Truth be told, in the leadup to the proper reveal of Planet Zoo 2, with developer Frontier Developments not so subtly teasing it, my immediate thought was, "didn't that come out already?" Apparently not! For Planet Zoo 2 has in fact now been revealed, and is yet to be released. An announcement trailer shows it off a touch, though not in any mechanical detail, and to be honest my fight or flight is being set off by the human zoo visitors in a way I don't want to sit with.
Enough of that for the moment though. The top billing item with this sequel is the addition of "fully aquatic" species. I'm talking big ole turtles, a plethora of exotic ocean fish that seemingly includes the one from Finding Nemo voiced by Willem Dafoe that everyone finds hot, and yes, the one, the only, the mola mola. This all of course means you can build proper aquariums, both fresh- and saltwater, with particular care needed to make sure the filtration systems work and that there's access for the divers.
The other big animal addition is of the winged variety: birds! A couple of types can be seen in the trailer, like the toco toucan and real-life Chocobo the secretary bird. These also have their own unique little netted enclosure that lets them fly around and have a jolly good time. Also teased in the trailer but not really shown off are the new wildlife reserves. "Design, rewild and observe a network of entirely natural homes that allow your animals to thrive, all whilst maintaining a minimal staff presence," the game's official website explains. "Conduct research and conservation projects in your Wildlife Reserves to improve your zoos, creating better habitats and a wilder world for all."
I do, however, find looking into the eyes of the humans quite offputting. They're so cartoonish yet lifeless compared to the hyper-realistic zoo animals. Something's not right there.! Anyway, quite cheekily, the deluxe edition also comes with six extra species to add to your zoo, like the golden lion tamarin, hammerhead sharks, and axolotls. All very good animals! You know what you're doing here, Frontier Developments. To top it all off, this reveal also comes with a release date, which isn't very far away, as it's due out on October 13th later this year.
You can wishlist Planet Zoo 2 on Steam now.