REVIEW: ‘Planet Zoo: Console Edition’ Brings the Wild to Your Couch (XSX)

Frontier Devcelopments’ Planet Zoo has been kicking around on PCs as the premiere zoo simulator for a whopping five years now. It has finally come to consoles in the form of Planet Zoo: Console Edition. With the game’s complexity, its console release begs the question of how well its menu-heavy gameplay has been translated to console for this release. Thankfully, the answer is that it does so very, very well.

Planet Zoo Console Edition splits gameplay into a handful of modes. There is a sandbox mode, numerous challenges, and a franchise mode that challenges players to run zoos all across the globe. Players are given an incredible amount of control over their zoos to try and find success. A lot of metrics are used to determine your success depending on which mode you’re playing, but it always boils down to the animals.

Each animal put into your zoo requires a lot of care and attention. It starts with building the barriers of their exhibit, choosing from different aesthetics, and tweaking the height to make sure they aren’t able to escape. You may even throw in a couple of windows to make sure guests can see them.

Then, you have to adjust the environment of the enclosure. This means changing the ground type, planting appropriate plants, and potentially even controlling the temperature. Once that is taken care of you’ll need to add enrichment items to make sure the animals don’t get bored—these range from frozen blocks of fruit to showers and rope swings. Then, you’re ready to head to the market and purchase the animals, paying attention to their genetics and stats for breeding and conservation efforts.

The most impressive characteristic of building exhibits in Planet Zoo Console Edition is how in-depth it is. Even Frontier’s other tycoon games are surpassed with features like custom-built habitats and climbing equipment for primates to enjoy. The programming on guests and animals is extremely impressive to accommodate this as well. Players can build incredible zoos, and the pre-made campaign zoo set-ups serve as great inspiration. You are also given the tools to enjoy your creations as well fully. Each animal can be followed with an orbital or cinematic camera to immerse yourself in the setting and see it from a closer perspective.

Outside of the exhibits, players also customize everything else about the zoo. You’ll have to place paths to guide visitors. Put up educational materials to help them learn. Build restrooms and vendor stalls to satisfy their needs while visiting. This is all relatively standard for a park management game, but Planet Zoo: Console Edition gives you an abnormal amount of customization and detail to deal with. There are a ton of options to choose from and each can be further customized to keep a consistent theme.

On a higher level players also have numerous systems to manage throughout their zoos. There are financials to consider when dealing with pricing, food quality for animals, and developing employees. You also need to have an eye on energy generation and keep things powered while not letting visitors see the ugly generator facilities. Then there is also a research system to manage with scientists working to discover new items.

There is also the genetics system that allows you to breed animals for favorable traits and release them into the wild to bolster native populations. There is always so much going on in Planet Zoo that it can be overwhelming at a glance. Thankfully, the solid tutorial missions do a good job of leading you through it and explaining everything well.

The only real issues that arise from the game’s complexity are in its controls. Translating such a menu-heavy and mechanically dense game to a gamepad is never an easy task. Planet Zoo Console Edition does better at this than many other menu-heavy console ports. Plenty of hotkeys are always displayed onscreen to help you navigate the many layers of each menu.

However, it still can be cumbersome to use. This is especially true when setting up a new exhibit from scratch. So many elements need to be placed and modified that the controller’s clunkiness is highlighted. The issue does diminish over time as you get used to the controls, but it will never be as smooth and effortless as a keyboard and mouse.

Even with some difficulty when it comes to controls, Planet Zoo Console Edition is still a must for any tycoon fans. It boasts a massive amount of content, supplemented by five years of free updates and DLC packs to come. Players are able to see their zoos and animals in beautiful and realistic renditions. And there are enough layered mechanics to keep even the most hardcore players tinkering for hours on end.

Planet Zoo Console Edition is available now on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.