Planet Zoo 2’s launch earlier this week has thrust Frontier Developments back into the spotlight, with major expansions in the sequel including the addition of Wildlife Reserves alongside fully aquatic and avian species.
With realism playing a significant part in the title, it may not be for everyone, but that same realism has driven the attention for many players around the world, myself included.
While the industry has its sights firmly set on Grand Theft Auto 6, Planet Zoo 2 has always stood out to me as a major release for one reason: my three-year-old boy.
Yearning For Learning
My son is animal-obsessed and has been from a young age. From zoo trips to building his own zoos with his toys, it’s always been clear that introducing him to Planet Zoo made sense, which is something I did in the original game, but the fact he was younger moved it to more of a show-and-tell.
This time around, his age means we can scratch beneath the surface deeper. He’s already learned about the likes of carnivores and natural habitats, but Planet Zoo 2 allows this to be taken to the next level, and to bring things to life in an entirely different way.
Naturally, our first stop has been Career Mode, with the new Wildlife Reserves capturing his imagination as I hand him the controller and give him freedom to explore.
The childlike instinct of crashing the buggy or driving it into deep water does remain, but he’s also taken close notice of the differences in the animals in the environment, like those that opt to live close to water, like hippos, and those who want to be surrounded by tall trees, like giraffes.
Moving forward in Career Mode to the points where zoo construction and animal welfare play a major part, it’s given me the opportunity to put his thinking in the driving seat, with basic questions like ‘what should we put in to make sure the animal isn’t thirsty?’ coming alongside discussions around toys, and how, as he does, animals like to play too.
This problem-solving has come alongside some adorable moments, like when he took a liking to a Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo we added, and proceeded to jump on a bed declaring he was a tree kangaroo, using a giraffe tail toy he has to replicate the creature’s own long tail.
Important Lessons
Planet Zoo 2 is also important in a different way, as it serves as the next step in his education for a lot of scenarios, in a way that a documentary series, for example, doesn’t.
I’m not entirely sure if he’s ready to watch a real-world lion on the hunt, taking down a zebra, but with Planet Zoo 2, I can show him how different species like that interact in a way that isn’t as gory and potentially as nightmare-inducing.
Don’t be fooled into thinking the education is just for the younger generation, though, as I’ve learnt a lot from the Planet Zoo franchise, and I’ve been told stories about how zookeepers in the real world use the game to expand their knowledge and creativity, which is a testament to the hard work that Frontier Developments puts in to ensure the title is as realistic as ever.
Undoubtedly, the most important lesson that Planet Zoo 2 teaches comes in the form of Wildlife Reserves, where restoring natural ecosystems and rewilding animals play an integral part. As a UK resident who has a keen eye for nature, this hits particularly close to home.
The natural environment in the UK is, to be frank, pretty abysmal. While residents will fondly tell you about the sprawling green hills of the countryside, the reality is that, beneath the surface, nature is crying out for help, and has been for a while.
The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, with a long, long list of animals in danger of extinction to go alongside the thousands that have already been lost. This includes all of the native large predators, which once included the likes of wolves and bears, leaving the badger as the nation’s largest natural predator.
Those lessons, obviously, are a bit too challenging for my three-year old to comprehend, but for the older players like myself, it’s the perfect entry point into the importance of rewilding, and, hopefully, will lead to a greater interest in the conversation projects taking place across the globe.
More to Come
Just as important as everything that is present in Planet Zoo 2 at launch is what’s to come, with Frontier Developments’ history making it abundantly clear that there’s a long road of additional content, DLC, and updates on the path ahead.
The original Planet Zoo title had 21 DLC packs, including the Deluxe Upgrade Pack, introducing over 130 new animal species to the game, and players can expect similar, or maybe even more, from the sequel.
The potential addition of more Wildlife Reserves is one area I’m particularly keen to see, especially as the base game doesn’t include reserves in North or South America or Australia, and, so far, the focus has been on land-based species.
Adding reserves for these continents, alongside the potential addition of an underwater reserve where you restore a coral reef, has the capacity to provide more educational fuel, feeding the minds of players around the world.
It begs the question: when it comes down to the crux of it, what do video games truly offer you, and should it be more than just entertainment? I certainly think so, and Planet Zoo 2 ticks those boxes.
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For more Planet Zoo 2 content, check out our tips for Franchise Mode, find out how to release animals, and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter.
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