On July 11, 2024, Frontier Developments dropped some huge news – they are working on Planet Coaster 2, the sequel to the Planet Coaster that we’ve all been clamoring for.
Video games are fun, and theme parks are fun, so what could be better than designing the theme park and roller coasters of your dreams? The theme park management simulation genre has been going strong since the original Theme Park by Bullfrog in 1994, but there have been no notable entries into the pantheon since Frontier’s Planet Coaster in 2016. So, to say we’re excited about the upcoming Planet Coaster 2 is something of an understatement.
Planet Coaster 2 release date
We don’t have an exact date yet, but according to Frontier’s announcement, the game will be coming in fall 2024, so within the next couple of months. With a release date so close, it shouldn’t be long before we start seeing more info about the game, pricing, and a date for our diaries should be forthcoming.
Planet Coaster 2 release price
At present there’s no news on what price Planet Coaster 2 will be when it is released later this year. Currently, the base game of Planet Coaster is £29.99 / $44.49 but this doesn’t include the 11 DLCs available for the game.
The sequel will likely be a little more than base Planet Coaster 1 on launch but in recognition of the expectation of many DLCs to come, it might not be the cost of another triple-A title. £45 / $60 is the ballpark we can expect.
What platforms will Planet Coaster 2 be on?
Planet Coaster 2 looks set to release across all major platforms.
Nothing Frontier has said makes us think there will be staggered releases. Planet Coaster 1 was released first on PC and then on console several years later, but it looks like its success as a console title has encouraged Frontier to release across all platforms simultaneously.
The game’s website confirms PC (on both Steam and Epic Game Store), Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. Frontier recently launched Planet Zoo on current generation consoles so should have a good grasp of creating a game for them, and hopefully, any engine bugs will have been ironed out before Planet Coaster 2 releases.
As of writing, Planet Coaster 2 hasn’t been announced for Xbox Game Pass, either as a day-one release on the subscription service or just as an eventual part of the catalog. This doesn’t mean it definitely won’t be on Game Pass, but Xbox players should plan on buying the game outright unless it’s announced for Game Pass.
Planet Coaster 2 modes and gameplay
The first trailer from July shows off some impressive pre-alpha engine footage of an epic theme park including roller coasters, water slides, and guests having a great time.
Just like its predecessor and Frontier’s other management game, Planet Zoo, there will be three main gameplay modes for fans to experience in Planet Coaster 2.
Career mode
This mode allows players to take on specific challenges created by the game’s designers and is a management game’s equivalent of a main quest. Work your way through levels of escalating difficulty and save the parks you’re put in charge of.
Franchise mode
This will be familiar to fans of Frontier’s other management series, Planet Zoo. Build a global, self-sustaining network of parks. Start small and use the profits from your first park to aim bigger and better for the next one, and gradually become the world’s leading theme park brand.
Sandbox mode
Design the theme park of your dreams with no time limit or goals. Create roller coasters that test the laws of physics and decorate to your heart’s content.
As well as the three modes players can play, Planet Coaster 2 has some interesting gameplay elements that span across the modes. The most exciting of these is the new water parks feature that gamers have been requesting since the first Planet Coaster was launched.
As well as handcrafted roller coasters, players can now design and create their own water slides and swimming pools for their park guests to enjoy. The water rides can be built in any park alongside regular rides and coasters, which will lead to some incredible-looking parks.
Of course, water rides make for new challenges, and players will need to make sure they have enough lifeguards and changing rooms to keep guests happy.
As well as this, Planet Coaster 2 includes a first-person mode, where players can get behind the eyes of a guest to experience their parks or the parks of other people, including the roller coasters and water slides.
There are also tons of quality-of-life features that have been introduced that improve upon and streamline elements of the first game that have started to feel clunky and awkward over the last eight years. For example, coaster and ride blueprints now include pre-designed paths for a super quick addition to your park, with the pathing tools more generally having been overhauled. Customization options have also been massively improved.
The examples in the image might be designed that are pre-made by Frontier, but they can also act as an example. Players can use the new decoration and customization tools to create their own themed and highly decorated rides. Start with the ride on the left and build up decor to your heart’s content.
Excitingly, Frontier has announced that they are taking a playable build of the game to GamesCom so players can dive in and experience the game themselves for the first time if they are lucky enough to attend.
Will Planet Coaster 2 have multiplayer?
There won’t be traditional simultaneous multiplayer in Planet Coaster 2, but there are ways you can experience the game with a community.
One of the biggest ones is that Planet Coaster 2 will have cross-platform compatibility for the Workshop, where players can design and create parks and coasters and then upload them for others to use in their own games. This was previously limited to PC players, but the new game brings it to consoles.
The game will also feature a pass-the-park mode, with the ability to share a save file with a friend, taking it in turns to build out the park. This will be available across platforms, so PC gamers can play with console gamers.
Players can also share a Franchise in the game’s Franchise mode, letting them work together to build their empire of parks.
As mentioned previously, you can also drop into your friends’ parks in first-person mode to tour what they’ve created and ride their coasters yourself.
Featured image credit: Frontier Developments
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