Frontier Developments, the studio behind Jurassic World: Evolution and Planet Coaster, has announced a new project. Planet Zoo is a zoo management sim with a focus on authentic animal behavior and creativity. It's coming to PC in Autumn 2019.
According to Frontier, Planet Zoo will feature the most authentic animals in videogame history. There's a focus on realistic animal behavior, with each animal having their own environmental and social needs. Players can nurture animals from birth to old age and can also raise their offspring should they reproduce. You'll be able to create a modern zoo in which "animal welfare and conservation comes first". You can check out the announcement trailer for Planet Zoo below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naQ0acqONwg
The game will feature a campaign mode that promises to take players around the world. There will of course also be a Sandbox mode in which players can simply experiment with their optimal zoo setup. Zoos can be micromanaged as much or as little as players wish; Frontier says it wants to let players "focus on the big picture or go hands-on and look after the smallest details". There will also be a terrain creation system which will build on Planet Coaster's customization tools. Visitors and animals will react to changes you make, and you'll be able to share your creations online. Naturally, that means you'll also be able to download and use other people's creations.
Frontier is promising plenty of other features in Planet Zoo like a tech tree, prestige animals and exhibits, and the ability to release creatures back into the wild. Seems like plenty of animals will be represented in Planet Zoo; the trailer shows off elephants, bears, and lions, among others. This is shaping up to be one to watch for management sim lovers and animal fanatics. If that's you, you can wishlist the game on Steam.
Planet Zoo will be released exclusively for PC in Autumn 2019. No word on a specific release date yet. In the meantime, you can refresh your memory by reading TechRaptor's review of Frontier's previous Planet title Planet Coaster.
Are you excited to play Planet Zoo? Let us know in the comments below!