REVIEW: ‘Planet Zoo 2’ Is Rich In Depth And Charm

Frontier Developments is bringing players back to the zoo. Announced in May 2026, Planet Zoo 2 is the next game in the franchise, which was first released in November 2019. A park management sim, Planet Zoo 2 puts players in the role of zookeepers as they manage, build, and contribute to conservation efforts while building zoos worldwide. The first game in the franchise received long-term support with over 20 DLC packs, and this sequel expands on what players could do before while honoring everything they loved. 

Planet Zoo 2 offers three main game modes: Career, Franchise, and Sandbox. In Career Mode, players complete tasks at a variety of zoos and wildlife reserves. Franchise Mode has players create and manage a network of zoos. Sandbox Mode is the usual “free play” where players choose how they want to play and what challenges, if any, they want to take on.

Career Mode has players join FEN (Fauna and Ecosystems Network) to complete scenarios in Planet Zoo 2, hopping around the globe to solve issues and expand preexisting zoos or wildlife reserves. Each location offers Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals earned by completing a set of challenges and tasks. These tasks range from as simple as improving an animal’s wellness within its habitat to developing and establishing an ecosystem in new wildlife reserves.

Frontier Developments’ Planet Zoo 2 is a sequel players have been waiting for. 

As players complete these tasks and earn medals, they will progress not only in “story”, but also increase in Tier Accreditations that unlock animal species, marketing slots, equipment, and more for players to utilize within their zoos or wildlife reserves. This Accreditation Tiers system is also used in the franchise mode. 

The main difference between getting these accreditations in Franchise Mode vs. Career Mode is the requirements: Career wants medals, while Franchise wants players to have a better, more reputable zoo (or multiple zoos) or hit a specific number of guests, to name a few examples.

Franchise Mode is the community online mode for Planet Zoo 2. In these zoos, players can trade animals with other players or complete community quests. The zoos in Franchise Mode are also highly interconnected, as animals and progress are shared across all zoos. Players can also purchase access to the wildlife reserves where they can release their animals back into the wild.  

Sandbox Mode is simple “free play.” This is where players can pick and choose what they want to deal with or not by setting limitations through the menu system. If you don’t want limitations like cash, guest happiness, or management tasks, this is for you. Ultimately, Sandbox Mode is where creativity has no limits.

Wildlife reserves make a big impact on Planet Zoo 2.

The biggest new feature for Planet Zoo 2 is the inclusion of the Wildlife Reserves. These were something that was in Planet Zoo, but they weren’t interactive, and players weren’t able to do anything with them. In Planet Zoo 2 they are completely customizable and interactive.

Players can establish ecosystems, release animals, or even explore these reserves. Conservation is a core part of the Planet Zoo franchise, and it is one of the biggest ways players can support it by raising animals and releasing them into these wildlife reserves. Along with ecosystems, players can also build research networks within their reserves using outposts and some new observation tools. These research networks will let players study wildlife and advance research on different species. 

One of the best parts of these new wildlife reserves is that they have their own biodiversity ratings for players to improve. Players will not only need to create a livable ecosystem and release animals into these ecosystems; they also need to improve them over time by adding more species, whether fauna or flora. Players will also need to keep their ecosystems clean and free of invasive species. In a lot of ways, you can think of these wildlife reserves as massive habitats that players need to manage and maintain.

People visit zoos for the animals, and playing Planet Zoo 2 is no different, as the animal list has expanded from Planet Zoo. The main new additions include birds and sea animals. This means players can design their own aquariums and aviaries. These new animals and habitats will give players new challenges, as they have different needs and requirements than typical terrestrial animals. Whether it is making sure your filtration system can handle your aquarium or that your aviary is closed. 

Additionally, Shared Habitats were a feature in the original Planet Zoo, and this expands to Planet Zoo 2 as well. Aviaries can have ground-based animals in them to go with their flying counterparts. This lets players mix and match animals and expand their habitats.

In my earlier previews of Planet Zoo 2, I talked about how easy it is to build basic aviaries and aquariums, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges. During my playtime, I tried to build an aviary roof on an existing habitat without realizing part of that barrier was a “natural barrier.” So, as you can expect, the roof didn’t extend all the way around. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice this and spent more time than I want to admit wondering why my little parakeets kept escaping. 

Overall, visuals and animal behaviors are areas the Frontier Developments team talked about improving in Planet Zoo 2. The game is beautiful from a general visual standpoint, and the animals look great when you follow them around, as Planet Zoo 2 is clearly a visual upgrade over Planet Zoo.

However, I ran into so many visual issues that really took some immersion out of the game. Animals clipping into rocks, trees, or other items, including other animals. I went to check out a giant panda lying in a tree, only to move my camera over there and realize it was actually inside the tree itself.

Technical issues sometimes hamper Planet Zoo 2’s visual upgrades.

Releasing animals, whether into their habitat or wildlife reserves, is something I tend to always watch; however, I had to stop, as with the way the camera panned to the animals, particularly in the wildlife reserves, it would end up inside hills or other various parts of the terrain. This sometimes left me stuck and having to fight with the camera to figure out where I was. 

My main complaint against Planet Zoo 2 is all from the technical standpoint. I know quite a few of the visual issues are supposed to be addressed in a Day 1 Patch, so I do not want to harp too much on them; however, they still really hampered my review experience of the game. 

These range from animals running on water to my camera locking up, where I could barely move and had to escape to settings to reset camera movement. There was a period where I thought I was going a little crazy, as I kept clicking to move items and it wouldn’t work, only to realize my input was being either severely delayed or just not registering, and I had to click again. 

Returning Planet Zoo players will be familiar with the management components of Planet Zoo 2, as it has all the bells and whistles you’d expect. Players need to hire staff, assign staff, check finances, and handle all the basic aspects needed to run their zoo. And some of those management elements have gotten an upgrade. 

For one, Planet Zoo 2 lets players build more open areas overall, including areas that mix staff and guests. Restaurants and shops can now be more open and cabana-style, allowing players to get really creative. Another improvement is staff paths, and staff buildings can now blend better into the scenery without players taking a major penalty hit.

This isn’t to say players shouldn’t be aware of their guests’ needs and wants and build accordingly; however, being able to mix and match buildings and facilities with habitats and shops lets players use more space and create interconnected zoos.

While Planet Zoo 2 is a step up from the first game, technical issues hold it back. 

Overall, Planet Zoo 2 is so rich in depth and full of life. Whether it is the animals, wildlife reserves, or all the building options and customizations, there is so much to love in Planet Zoo 2. While technical issues can bring it down and hamper your experience, Planet Zoo 2 still maintains its charm. And, thanks to Frontier Development’s history of post-launch title support (like with the Jurassic World Evolution franchise), it’s reasonable to expect some or all of these issues to be cleaned up over time. 

By doubling down on its core goals, including teaching the importance of conservation, Planet Zoo 2 has created a park management sim with ample meaning. From expanded creative elements with blueprints to wildlife reserves that add a whole new flavor to the game, Planet Zoo 2 is a more-than-worthy sequel, once some patches come through. 

Planet Zoo 2 is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.