I bloody love a theme park: the sights, the smells, the gleeful screams, the sense of utter transportation. But most of all, I love the breathless clash of science and art behind these thoroughly encompassing illusions. I’m the kind of theme park nerd who still gets genuinely giddy when they see technology and creativity crash together like this, and who’s been daydreaming their perfect rides and coasters into existence since a run-in with Disney’s Haunted Mansion at the age of three became a bit of an obsession. For people like me, the original Planet Coaster was a dream. For all its flaws, it was a brilliantly implemented, beautifully presented suite of creative tools capable of turning theme park flights of fancy into digital reality, and its sequel promises the same, but .
Planet Coaster 2 reviewDeveloper: Frontier DevelopmentsPublisher: Frontier DevelopmentsPlatform: Played on PC Availability: Out now on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5
Like its predecessor, Planet Coaster 2 is an immediate head turner; a glorious fusion of art, animation, sound, and music that brings those creative whims to wonderfully convincing life – a world of whirling metal, blinking lights, and the delighted screams of guests, to be experienced on high or at ground level. Strip away the presentational pizzazz, of course, and Planet Coaster 2 remains indebted to Chris Sawyer’s seminal RollerCoaster Tycoon, barely straying from the template established over a quarter of a century ago. It’s a game built around the intricacies of park management; of hiring staff, constructing rides, and providing key amenities – all to please guests and make enough profit that the operational loop can continue indefinitely. But once again, Planet Coaster 2’s real strengths lie in the depth, breadth, and flexibility of its design and customisation tools.
Planet Coaster 2 | Launch Trailer Watch on YouTube
This is a sequel of gentle evolution rather than sweeping reinvention, which isn’t to say its refinements aren’t immediately apparent – Frontier has clearly listened to feedback from Planet Coaster 1, even if it feels like its most notable improvements are specifically catered toward the YouTube content creator contingent with days to spend fashioning their marvels of intricate design. Its new lighting engine, for instance, isn’t just pretty, it’s practical; enclosed spaces are actually dark, meaning proper dark rides are finally possible without clunky workarounds.