Planet Coaster 2

Planet Coaster 2 excels in amusement park management, presenting a superb combination of gameplay depth and accessibility. You’re sure to enjoy the ride in this brilliant coaster tycoon.

66%Game Brain Score

graphics, gameplay

stability, optimization

59% User Score Based on 8,576 reviews

Critic Score 72%Based on 19 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $37.70

Buy NowGet on Steam$49.99

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About

Planet Coaster 2: Deluxe Edition allows you to create your dream coaster park with enhanced building tools and customization options. This edition includes the Vintage Funfair Ride Pack, giving you access to ten vintage rides. Dive into a world of management and creativity, building sprawling plazas and thrilling rides for your guests to enjoy.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+13

59%

Audience ScoreBased on 8,595 reviews

graphics408 positive mentions

stability576 negative mentions

The graphics are stunning, with improved lighting and detailed environments.
The new Track Builder and Path Builder offer significant improvements over the first game.
The game provides a good amount of content at launch, including new water park features.

The UI is clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and management frustrating.
There are numerous bugs, including issues with guest AI and pathfinding, which can disrupt gameplay.
Many features and content from the first game are missing, leading to a feeling of incompleteness.

graphics
1,105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
59%
4%
The graphics in Planet Coaster 2 have received a significant upgrade compared to its predecessor, showcasing stunning visuals, improved lighting, and enhanced detail that bring the parks to life. While many players appreciate the vibrant aesthetics and smoother animations, some have reported issues with blurriness and performance, particularly on lower-end systems. Overall, the game is praised for its artistic style and graphical improvements, though it still faces criticism for optimization and occasional graphical glitches.
- “The graphics are stunning, with beautifully detailed rides, dynamic weather, and immersive lighting that make your parks feel alive.”
- “Planet Coaster 2 brings a noticeable visual upgrade compared to its predecessor, with impressive improvements that enhance the overall experience and graphics.”
- “The graphics improvements are noticeable, and the creative flexibility of the new building and scenery tools are a giant leap forward for those who spend the most time in this game.”
- “Constant stuttering, game isn't optimized or some kind of bug with 30 series graphics cards.”
- “Big downgrade in graphics (take a look at the water rides for example) and lots of scenery and stuff missing from Planet Coaster 1.”
- “The graphics, in particular, look washed out and cartoonish, and there are recycled assets from PC1 that haven’t been updated or improved in any meaningful way.”
gameplay
994 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
78%
8%
The gameplay of Planet Coaster 2 has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant bugs and issues with mechanics, particularly regarding staff management and maintenance tasks. While the game introduces new features like water parks and power management, players often find the mechanics cumbersome and unintuitive, leading to frustration with constant maintenance notifications and ineffective staff. Overall, while the game has potential and offers engaging building mechanics, it currently suffers from a lack of polish and depth compared to its predecessor, making it feel more like an expansion than a true sequel.
- “The tutorial is excellent at directing you through the learning process with the mechanics.”
- “With additional gameplay mechanics and overall quality of life updates, I think this is the best park building game yet.”
- “The game offers stunning visuals, highly detailed ride mechanics, and an intuitive user interface that makes building and managing parks both accessible and rewarding.”
- “The sequel feels more like an expansion than a true follow-up, as it focuses more on adding new content rather than making significant advancements or overhauling gameplay, which remains largely the same as the original.”
- “19 hours playing this game and every time I open it, it's like banging my head against a wall trying to figure out the mechanics and constantly clicking out of pop-up windows inside pop-up windows.”
- “Mechanics wander aimlessly and don't fix rides unless they're broken (sometimes not fixing them at all), you'll hire a half-dozen mechanics for your small park but still get constant messages about 'service badges' expiring because they just don't fix things.”
stability
624 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
92%
The stability of "Planet Coaster 2" has been widely criticized, with many users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. While some players have experienced smooth performance, the overall consensus is that the game feels unfinished and is plagued by issues such as poor pathfinding, buggy AI, and a clunky user interface. Many reviewers recommend waiting for patches and updates before purchasing, as the game currently resembles an early access title rather than a polished release.
- “Plays great and runs great, no issues!”
- “The game runs great, it's very playable, and has minor issues.”
- “On the positive, the game looks great and runs great for me and runs really smoothly; when the issues are fixed, I'm sure it will be a great game.”
- “This game isn't ready, it's a buggy mess bordering on unplayable.”
