Planet Zoo

 PC
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 55 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 55
  3. Negative: 0 out of 55
  1. GameSpot
    Nov 20, 2019
    70
    Despite a slow burn in online mode and a bloated user interface that gets in the way of fully enjoying the finer management aspects of Planet Zoo, there’s still more than enough here to get something out of your time with it. It’s got its janky moments, but the animals are all rendered sublimely, the management sim mechanics are smart, and the sensible building controls will encourage and help you to build the best park you can for the animals in your care.
  2. GameSpace
    Nov 13, 2019
    70
    Planet Zoo is an incredible educational tool that also supports conservation which is worth cheering on 100%. The amount of thought given to every detail is astounding but user-interface wise Planet Zoo seems more enjoyable to watch than play especially in Career mode.
  3. Game Informer
    Nov 7, 2019
    70
    Planet Zoo put up a lot of obstacles to my enjoyment, but once I broke through the majority of them, I found that engaging loop of mastery and success that makes simulation games fun. I enjoyed trying to one-up my last creation and surpass my previous revenue and years in business. Unfortunately, Planet Zoo requires an unreasonable level of patience that creates a barrier around its best qualities.
  5. God is a Geek
    Nov 28, 2019
    60
    Hardcore management sim fans may enjoy Planet Zoo, but others may find it overly complex and packed with an overwhelming amount of management options.
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  1. Kotaku
    Nov 5, 2019
    The sandbox mode is a thing of wonder, and the animals and crowds both add immensely to the cheery atmosphere...Management mode is again a disappointment.
  2. Polygon
    Nov 8, 2019
    Despite these issues, I couldn’t help but love Planet Zoo for what it is: a game about trying to make the world a little better, by making sure some animals are well looked after. From its story beats about protecting animal welfare in the case of evil capitalists trying to drive profits, to the first time I was able to release a set of endangered pygmy hippos back into the wild, I felt like all my stress was working toward something.
  3. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Nov 5, 2019
    It’s buggy, intermittently opaque, frequently saccharine, and – barring an eleventh hour miracle – it’s my undisputed game of the year. Because here’s the thing: it’s a game where you can build your own zoo. And by thunder, it delivers on that promise. [RPS Bestest Bests]

Awards & Rankings

66
#66 Best PC Game of 2019
89
#89 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 146 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 112 out of 146
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 146
  3. Negative: 17 out of 146
  1. AllNewSuperfake
    Sep 27, 2020
    5
    Updated review after patches:+4

    First off a warning: You should really switch off the character's voices, especially the constant laughter    Updated review after patches:+4

    First off a warning: You should really switch off the character's voices, especially the constant laughter about their own jokes. I played two tutorial missions and was found naked and crying somewhere 120 miles away from home, that's how stupid they are.

    Compared with other zoo management games, especially from older generations, Planet Zoo completely fails to impress me. While it is very nice to look at when it comes to graphics and animations, in the end it was the lazyness of the whole thing that stood out to me.

    It reuses so many assets and mechanics - including the faulty ones - from Planet Coaster that it should have been a DLC for that game. Building pathways as well as buildings is as fiddly as ever, and half of the time you will fight the camera on top of that. The staff is barely functional by now, but you will still need six keepers per animal to not have dozens of warnings and alerts flashing on the side at all times.

    It's really keen on letting you know everything that goes wrong, important or not, including absurd alarms like "Low on cash". Not only is another distracting element in the already convoluted UI, since you can't really direct the priorities it makes the whole warning system useless. When clicking on one of those warnings it will change into one of it's several overview modes so that you can hardly make out details and have to switch back to building mode, having the screen go pitch black every single time.

    Overall it fails to make it's animals the stars. Watching them can be nice, but most of the time their pathfinding glitches out and let's them "swim" over the scenery. Except when they are swimming, then they are walking on the ground, even if it's way too deep. Birds don't lay eggs, pregnancies are not visible, and I really wonder why most of the work seems to have gone into the process of pooping. There are just too many weaknesses in the basic game design to make this more than a very average game.    … Full Review »
  2. Nieogolony
    Nov 5, 2019
    10
    Okay so what to begin with... Oh man this game is so great. I was playing with my gf during beta and i thought that the game had so largeOkay so what to begin with... Oh man this game is so great. I was playing with my gf during beta and i thought that the game had so large content already and yet they managed to give much more content for the premiere. I wont spoiler anything and I suggest not to look up any lists of animals because you will discover them alone and wont be dissapointed. Cheers from Poland… Full Review »
  3. andreandrade
    Nov 17, 2019
    10
    Absolutamente fantástico. Imperdível, até para quem não gosta do estilo. Detalhado, lindo, absolutamente customizável e muito, muitoAbsolutamente fantástico. Imperdível, até para quem não gosta do estilo. Detalhado, lindo, absolutamente customizável e muito, muito divertido. O melhor jogo do gênero de gerenciamento que já joguei, e joguei muitos.… Full Review »
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