more than deserves the Gold Thumb!
It’s clear that earlier Frontier games like Kinectimals, Zoo Tycoon and Planet Coaster have been stage-setters for this ultimate zoo sim. Whether you enjoy theme park builders, economic sims or most importantly, creating the zoo of your dreams, Planet Zoo will satisfy you, but be prepared for an order of complexity that the previous games managed to avoid, or at least hid a little better.
Planet Zoo has some balancing issues and explains certain concepts poorly. Once the game is understood, however, it offers such loveable inhabitants and deep simulation that its shortcomings can be forgiven. The game shows how difficult running a zoo ethically can be, but also convinces the player how worthwhile that endeavour is by offering adorable animals at every turn. It is clever, complicated, and perfect for animal lovers.
Despite the odd issue, Planet Zoo is easily the best modern zoo management title available today.
Despite its unapproachable first few hours and some severely rough edges, Planet Zoo is one of the best tycoon games of the year. It offers near-limitless potential through its construction and exhibit tools, while Frontier’s visually stunning animals feel authentic and supremely detailed. With some patches, there’s no denying Planet Zoo could wind up being something extraordinarily special.
Planet Zoo is a very entertaining title for the fans of strategy genre, as good visuals, smooth gameplay, great customization features and a huge amount of animals and insects to play with in the Zoo, make it one of the best strategy games of 2019.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Ultimately, Planet Zoo is to zoo management games what Planet Coaster is to theme park management games—a spiritual successor to tycoon games of days gone by, with more depth and more freedom for creativity than ever. Some of the more complex elements can take a while to really click, but when they do, Planet Zoo becomes an engrossing experience.
As a person who enjoyed some of the older simulation games from the late 90s and early 2000s, Planet Zoo is one of those games that I could only imagine playing back then.