Here's why you need to play Planet Zoo

From the developers of Planet Coaster comes the ultimate zoo sim, Planet Zoo. It’s never been easier to jump in and create your own world for wildlife. However, there’s an intricate ecosystem to balance, taking into account the need to research and develop your dream zoo in order to provide the perfect environment for your animals to thrive.

Creating the ideal home for each of the unique animals takes a lot of work and you will need you to learn as much about your animals as, hopefully, your guests will. 

It turns out that peacocks are complicated little creatures. Even though you might think they'd be happiest in a tropical climate, they actually like a chilly habitat, which in certain biomes requires installing some coolers to bring down the temperature, which as you might imagine, come at some cost!  

(Image credit: Frontier Developments)

Creating the perfect habitat is an intense process. Not only do your animals need the right food and drink, but they'll also judge their new home on things like the terrain. Too much short grass and sand, and not enough soil and water may well mean some very grumpy rhinos. And nobody wants that, do they? 

You've got to think about your animals’ protection from the elements, too, as well as how much space they've got to live in. Are they paired up with too many other animals? Or could you go one step further and really remind the African Elephants of a home by pairing them with some Plains Zebras or Reticulated Giraffes? 

And don't forget about the enrichment items either. Providing enough stimulation in the enclosures makes for seriously satisfied animals, whether it’s a scratching post for your cheetahs or even a piano keyboard for your orang-utans, there's plenty to discover.   

(Image credit: Frontier)

The happier your animals are, the more likely they are to breed, and yes, that means new-borns for you to look after too. You'll be looking after them all the way from birth until death, although you will get the chance to release them into the wild and promote global conservation efforts, vital for endangered species. 

Go on a trip around the world in Career Mode taking on a series of themed scenarios. Build a series of connected zoos all over the globe in Franchise Mode. Start from scratch and play the way you want in Challenge Mode, or build without limits in Sandbox Mode. Just be prepared for a level of responsibility that I don't think any of us could get in the real world.

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