- “Unfortunately this game should've been either delayed or released as an early access because some features are either buggy or they are worse compared to the previous games (Planet Coaster and Planet Zoo).”
- “The game was released in a very buggy and unfinished state.”
optimization
484 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
54%
24%
The optimization of Planet Coaster 2 has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues such as stuttering and choppiness, particularly on PC. While some users report smooth gameplay on high-end systems, others criticize the game's apparent optimization for consoles at the expense of PC performance, leading to a clunky user interface and navigation challenges. Overall, while there are improvements over the previous installment, many players feel that further optimization is needed to enhance the experience, especially for those using mid-range hardware.
- “Despite its complex systems and stunning visuals, Planet Coaster 2 runs smoothly on modern hardware.”
- “The massive improvement in optimization is my favorite part as despite having thousands of assets in my park, my game is still buttery smooth, so this is a huge improvement over PC1.”
- “Overall, the game has been optimized to a great extent.”
- “Constant stuttering, game isn't optimized or some kind of bug with 30 series graphics cards.”
- “This game I get stuttering and choppiness on medium settings and with all of my options set to performance.”
- “I play complex spreadsheet games for fun and have played broken messes and unfinished games with poor and unoptimized UI and interfaces, and this might be the worst I have experienced in all my gaming in all my life.”
music
182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
77%
4%
The music in the game has received high praise for its quality and charm, with many players enjoying the ambient soundtrack and diverse genres included, such as drum and bass and chillwave. However, a significant number of users express disappointment over the absence of custom music and media integration, which were features they valued in the previous installment. Overall, while the soundtrack is considered excellent, the lack of customization options detracts from the overall experience for many players.
- “Their choice of using Jim Guthrie to compose the soundtrack for this game is a great one, and the songs included are a bop.”
- “The music and sound design of this game is amazing.”
- “The soundtrack is as charming as ever, love it.”
- “Launching without support for custom music and imagery is a misstep; that was one of my favorite things to mess around with.”
- “One of the worst decisions was removing customizable music and billboards. These features were essential for me, allowing me to add real-life park music or create custom soundtracks that enhanced immersion.”
- “I really like some of the new features, but why would they remove basic features like custom music?”
story
176 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
80%
7%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players encountering significant bugs that hinder their progress in the campaign. While some appreciate the cute and engaging narrative elements in career mode, others find the overall story lackluster and repetitive, often feeling frustrated by technical issues that disrupt gameplay. Overall, the narrative experience is marred by bugs and a perceived lack of depth, leaving players divided on its quality.
- “Lovely aesthetics, good story mode, easy learning curve.”
- “The career mode story plot is fun, and I have laughed aloud at some of the character jokes so far.”
- “Career mode's story is... cute I guess? It plays similarly to Planet Zoo, where you get a proper storyline instead of simply a map with stuff and tasks you're supposed to get done.”
- “Forced myself through the campaign until the last mission which gave me a game-breaking bug... last straw.”
- “It's flawed, bugged, and even one of the campaign missions is bugged in a way that you can't complete the scenario in the way you are meant to.”
- “Additionally, the story mode is lackluster, offering little guidance in how to achieve the aims and how to actually perfect the art of making a theme park.”
grinding
167 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
14%
84%
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for its tedious and cumbersome management systems, which detract from the overall enjoyment. Players report that the user interface is clunky, requiring excessive clicks for basic tasks, and that the micromanagement of staff and resources feels more like a chore than a fun challenge. While some find the career mode enjoyable, the overwhelming minutiae and repetitive tasks can make the experience feel grindy and frustrating.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The state of this game currently that have been intentionally designed has made this an awful, tedious, annoying pile of junk that is very unenjoyable to play.”
- “Building custom coasters and managing the surrounding elements is just too tedious, time-consuming, and buggy.”
- “The interface is a mess – there are far too many clicks just to open menus or place items, making the whole experience feel clunky and tedious.”
monetization
131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
4%
94%
The monetization strategy of Planet Coaster 2 has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it a "cash grab" due to the aggressive push for paid DLCs and the removal of core features from the original game. Users express frustration over misleading advertising regarding multiplayer capabilities and the lack of essential management tools, leading to concerns that many basic elements will be sold as future expansions. Overall, the sentiment reflects disappointment in the game's perceived prioritization of profit over quality and player experience.
