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I have to admit that out of all Frontier Developments games, I never played Planet Coaster. I was more attracted to the greatness of building dinosaur parks in Jurassic World Evolution and its successor. With that in mind, I looked at Planet Coaster 2 through the eyes of a newcomer, and my experience was mixed. While it shares many of the systems that other games from this studio have and even has the same launch issues as other titles, it never felt as engaging as Planet Zoo or the dino-parks I previously mentioned. Still, there’s a lot of room to appease those wanting to create their dream theme park.
As the name implies, Planet Coaster 2 is the sequel to Planet Coaster. However, and take it from a rookie, you don’t have to play the first one to enjoy the sequel. Since I don’t have a point of comparison, I will talk about my experience as a new theme park creator, which, for better or worse, was ideal but not mind-blowing. Yet, there’s a certain charm to it once you circumvent some of the technical issues of this colorful ride.
Becoming a Master Builder
As soon as I fired up Planet Coaster 2, I noticed it had one of my favorite features from Jurassic World Evolution: a proper campaign-like mode. This was a bonus for me as someone who’s into narrative-driven elements, even in sandbox builders. It served as a long tutorial that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was packed with humor, great explanations, and some of the best pre-made theme parks ready for you to edit.
When you start your career mode, you’ll get different scenarios that increase in difficulty as you progress. The first ones will go over some of the game’s basics. You learn how to build rides, research new facilities, etc. However, the late ones are extremely challenging but enjoyable. You have to meet certain park criteria, like having a ride at a set level of prestige. Build a ride with a specific length and many more objectives that will test your creativity.
Furthermore, the game has an interesting sandbox mode for those who want free reins on their building escapades. You can pick between creative mode with unlimited resources or challenge modes to add a bit more difficulty to your park-management adventure. Both of these modes were great, but I tried the latter a bit more as I liked to see the game test me a bit more.
However, leaving all the great things aside, I faced many bugs in all the game modes. Pathing issues, pop-in problems with textures and models, guests not using rides, and creating roads becoming a frustrating ordeal were some of the most common complications. I was able to circumvent some, but others forced me to restart a level, which was not ideal. Fortunately, at the time of writing, the developers are working on some hotfixes, so hopefully, the game will perform much better later.
Land and Aquatic Greatness
To my surprise, Planet Coaster 2 doesn’t only stick to land attractions. Yes, you can build giant roller coasters, both premade and from scratch. There are also smaller rides you can place, such as spinning tea cups. However, the absolute best thing about the game is the inclusion of water attractions, like pools, flumes, and water rides. All of these elements pave the way for some of the most beautiful dioramas you can imagine, combining land and sea elements flawlessly.
Undoubtedly, the water rides take the crown. While I enjoyed creating roller coasters, nothing beats the excitement of creating the perfect pool with waves or a flume full of curves built as high as your imagination and the game allows. Plus, it was always nice to see the guests interact with these new additions. I even admit I laughed at the occasional swimmer in distress who begged for a lifeguard to rescue them. All in all, this was my favorite part of the game and one that adds even more life to the theme parks you can create.
Beyond the rides you can place, there are other elements you must manage to fulfill your guests’ needs. Each ride has different stats, such as excitement and even nausea. If one of these criteria is too low or too high, people won’t enjoy the ride that much, thus making them leave. Also, it isn’t just about placing rides mindlessly. You need to focus on the scenery surrounding the attractions and even think about your guests’ hunger, thirst, and even bathroom necessities. I always like it when a park management game features these deep mechanics that, in one way or another, add immersion to the themed utopia you’re trying to create.
Lastly, the game’s visuals are amazing. Even if there is some pop-in when scrolling through menus or moving the camera through the park, the detail of every asset is impressive. Whether you’re looking at the rides, their tracks, or some of the stalls that sell food to your guests, everything is gorgeous. Also, the scenery you can add to the game deserves all the praise in the world. From rocks to plants to even Greek sculptures that decorate the landscape, every single object is perfectly made.
A Gap On Every Track
Unfortunately, there are many issues that make Planet Coaster 2 a bumpy and frustrating ride at times. While I enjoy most of my time with it and praise the in-depth sandbox mechanics and engaging park management system, I often found myself stepping away from the screen due to how jarring some of these problems were. And yes, you can circumvent some, but solving technical problems shouldn’t be a part of any gameplay loop.
For starters, the UI isn’t as friendly as it looks. While the menus aren’t too bad to navigate, my gripe relies on the lack of tooltips. Hovering over an icon doesn’t tell you what it does. Going to the research menu shows some options you can unlock but doesn’t delve into what you’ll get. I found a way to fix the problem by connecting a controller and hovering over an icon, and then I got the tooltip. But it adds an unnecessary step that a player should not be responsible for solving.
Another problem, and the one that frustrated me the most, pertained to guests. On many occasions, they would stop using rides and facilities. I tested this in different scenarios. In some, I built two different rides, and they would only go on one. I’d then move the second ride far away from the first, and they’d ignore the first one now. The same happened with food and drink facilities. I wanted to build a small food court-like area, and the guests would only visit one place. Also, they rarely used the bathroom, which led to guests feeling discomfort thanks to things I was not doing.
While the developers have acknowledged some of these issues, Planet Coaster 2 is not in a completely enjoyable state. Yes, there are many things you can experience without bumps, but you’ll eventually find a wall you won’t be able to climb, and that diminishes the excitement. In truth, this is a game that has a lot of potential, but as it is right now, I would not recommend it. Yet, if you have a high tolerance for bugs and glitches, there are many things that you’ll find appealing.
A Beautiful Ride With Uncomfortable Twists
Ultimately, Planet Coaster 2 brought me mixed feelings. On the one hand, I love its style, its colorfulness, and the in-depth management and building mechanics. On the other hand, there are more bumps than I can count that lean toward the frustrating side. While I’m confident things will get patched up, the game’s state isn’t ideal now. Building your dream park will often result in frustration. Creating the best road for your guests will be underwhelming due to pathing bugs. You might even have to re-create some of your park’s elements to circumvent the problems. Still, I can’t deny the potential of Planet Coaster 2.
Bugs and technical issues aside, it has many features that could eventually elevate it to something greater. With a few fixes here and there, this promising roller coaster could reach its intended heights. And frankly, I want to see that. As I rooted for previous Frontier Developments’ titles, I’ll do the same for this one. In the end, I know we’ll get a memorable theme park sandbox adventure that will provide us with hours of boundless creativity. However, we have to wait until it reaches that stage.
Review copy provided by Publisher.
Planet Coaster 2 (PC Reviewed)
Planet Coaster 2 has a lot of potential to become a great theme park sandbox. However, its many technical issues and bugs hold back what could be a smooth roller coaster ride.
Pros
- Gorgeous visuals
- In-depth building and management mechanics
Cons
- Many technical issues
- Model and texture pop-in problems
