Planet Zoo shows off story mode ahead of next month’s beta

This game is going to hit the spot

Planet Zoo looks like a dream for those of us still clinging onto fond old memories of Zoo Tycoon. Frontier’s latest management simulation game is starting to feel more and more real with each passing video, and today’s is substantial – it’s a slice of an early zoo-building scenario from the campaign.

The story will touch on real-world topics like welfare and conservation, but the developers are striving to keep things “lighthearted.” Bernie, one of the first characters in the campaign, is a walking dad joke.

“Planet Coaster had so many great features that were quite difficult to discover, so for Planet Zoo, we’re teaching you how to build the zoo [in the story] because there’s just so much depth and so much to learn,” said principal designer Jim Stimpson. A much-needed step, but I bet I’ll still lean on the wiki.

Even just from this abbreviated gameplay footage, you can tell there’s going to be a ton of little details to keep track of, from habitat layout to clean water to temperature, foliage, and enrichment. I wouldn’t have it any other way. The joy of zoo games lies in continuously refining your park’s exhibits.

Planet Zoo isn’t out until November 5, 2019 on Steam, but there will be a beta test for Deluxe Edition owners from September 24 to October 8. Something tells me I won’t be able to resist.