- “It’s hard not to worry that these will be sold later as DLC, especially with how the game’s monetization is set up.”
- “This game has been developed with an aggressive DLC monetization strategy (ehem, Planet Zoo); new attractions are coming at some point with a €9.99/$ price tag.”
- “Greedy monetization like this is a slap in the face, and frankly, I'm done with Frontier after this.”
- “This feels like a cash grab; I really was looking forward to the new things in the game, but especially the switch tracks, drop tracks, elevators, etc. are only for a couple of coaster/water ride.”
- “Nothing about this game feels right to me, from the number of basic things missing that were in Planet Coaster 1 that will end up being paid DLCs for this bland cash grab to the sheer level of just frustratingly bad decisions made by Frontier this time. This game is not at all worth the cost.”
- “It's sad to see such a beloved title become such a blatant cash grab.”
humor
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as both charming and unintentional, with many players finding amusement in its numerous bugs and glitches, as well as the absurdity of certain game mechanics. While some aspects, like the quirky characters and random ticket pricing, add to the comedic experience, others, such as frustrating UI and management issues, contribute to a sense of hilarity in their failures. Overall, the game is seen as entertaining for its flaws, making it a fun experience for those who appreciate its offbeat humor.
- “It's funny, charming, and perfect for anyone who’s ever dreamed of playing god with a rollercoaster tycoon twist.”
- “The best part about exiting a ride is stopping at the photo booth and laughing at your terrified face as you went over the big drop.”
- “This game makes the career mode funny and interesting with the characters and makes me want to play more.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
63%
13%
Overall, the game boasts high replayability, enhanced by multiplayer features and a community workshop for sharing designs, which provide endless opportunities for creativity and collaboration. While some users noted potential issues with replayability, the majority praised the game's ability to engage players through various challenges and community interactions. Continuous updates are expected to further improve the experience and maintain player interest.
- “Multiplayer is a welcome addition, letting you collaborate or share designs with friends, adding endless replayability.”
- “The ability to share designs via the community workshop ensures endless replayability and inspiration.”
- “Whether you’re trying to build the perfect park, beating a specific challenge, or browsing through the creative works of others in the community, the replay value is through the roof.”
- “Anyway, if I have any critique, I might say it may have low replayability.”
- “Many enormous improvements over Planco1's biggest issues make PC2 way more playable.”
- “Cringe-worthy tutorial that is voice acted... resources better spent making the game more playable.”
atmosphere
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its engaging theming, stunning visuals, and immersive sound design, enhanced by modern features like ray tracing. However, some players express disappointment over certain omissions, such as the removal of fireworks, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game excels in creating a vibrant and realistic environment, its appeal may be limited to dedicated players focused on long-term park creation.
- “The theming and atmosphere are amazing, and this is the first time in a while that I've felt so engaged in a world.”
- “Thanks to ray tracing, indoor areas are actually dark and realistic now, which adds much to the atmosphere.”
- “The graphics feel sharp, vibrant, and capture the atmosphere of the original, while updating to meet current-gen standards.”
- “Starting from the clunky GUI, the uninspired atmosphere, on to the poor graphics.”
- “Even the little things add to the disappointment: the removal of fireworks may seem minor, but it’s a feature I genuinely miss for park atmosphere and special events.”
- “I am a scenery buff, so it's more about the atmosphere I can create for a ride/coaster.”
emotional
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, highlighting nostalgia and a sense of community, particularly in relation to the original title. However, this emotional engagement is marred by frustrations over technical issues and bugs, leading to feelings of heartbreak and disappointment. Overall, while the game evokes strong positive feelings, it also raises concerns about the developers' attention to these emotional experiences.
- “I want to cry, finally playing Planet Coaster 2 after so long waiting for a water park game with much more realism and graphics.”
- “The most important thing about this game: it made me feel like a child again.”
- “Really good graphics, just an overall incredible game. I loved the fact that they took the first game and kept lots of elements; it really made me feel I'm still part of the community after all this time.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Character development is praised for its strong design and seamless integration into the game's progression and tutorial systems, enhancing the overall storytelling experience.
- “The character design is excellent, and it is well integrated into the progression and tutorial aspects of the game.”
- “The character development is thoughtfully crafted, enhancing both the story and gameplay experience.”
- “I appreciate how the character progression feels natural and rewarding throughout the game.”