Zoo Tycoon

58%
Game Brain Score Based on 893 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • stability
Zoo Tycoon Game Cover
Zoo Tycoon is definitely a family friend game that can be played by all ages.
Starting at $19.99Buy now
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"Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection" allows you to build and manage your own dream zoo with nearly 200 visually stunning animals from around the world. Create and customize your zoo with intuitive controls, and complete 30 exciting scenarios in the extended campaign mode. This immersive zoo simulation game is perfect for animal lovers of all ages.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

58%
Audience ScoreBased on 893 reviews
graphics81 positive mentions
stability24 negative mentions
  • The graphics are beautiful and the animal animations are lifelike.
  • The game offers a wide variety of animal species, providing a good educational aspect.
  • The interactive features, such as feeding and caring for animals, add a fun element to gameplay.
  • There is a severe lack of customization, as all exhibits are pre-built and players cannot design their own enclosures.
  • The controls are clunky and not intuitive, making gameplay frustrating, especially for PC users.
  • The campaign mode can feel repetitive and lacks the depth and challenge of previous Zoo Tycoon games.
  • graphics131 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising their beauty and realism, particularly in the depiction of animals and environments. While some players appreciate the improved visuals compared to older titles, others criticize graphical issues and a lack of depth in gameplay mechanics. Overall, the graphics are generally considered a strong point, though not without their flaws.

    • “The graphics are incredible and so lifelike!”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the animals are cute.”
    • “The graphics are really amazing, the animals move naturally and the close-ups as you feed them are a ton of fun.”
    • “Has graphical issues with shaking and resolution scaling.”
    • “The controls are clunky at best and overly time-consuming, the joy of actually building custom exhibits has been replaced by point-and-click placement actions, and the graphics are mediocre.”
    • “It feels like they gave so much focus on the visuals that they didn't have time, money or passion for anything else in the game.”
  • gameplay56 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its engaging mechanics and variety of animal species, while others criticize it for being clunky, confusing, and lacking depth compared to previous titles in the genre. Many players found the controls poorly adapted for PC, leading to a frustrating experience, and noted that the gameplay can become repetitive and shallow over time. Overall, while the graphics and some mechanics are appreciated, the gameplay often fails to meet expectations, especially for fans of classic zoo management games.

    • “The game offers a wide variety of animal species, each with unique requirements, which adds depth and challenge to the gameplay.”
    • “Its engaging gameplay, educational value, and charming graphics make it a standout title in the genre.”
    • “The mechanics are well developed and the way that the game allows you to switch between the 'manager mode' and the option to be a zookeeper walking (or driving) around in the park is really creative and fun.”
    • “Choppy framerate, messy gameplay, simply not enjoyable.”
    • “Horrible controls and game mechanics so I would definitely not recommend purchasing this.”
    • “Over all the gameplay and restrictions it gives you makes the whole game boring and not worth 20 dollars.”
  • stability24 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous glitches, bugs, and freezing issues that hinder gameplay. Many players find the controls difficult, especially on PC, and express frustration over non-responsive game elements, such as keepers and janitors. Despite these issues, some players still enjoy aspects of the game, like driving the buggy and interacting with animals, but overall, the stability concerns significantly detract from the experience.

    • “I played the first few tutorial levels and it's buggy and bad.”
    • “Game is full of glitches and very hard to navigate/play.”
    • “The controlling is only designed for console not at all for a computer and it freezes/crashes really fast into my first few games.”
  • story18 mentions

    The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with players noting that it lacks a compelling narrative and primarily focuses on management and completing missions. Many reviewers express disappointment, feeling that the game prioritizes interactive elements over creativity and storytelling, leading to a repetitive experience. Overall, the consensus is that the game offers cute graphics and engaging tasks, but fails to deliver a meaningful story.

    • “Quick list of things I love: graphics are cute, tons of animals, lets you see how the animals you released to the wild are doing, lots of decor the old version did not offer, tons of missions and campaigns, and easy to play with lots to do in the game to kill time.”
    • “It has adorable graphics, some really nice details and it can also be challenging to work the missions in the time given.”
    • “The short story about this game is that it was super disappointing because this game seemed more centered around the interactive aspect while the originals were centered more around the creativity and tycoon aspects.”
    • “The quests are all mostly very easy, which is fine, but the way it plays now just sort of takes all the magic out of it.”
    • “There isn't a story to the game; it's just your typical build-stuff-and-have-fun type of game.”
    • “After a while, I got tired of reading, and it made the missions kind of long.”
  • grinding14 mentions

    Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and time-consuming, often requiring significant effort to achieve objectives and unlock achievements. While some find the game enjoyable overall, the repetitive tasks and lack of engaging mechanics detract from the experience, leading to a sentiment that extensive grinding is necessary to progress.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “It's all first person and tedious.”
    • “I guess overall, the game is fun, and I learned a lot about some animals and what continents they are from (part of an incredibly tedious objective to navigate an encyclopedia in-game without a search bar like it's the 1980s or something), but it's not that fun.”
    • “They took all of the fun elements out (designing actually unique exhibits and layouts on an open grid, moving animals and guests around) and replaced it with bland pre-designed modules and tedious, repetitive tasks.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    Zoo Tycoon has a moderate level of replayability, rated 7/10, but falls short compared to its earlier installments in the series. Players may find limited replay value after a few hours, and there are hopes for future updates to enhance its appeal as a standard tycoon game on PC.

    • “Zoo Tycoon offers a decent level of replayability.”
    • “It's a far cry from the replayability of the first two games in its series and overall leaves much to be desired.”
    • “There is no replay value after a few hours of play.”
    • “Not much for replayability based on its pace, but it's not an awful game.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while it runs smoothly on various hardware and is well-suited for consoles, some users report significant performance issues and a lack of customization options. Despite these drawbacks, many find it enjoyable, though some recommend waiting for patches to address the optimization problems.

    • “The environments and structures look great, and the game runs smoothly on a wide range of hardware.”
    • “It feels very optimized for console.”
    • “Aside from some performance hiccups, I find this to be an enjoyable, casual business sim.”
    • “The game is extremely poorly optimized and broken at this point; I would recommend avoiding this game until further patches and updates have been implemented to fix these issues.”
    • “Habitats are pre-made, and you can only select their size and change some details in them, which makes it feel very optimized for console.”
  • music4 mentions

    The music in the game is generally described as pleasant but tends to become repetitive over time, leading to disappointment among players who hoped for a more engaging and varied soundtrack. Some users expressed a desire for more immersive and thematic music, similar to that found in other games like Planet Zoo. Overall, the soundtrack does not meet the expectations of those looking for a nostalgic or enriching auditory experience.

    • “The soundtrack, although pleasant, can become repetitive after extended play.”
    • “I would love a nice soundtrack like how Planet Zoo has this really cool African safari type music that's relaxing, or maybe waterfall sounds and birds or something.”
    • “I opened it, hoped for a music sound that grew up with me; sadly, this game was not it.”
    • “Even the music is worse.”
  • humor3 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the humor in the game has diminished compared to previous versions, with players feeling that the new iteration lacks the charm and fun of earlier titles. While some nostalgia remains, the repetitive nature of challenges and gameplay leads to a sense of boredom, detracting from the overall comedic experience.

    • “I enjoyed it so much and got it in the winter sale for like 10 dollars, but the new version changed a lot and it isn't that funny anymore. Or maybe my childhood memories twisted my judgment.”
    • “There are like 15 challenges repeating over and over again, there is a deadline so you have to hurry. That could be fun, but when you see the very same challenge for the fifteenth time, it isn't funny anymore.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Reviews highlight a mix of emotions, with some players feeling a sense of disappointment due to its connection to earlier titles, while others appreciate its wholesome and genuinely fun moments, contributing to an overall emotional experience.

    • “It has something wholesome about it.”
    • “Wholesome and genuinely fun at times.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy has been criticized for transforming the game into a soulless cash grab, detracting from the joy and challenge of its predecessor. Many users feel that the advertising failed to clearly differentiate this title from earlier versions, leading to disappointment over its perceived lack of value for the price.

    • “It takes away all the joy and challenge of the old game and makes it a soulless cash grab.”
    • “The graphics are nice, the mechanics... this isn't uncommon, honestly, they could have made the separation between these games more clear in the advertising before handing us a subpar product for $19.99.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is notably enhanced by its meticulous sound design, featuring realistic animal noises and ambient sounds that contribute to an immersive experience.

    • “The game's visuals create a hauntingly beautiful environment that draws you in and keeps you immersed.”
    • “The atmospheric lighting and weather effects contribute to a sense of realism that makes every moment feel alive.”
    • “The sound design deserves praise for its attention to detail, with animal noises and ambient sounds enhancing the atmosphere.”
    • “The game feels lifeless and lacks any real sense of immersion, making it hard to get lost in the world.”
    • “The visuals are underwhelming, and the overall environment feels flat and uninspired.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

58% average critic score

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Play time

7hMedian play time
6hAverage play time
2-9hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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