Planet Zoo: Console Edition - We built a zoo (with a controller)

Planet Zoo: Console Edition is the latest management sim to come to console, after first releasing on PC in 2019. The Console Edition of the game includes the last four years of updates the original has received and will also be delivered some extra DLC later down the line - so from a content perspective, this is a complete version of the game (albeit with more content coming). It also needs to be said that the game runs like a dream with very few technical issues or hiccups during my time building a zoo.

I love going to the zoo, it’s genuinely one of my favourite things to do, but I’m often cautious of which ones to go to as there’s nothing worse than seeing a beautiful animal, locked in a tiny enclosure, dead bored and losing its mind. Fortunately, here I’m in charge, and Planet Zoo does a fantastic job of encouraging animal welfare throughout. Your zoo is impacted not just by how much you earn (although you’re gonna need to sell some merch to succeed) but also the welfare of the animals. Happy animals make for happy punters and I appreciate this a lot.

The hardest, and most important issue here though will always be how well the game translates to being accessible with a controller, and for the most part, Frontier has done a good job adapting the game to be played this way. It’s still not perfect though. I have yet to play a game of this ilk that’s as good on a console (or maybe even better) as it is on a PC. Even with the slightly more finicky controls, Planet Zoo: Console Edition remains a management sim well worth playing.

A tutorial in the valleys 

Before diving into the Sandbox, Franchise or Challenge modes you’re going to want to start with Career, which is also the game’s extensive, but rather laborious, tutorial. It is a bit long, but with this many features on offer it needs to be, otherwise you’re not going to know the difference between looking after a Giant Tortoise and a Macaque. Fortunately, even after completing the tutorial Planet Zoo still offers a hand for some guidance but it’s nowhere near as thorough. What keeps the tutorial engaging is the lovely voice acting of the two zookeepers guiding you through. I am a particularly big fan of Nancy Jones’ delightful Welsh accent.

The tutorial also has plenty of fun facts dropped throughout about the animals and the conditions they live in. At no point do they feel crowbarred in, but considering this is a game that can be enjoyed by a younger gamer, the tidbits of knowledge are very welcome. Who knows, this game may even spark some budding zoologists.

Despite how thorough the tutorial is, it also highlights some of the shortcomings of this control scheme. There were plenty of occasions when Nancy would instruct me to do something, but I would still find the process an annoyance, most notably when trying to construct buildings or enclosures from scratch.

Dare to dream 

Once the tutorial is done, and you feel ready to dive into building your zoos from scratch, there are plenty of different modes to sink your teeth into. The Franchise mode is as it sounds, building different zoos around the world like some kind of zoo mega-chain, trading your animals online with other players. I wasn’t able to experience too much of this mode because no one was trading, so Sandbox is where I had the most fun, let loose to build what I wanted with no restrictions.

If you have a dream, here you can deliver on it. The Frontier Workshop is also available, allowing players to explore other creations that have been uploaded, although there wasn’t any on here before release which feels like a missed opportunity. The game has been out for nearly five years on PC, it would’ve been nice if this was populated with 100 of the most popular zoos built on PC to explore - especially as I’m not the most creative person, I’d have appreciated the inspiration.

A grateful zoo 

We’re all here for the animals. Whether for conservation purposes or because you’ve never seen an orangutan in person, you can capture some of that joy here. And fortunately, the animals all look amazing. Watching them mooch around their pens, and interact with each other or some toys you’ve popped in the enclosure is genuinely enjoyable. Once happy with the zoo, it’s hard not to feel a little like Thanos resting at the end of Infinity War, watching over the harmonious world he's created - albeit with a lot less death.

All of the animals have happiness levels to consider, but it’s also an ingenious way of letting you know where your facilities may be lacking and the added detail of animals being happier the closer their environment is to where they are from is most welcome. After all, you’re not going to want to put an Orangutan in a home full of snow.

To ensure every animal can be kept happy, there’s a lot to consider but you have all the tools to tackle it with a truly immense range of customisation options. You can even terraform the ground, so if you want a big lake or something with hills, just pop them in. Although this level of customisation is needed, it can certainly be overwhelming but that's why easing in with the tutorial will serve you well.

The Verdict

If you want to build a zoo and you’re on console then look no further than Planet Zoo: Console Edition. There is plenty on offer and you can get lost in perfecting your ideal zoo. Conservation is made to feel important and what matters is the welfare of the animals, but you will need to balance that with earning money and receiving donations from anyone coming through the gates.

Controls naturally feel less intuitive than using a keyboard and mouse, but outside of that, it's a great management sim that'll eat your free time if you let it.

4/5

Reviewed on PlayStation 5. Review code provided by the publisher.