Nearly a decade after the release of the original, Planet Coaster 2 is finally slated to arrive this fall, bringing with it more customization and detail than ever before. Self-publishing studio Frontier Developments has a long history with the management genre, producing not only the original Planet Coaster But many other popular titles like Zoo Tycoon And these Rollercoaster Tycoon Series. The company recently held a two-hour virtual hands-on session with the title that consisted of two parts: a mission from the game’s main story, and a free exploration of sandbox mode.
The title maintains the core facets of its predecessor while expanding on key areas to create an experience that definitely feels like an upgrade from the 2016 release. Players will still need to manage rides and putts and keep guests and staff happy Planet Coaster 2But the requirements to do so are significantly deeper this time. There are also many more options when it comes to park design, customization and sharing creations with other players, although I didn’t get to experience too much of that side of things during my preview.
Players can upload parks and individual rides directly in-game or on the Frontier Workshop for others to download, and There’s also now an asynchronous multiplayer for both franchise and sandbox modes where friends can collaborateA feature that is crossplatform. Perhaps the most obvious and overarching change between the two titles is the addition of water park features, which come with very new types of requirements and inspire a whole new creativity. Water parks are easily one of the most requested features of Planet Coaster Fans, and developers have fully embraced them in the sequel.
Planet Coaster 2’s Story Mode and Sandbox Demos
The impressive evolution of two in-game modes
The campaign of Planet Coaster 2 Feels a bit more story-driven than the first, with the scenario I played having much more storyline-based motivation behind it rather than just a themed challenge. The preview centered on a mission called Double Trouble, which is part of the game’s third chapter. In it, the player’s character has partnered with a man named Oswald Thompson and his company Coaster Coast to open a park; However, rival park owner Kenta Suzuki has bought a piece of land at the same site, placing major restrictions on his department as to what can be built.
The first step to fulfill his requirements was to build a pool with a high prestige level, and adding two flames with an excitement level of at least four. A medium-sized pool was enough to get me halfway to the required prestige, but it took further finessing with decor and nearby amenities, like a giant reef-themed pool sculpture and changing room, to fully get there. The plum requirement took me a little longer due to my own lack of attention to detail, as it turned out the second plum I’d added was just below the required excitement level.
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That was a good reminder The smaller details of Planet Coaster 2 are just as key as the larger ones in the park – Minutiae like an attraction’s price or amenity placement can have widespread effects. The requirements were non-existent in the second half of the preview, however, where I got to explore sandbox mode. This gave me the opportunity to dive deeper into the game’s five main aesthetic themes: Viking, Resort, Aquatic, Mythology, and Planet Coaster. The first three pairs are especially good with water parks, mythology is a gorgeous Grecian theme, and Planet Coaster has fun, self-referential pieces.
In my limited time in this mode, I didn’t get much of a chance to test the game’s deep building options for coasters and floats, but I got a better idea of ​​how the main sets can work together by building a park that is Was sort of Disneyland style, with differently themed, interconnected areas – Viking boats transitioning well into the undersea section, for example. It will definitely be easy to sink many hours in this mode; I had so much fun with tiny details like customizing the front row decor, and I could have easily spent a lot more time there.
Building a park in Planet Coaster 2
Customization and keeping everyone happy
When building a park, there are many things players will need to consider beyond its overall appearance, especially with the new inclusion of water park elements. Rides now require power, which is done through systems of generators and distributors, and water rides require pipework and filtration systems to stay clean. The strategy behind the placement of these aspects goes beyond simple coverage, too – the mechanical pieces are a pain, and will display guests if not out of sight or covered by decor.
Pathing is incredibly important, determining the entire visitor flow of the park, and each ride requires a separate row road connected to the main road. Making effective putting can be tricky, however The actual placement of structures is made much easier this time with the new design systemWhich provides a lot of ready-made pieces of all categories to quickly get the ball rolling. Pre-designed structures can still be customized, allowing players to change the color schemes of each part of the ride to better suit the overall look of the park.
One of the biggest overall changes in Planet Coaster 2 What stood out to me was his overall greater emphasis on detail.
Players can quickly assess different aspects of the park through a series of incredibly useful heat maps that show things like profitable areas, water and power, and guest satisfaction. The care of guests is much more complicated this time, with many new ways they can be dissatisfied or endangered. Water attractions mean they’ll need lifeguards on duty and access to shade and sunscreen, for example, and have more severe dietary restrictions, with some requiring items like vegan options. Employees also need care, and they need things like employee lounges and fair pay to be happy.
Final thoughts on Planet Coaster 2
Creative potential that makes a big splash
One of these Biggest overall changes in Planet Coaster 2 What stood out to me was his overall greater emphasis on detailIn every sense. Customization and thematic sets alone offered me a large number of opportunities to be creative, and that’s even without diving into the ride-building side of things, which will undoubtedly offer much more in this regard. The same is true for how players can analyze every aspect of their park, from the wide swathes of information that come from heat maps to clicking on individual attendees to gain better insight into what they need.
The title’s new sharing features also bode well for its potential longevity. Games like Mario Maker have remained popular for years after release thanks to how they allow players to share creations, and with it now easier than ever for players to download other rides and parks, the upcoming release could see a very active community. The multiplayer mechanics also seem promising, and are a bit of a rarity for games of this genre. The asynchronous game can be used with sandbox or franchise mode, and players can also submit parks to leaderboards with special requirements to compete online.
I came away from my session wishing I’d gotten more time to spend with the game. I felt like I’d just started nailing down the aesthetics of my different areas as it ended, and I wanted to explore more ways to customize rides and make things more efficient. This is always a sign of a good Tycoon game – the “Just one more thing” Loop that can keep you there for hours, and Planet Coaster 2 Really seems to balance his creative and management aspects in an impressive defensive way that left me quite excited for his release this fall.
- platforms
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PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Released
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17 November 2016
- developer(s)
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Frontier developments
- Publisher(s)
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Frontier developments
- ESRB
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E for everyone right to crude humor, mild violence
- How long to beat
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27 hours
Source: Planet Coaster / YouTube