DLC REVIEW: ‘Planet Coaster 2’ Silver Screen Pack Focuses On Detail

Following a game-changing update in Parades, the Planet Coaster 2 Silver Screen DLC pack scales back on ambition. In exchange, Planet Coaster 2 gets a new aesthetic direction and oodles of customizations to go along with it. While the Silver Screen pack is more in line with a traditional update, the high quality of the details make all the difference.

Silver Screen opens up a new way to roleplay as a park manager, inspired by the glitz and glamour of the 1950’s. Hundreds of Art in the Planet Coaster 2 Silver Screen pack to recreate the look of a classic cinema. They fit right into the Studios base theme that can be applied to give the entire park a backlot view; think Universal Studios or a Hollywood backlot tour.

As a theme, Studios is a sizable departure from the aesthetic designs Planet Coaster 2 typically uses. Many of those themes are closer to traditional amusement parks: bright colors, thrills, fantastical elements. Silver Screen’s assets are shinier, using deeper colors and more neutral colors to align more with the reality of the studio backlot.

Planet Coaster 2 offers new rides and a fun shift in the aesthetic. 

Even the new performer, Cornell Butterworth, is a bit of a departure of design. His head is a big container of popcorn, but the rest of him evokes the garb of a film director from the ’50s. It’s a mix of mascots and the costumed performer designs and Butterworth is very fun as result. 

The Planet Coaster 2 Silver Screen pack brings a whopping seven new rides to the game. There’s only one rollercoaster, and it’s surprisingly modern compared to the rest of the pack. Called “Phoenix,” it’s a new gen flying coaster that has guests hanging in their seats while the coaster rails twist and turn in spirals. It’s pretty unique even comparing to the other new gen coaster already in the game.

Ground Control is the family ride of the pack. This ride is an oscillating arm going up and down with to simulate flying and landing a plane. As far as these kinds of rides go, they serve a good purpose in the fully architected park. These rides are used to attract families. More options for these are great, but they’re not as exciting. The other flat ride, Tipping Room, is more on theme but also less engaging. 

The Silver Screen pack has something for every type of player.

Two tracked rides help create a park manager’s own Universal Studios experience. Big Screen Tour is a recreation of an actual studio lot with riders in carts styled like their on a Hollywood tour. The ride is massive, taking the guests through not only the bustle of the lot but across simulated soundstages and capping off with a water section.

Re-Motion is simpler on paper; focusing on a mechanical arm that can move in all directions with screen surrounding it. That element gives a lot of customization options to the really skilled Planet Coaster 2 player. It also creates a situation where a casual player struggles with an otherwise compelling and large ride. At one point while trying it out, I found the staircase exit had inadvertently become broken through my meddling. However, it was only noticed after the ride had fully opened and a poor guest was stranded on the broken stairs. 

Arguably the centerpiece of the pack is the literal cinema that can now be opened in the park. Guests can stop by and watch some cartoons starring King Coaster getting up to some shenanigans. The default configuration naturally aligns well with the aesthetic theme and scenery of the Silver Screen pack. In a clever use of existing game design, the Cinema actually operates as a flat ride without radically changing the function of those rides. 

Enjoy the ’50s cinematic throwbacks or live out your stuntman dreams.

Finally, there is another tracked ride that is actually a whole slot car course. Also themed like a movie set, guests can live out their stuntman dreams. The theming is great, with a highlight being shipping containers of “GLOOP,” but if anything, this ride inspires more ideas of what could be next. A speedway theme would be another fun departure from the kind of theme parts Planet Coaster 2 can make. It’s a ride just begging to be turned into a lap circuit by the community. 

In fact, customization really seems to be at the forefront of the Planet Coaster 2 Silver Screen pack experience. Tons of sound effects and music (9 new tracks) are in the pack to help pick the exact kind of movie the park manger wants to evoke.

All these rides, especially Re-Motion and Big Screen Tour, are packed to the maximum with smaller elements to adjust, move, or remove at the die-hard’s discretion. Playing with this many pieces is a daunting proposition for more casual players. 

Frontier Developments showcase detailed refinement. 

On the other hand, those details also make these rides visually pop. Frontier Developments could easily have done more surface level design with bigger individual elements. Instead, they continue to drill down into the details and refine them. The rides and theme is more compelling because of that choice. Even if a player never changes an individual element, there’s satisfaction in the full picture. That’s a great balance of player needs.

While Planet Coaster 2 Silver Screen pack is a more traditional DLC release, there’s both quality and quantity here. The Studios theme is a compelling reason to spin up a brand-new park around it, and its new rides are very detailed, showcasing exciting elements. Altogether, this is another successful expansion of one of the best building games out there. 

Planet Coaster 2 Silver Screen is available now for $14.99. Planet Coaster 2 is required to play and is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.