Developer Frontier Developments has released a new trailer for its upcoming zoo management sim, Planet Zoo 2. The trailer, which you can check out below, focuses on some of the new aquatic creatures that players will be able to keep in their zoos, including species like the blacktip reef shark and the red lionfish.
The trailer does more than show these creatures off, however. Rather, we get to see some of the gameplay features that players can use in building out their aquariums to house these creatures. The narrator describes the process of building an aquarium as being similar to building terrestrial habitats. Players will also have access to blueprints, giving them the option to quickly put down a new habitat for their aquatic creatures.
Aside from ensuring that the animals are safe and happy, however, players will also have to deal with maintenance, which means taking care of things like giving maintenance workers easy access through access hatches. Players can also put down feeders depending on what kind of species they are keeping in their aquariums.
The aquarium system will be fairly in-depth, which means that players will have to be careful about whether they’re building a habitat for marine, freshwater, or brackish species. Since marine and freshwater creatures can’t live in the same pool, for example, players will have to set up separate filtration and salination systems to ensure that all species can survive.
In its later parts, the trailer provides a better look at some of the decoration options that players will have access to when designing their aquariums. These can range from additional foliage to stone arches and even the ability to change the water’s tint.
The same capabilities are also available in the Wildlife Reserve, where players can send the aquatic creatures to aid with conservation efforts. Diverse ecosystems can be set up depending on the kinds of land-based fauna living in the area. An example provided in the trailer used African tiger fish living in a pond that also serves as a water supply for zebras.
Wrapping things up, the trailer confirms that the next video released will focus on another new addition to the Planet Zoo series – aerial creatures and their habitats.
Just last month, Planet Zoo 2 got a comprehensive deep dive video which showcased 35 minutes of gameplay. The video featured video artist Mel Cox, art director Marc Cox, and game director Gareth Hughes, and revolved around the design and maintenance of a tropical zoo. A key focus of the video was the massive jump in Planet Zoo 2’s visual fidelity over that of its predecessor, which in turn opened up new customization options for players who prefer to spend more time designing their zoos than they do managing them. The visual style also allowed for guests that are more expressive, with the team describing them as “an interesting combination of simulation and realism.”
Planet Zoo 2 is being developed for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, and is slated for release on October 13th. Frontier Developments had released a gameplay trailer earlier this month that gave us a look at aquariums, aviaries, and the Wildlife Reserve.
