I Bought Another Zoo... On The Right Platform
Back in 2024, I reviewed Planet Zoo: Console Edition on Xbox Series X, and while I absolutely loved the game itself, I couldn't help feeling that it was an experience better suited to PC. The sheer number of menus, systems and things you needed to keep track of made playing with a controller unnecessarily cumbersome. In fact, I enjoyed the game so much that I ended that review by saying I'd purchased the PC version, which is where I intended to continue playing.
Fast forward to 2026, and Frontier Developments is back with Planet Zoo 2, a sequel that looks to build upon the already excellent foundations of the original game. This time around, however, I've been playing on PC from the very beginning, and I have to say, what an absolute delight that has been. Although, while the sequel brings some welcome additions and improvements, there are still a few areas where I feel the franchise could do with some refinement.
As I mentioned in my original review, Planet Zoo is a franchise that is clearly built with a keyboard and mouse in mind, and the sequel only reinforces that opinion. There is still an enormous amount to manage, from the welfare of your animals and the habitats they live in to the staff, facilities and finances required to keep your zoo running smoothly. However, being able to navigate these systems with a keyboard and mouse makes everything considerably more manageable, particularly when you're trying to deal with several things at once.
That's not to say Planet Zoo 2 has suddenly become a simple game to get to grips with, because it certainly hasn't. There is still a learning curve here, especially for newcomers to the franchise, but the difference in how quickly and comfortably I can interact with everything compared to my experience on Xbox Series X is night and day. The complexity was never really my biggest issue with the original game, it was how difficult the controller made interacting with that complexity, and thankfully that's no longer a concern for me.
For anyone unfamiliar with the franchise, Planet Zoo 2 is a construction and business management simulator in which you are tasked with building and maintaining your very own zoo. That means constructing habitats for your animals, ensuring their welfare requirements are met, hiring staff, providing facilities for visitors and making enough money to keep everything operational. It's a formula that worked incredibly well in the original game, and for the most part, it continues to do so here.
Perhaps the most exciting additions this time around are aquatic animals and flying birds, which open up some fantastic new opportunities when it comes to designing your zoo. Rather than being limited to the more traditional animal habitats, you can now build aquariums and aviaries, adding some much-needed variety to the types of exhibits you can create. It might not sound like a particularly revolutionary change on paper, but for a game that's all about building the zoo of your dreams, having more options is always going to be a good thing.
The animals themselves are once again one of the highlights of the entire experience. Frontier has done a fantastic job with the models, animations and general presentation, and much like the first game, I often found myself appreciating the animals rather than actually getting on with running my zoo. The addition of aquatic life and birds only makes that aspect of the experience better, and there's something incredibly satisfying about seeing all your hard work come together as your zoo gradually expands.
However, while these additions are certainly welcome, I wouldn't necessarily say they fundamentally change the way Planet Zoo plays. You're still following much the same gameplay loop of constructing habitats, meeting the needs of your animals and making sure everything is running as it should. That's not necessarily a bad thing, considering how good the original game was, but anyone expecting a significant overhaul of the core formula might be left wanting a little more.
One area where Frontier has attempted to expand the experience is conservation, which now plays a bigger role in Career mode. Working alongside the Fauna and Ecosystems Network, you'll be tasked with not only building successful zoos but also helping restore wildlife reserves and eventually releasing animals back into their natural environments. It's a great idea and something that fits the franchise perfectly, particularly given how much emphasis these games already place on animal welfare.
Unfortunately, I don't think the execution is quite as interesting as the idea itself. Restoring reserves often feels more like another extension of the existing building and terrain management mechanics rather than something particularly different or exciting. Moving animals between your zoo and these reserves can also become a bit of a chore, and while I appreciate what Frontier is trying to achieve here, I would have liked to see the conservation side of things offer something a little more engaging.
That brings me to what I consider one of Planet Zoo 2's biggest issues, and it's something that was already present in the original game: the sheer amount of micromanagement involved. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for having detailed systems in a management simulator, and the depth on offer here is one of the reasons I enjoy this franchise so much. However, there comes a point where managing every little detail of an animal's habitat starts to feel less like an enjoyable challenge and more like you're working your way through a checklist.
Each species has its own requirements, whether that's the size of its enclosure, the type of terrain, the vegetation, temperature or the enrichment items available to it. All of this makes sense, and I certainly wouldn't want Frontier to remove these systems, because they are a fundamental part of what makes Planet Zoo what it is. The issue is that constantly jumping between menus and making minor adjustments to satisfy these requirements can become exhausting, especially as your zoo grows and you have more animals to worry about.
Building habitats can also be more frustrating than it really needs to be. The creative freedom on offer is fantastic, and if you're someone who enjoys spending hours perfecting every little detail, you'll have an absolute field day here. However, even with the advantages of playing on PC, the construction tools can be unnecessarily fiddly, with seemingly straightforward tasks sometimes taking considerably more effort than they should. Thankfully, the availability of pre-designed habitats does help alleviate some of these frustrations, although you'll still need to make sure everything meets the needs of your animals.
Interestingly, while looking after your animals can feel almost overwhelming at times, the financial side of running your zoo doesn't necessarily offer the same level of challenge. Once you've established the basics and have a reasonable understanding of how things work, keeping your zoo financially healthy isn't particularly difficult. I'd have liked to see a little more emphasis placed on the business side of things, with tougher decisions surrounding expansion, staffing and maintaining profitability. Instead, I often felt like I was spending far more time worrying about minor habitat requirements than the actual business I was supposed to be running.
On a more positive note, I have absolutely no complaints about the technical performance of Planet Zoo 2 on PC. Throughout my time with the game, performance has been outstanding, and I haven't encountered a single bug or technical issue. Combined with the excellent presentation and the vastly more comfortable keyboard and mouse controls, it's been a fantastic experience from that perspective, and one that further reinforces my belief that PC is the ideal platform for this franchise.
Ultimately, Planet Zoo 2 is a good sequel to what I already considered one of the best games in the genre, even if it doesn't quite improve upon everything I would have liked it to. The addition of aquatic animals, flying birds and the expanded conservation systems are all welcome, and the sheer level of creativity and depth on offer remains incredibly impressive. However, some unnecessarily complicated construction tools, excessive micromanagement and a few underwhelming new mechanics prevent it from reaching its full potential.
If you enjoyed the original Planet Zoo, there's a very good chance you'll enjoy the sequel, because at its core, this is still the same excellent management simulator with some worthwhile additions. Newcomers should be prepared for a fairly steep learning curve, and those looking for a more relaxed building experience may find some of the finer details frustrating. For me, though, finally being able to experience the franchise on PC from the outset has made a world of difference, and despite its shortcomings, there's still a tremendous amount of enjoyment to be had here. I just hope that when Frontier eventually returns for a third game, it spends a little more time refining the systems it already has rather than simply adding more things for us to manage.
Developer - Frontier Developments
Publisher - Frontier Developments
Released - October 13th, 2026
Available On - PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Rated - (E10+) - Crude Humor, Mild Blood, Mild Violence
Platform Reviewed - PC
Review Access - A review code for Planet Zoo 2 was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
I’m Jordan I have a background in game design and am deeply passionate about accessibility in gaming. My favourite games/franchises include Shenmue, Red Dead Redemption 2, Plague Tale: Requiem, Metal Gear Solid 3, Yakuza, Splinter Cell, and Assassin’s Creed.