REVIEW : Planet Zoo: Wetlands Animal Pack (PC)
Planet Zoo returns in 2022 for its first major release. Along with the Wetlands Animal Pack, which adds eight additional species to your zoo.
Wetlands Animal Pack DLC
This latest DLC is slightly smaller than December’s Europe Pack because it focuses solely on animals, rather than animals plus props.
The pack’s diversified roster includes the Asian small-clawed otter, capybara, Nile lechwe, platypus, red-crowned crane, spectacled caiman, and wild water buffalo, as well as the Danube crested newt, which is on display. To get you started, we’ll give you the dirt on all of these fascinating species, as well as their new relationships and behaviours.
A significant part of Planet Zoo’s appeal is meticulously establishing an ideal setting for the zoo’s inhabitants and guests, and once that labour is done, there’s some passive satisfaction to be had just watching everyone go about their business. Usually, these videos do a fantastic job of portraying that feeling, but this one nails it.
Aside from the eight new species, the Wetlands DLC includes scenery items such as the undersea buoy enrichment item and a hot water tap. Some Planet Zoo enthusiasts, like myself, have expressed a desire for less stressful missions that are nonetheless difficult to complete. I dislike rushing because it causes me to cut corners.
The new pack also includes a new timed scenario challenge set in Brazil’s Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland. You take control of an animal refuge to rescue endangered species. As with the other timed scenarios, you take over management and are given a limited amount of time to save a slew of critters and help them prosper. To develop a thriving zoo, you must also entertain and educate your visitors about these new animals.
Wetlands are Planet Zoo’s third animal pack, so we’re familiar with the format. It features seven new habitat-dwelling animals, one exhibit species, and a new scenario based on the animals’ native country, Brazil. The decorations are very varied at this stage in the game’s history, so the emphasis on animals and behaviours over accessories and structures is good.
Planet Zoo features a large zoopedia with a diversified species lineup, but it still manages to make new additions feel unique. One of the key reasons for this is the attention to detail in each animal’s behaviour. Frontier created a strong management framework on which to hang the zoo’s functionality, and then added creatures that behave exactly as they should. The attention to detail and realism is even more apparent with these additional enhancements.
The Asian small-clawed otter has a ready-made exhibit in the pack’s setting, which is ideal for demonstrating how they move smoothly on both land and water, seamlessly transitioning from one to the other. While some greenery will need to be removed to make it fully fit for the otter’s needs, the display demonstrates how flawlessly you can design a space to watch the aquatic behaviours of these magnificent creatures.
The Platypus, which can not only do deep dives but also hide in burrows, is provided for those who prefer their semi-aquatic mammals to be more eccentric. Unfortunately for Phineas and Ferb fans, this version of the platypus lacks a hat and cannot engage in any crime-fighting activities. It is, nevertheless, a fascinating animal to observe.
You’ll need to test how these new animals interact with others if you play through the timed scenario, as you’ve been entrusted with harbouring a variety of new species from both the basic game and this DLC. You’ll need to swiftly put together appropriate exhibitions, taking advantage of the natural topography to meet whatever water requirements each one has. The timing is tight on this one, and you’ll most likely need to practise with the new creatures before you can complete the requirements in the allocated time.
As previously stated, there are no décor pieces in this pack, and the additions are restricted to a couple of additional enrichment items. The wetlands zoo, on the other hand, readily blends in with the South America décor from a previous pack as well as the game’s default settings. Overall, the Wetlands Animal Pack offers a wonderful dose of distinct animals, a lovely setting, and some new animal behaviours that we enjoyed seeing. Planet Zoo never stops giving.
Finally, with the advent of the Wetlands Pack, they have added some water elements to the core game in the free update. You may now totally customise the colour of water in any exhibit, as well as add Mist and Bubble effects to the water in your Habitat. These new options can be found on the water information panel. This modification also allows you to alter the colour of the water in your exhibits, as well as the colour of your exhibit’s “shell”. If you enjoy business simulation and/or building games, ‘Planet Zoo’ is still one of the best on the market. Update 1.9 is free and includes several nice tiny improvements, such as making Educators more helpful and introducing some decent QoL adjustments.
REVIEW : Time Loader (XBOX Series X)
