Planet Zoo, Frontier’s upcoming love letter to Zoo Tycoon fans, is getting ready for its launch in a few more weeks. New details and footage have come out of Gamescom.
Those that want an early chance to try out the new game will have the opportunity to do so during its beta, which will start on September 24 and go to October 8, 2019. However, there’s a catch. This will not be an open beta; you’ll need to pre-order the game first in order to access it. On top of that, it’s the Deluxe Edition of Planet Zoo that must be pre-ordered. If you choose to do so, that’ll run you $54.99, which is $10 more than the standard edition. The Deluxe Edition includes three animals: the Pygmy Hippopotamus, Thomson’s Gazelle and Komodo Dragon. There’s also a few more extra goodies like wallpapers and the official soundtrack. If it’s anything like the Planet Coaster OST, then it’s bound to be pretty sweet to listen to.
If you do happen to pre-order the Deluxe Edition, then here’s what you’ll gain access to during the two-week-long beta.
The Planet Zoo beta will include two modes: Career and Franchise. The Career Mode will be “narrative-driven”, and will introduce players to two characters that will set players off on their journey of being a zoo manager.
As for the other mode, that’s called Franchise. This is the more creative of the pair, as it offers players the chance to build structures, research new things, and run their zoo alongside the rest of the community. Speaking of the community, there’s also the option of using the Animal Exchange service, which allows players to trade their animals between each other.
Here’s the pre-order trailer, which shows off some quick snippets of gameplay:
In addition to this quick trailer, there’s also a longer-form one which introduces one of the scenarios:
