izigame.me

As promised, here are my impressions of Planet Coaster 2 so far.
Some players seem upset when told they could adjust settings to optimize their experience. I’m simply looking at the game for what it is—not what I think it should be. I’m not faulting it for being different from the original, or for lacking specific features I might want. Feel free to share your own opinions, but let’s make sure they’re based on substance instead of being highly toxic and insulting shall we? Also point proven with crybabies.. i mean the toxic bile in the comments, come on now. With that said, let’s dive into the good, the bad, and the rest.
---Recommendation---
So, would I recommend Planet Coaster 2? Yes. My experience has been highly enjoyable so far. Below, I’ll cover the strengths and weaknesses of various aspects, as well as some areas for potential improvement.
---Graphics---
Visually, Planet Coaster 2 delivers. The graphics feel sharp, vibrant, and capture the atmosphere of the original, while updating to meet current-gen standards. Features like DLSS and FSR also allow for large parks with significantly more guests without as much of a performance hit.
However, there’s room for optimization. Terrain sculpting and coaster building feel off, with noticeable latency and choppiness as if these functions run at a lower frame rate than the rest of the game. The asset file system can also cause stuttering, especially on slower PCs, similar to the first Planet Coaster. It’s manageable, but noticeable.
---Sound Design---
The soundtrack, voice acting, and overall sound design are excellent. The updated music feels nostalgic yet polished, and ride soundtracks are high quality. Ambient park sounds—from laughter and screams to splashing pools—are immersive and well-done.
There are, however, some annoyances. Coasters can be overly loud even when you aren’t working on them, and certain sounds, like drying cabins or power stations, can get irritating. Not game-breaking, but worth noting.
---User Interface---
The UI has changed significantly from the first game. Some may find it cluttered, with functions spread across different pages, likely to accommodate console play. Actions like deleting paths or adjusting ride colors take longer, but the UI works reasonably well for a multi-platform game. Still, it could benefit from more optimization.
One area where the UI falls short is with shortcuts. Certain key combinations, like using brackets to adjust brush size, are less intuitive than before. While you can remap keys, these changes feel cumbersome and detract from smooth gameplay.
---Content---
There’s a lot to enjoy with over 3,000 scenery assets, from scaffolding to animatronics and moving objects. The variety allows players to create custom scenes and moving statues, with a lot of joy to be found in the creative potential. There is a clear lack of animatronics, but the addition of moving skeleton pieces for scenery allows for this improved creative potential.
That said, the game lacks some themes. Existing themes include Aquatic, Mythology, Planco, Nature, Viking, and Resort—but sci-fi, western, spooky, and especially winter themes are missing. Other realistic props, like cars for parking lots, are also absent. Not game-breaking, but they would enhance customization.
Facility options are decent, with 63 buildings ranging from shops to water filtration and power facilities. The standout feature is custom counters, which let players design their own storefronts—a fantastic addition.
There are 15 tracked rides, 39 flat rides, and 54 coasters, with plenty of customization for each. However, a few rides (10) are gated behind Day 1 DLC, which I’ll address later.
Overall, there’s a lot of content to explore, with plenty of room for creativity.
---Management---
The management system is deeper than in Planet Coaster 1, with added complexity in personnel routing, logistics, power, and water. I find this a welcome addition, although there’s a sandbox mode that disables some of the new features, for those who prefer a more relaxed, creative experience.
One issue with management is guest pathing; sometimes guests fail to reach certain areas, which can be frustrating. With careful planning, you can minimize this, but it’s a drawback for some players.
---Career/Challenges---
The career mode is solid, offering a good introduction to the game’s basics. Voice acting is well-done, and challenges provide a learning curve for new players. However, some tasks could use clearer instructions—my partner found certain objectives confusing.
---Sandbox Mode---
This is where Planet Coaster 2 shines. Sandbox mode lets you create parks with any combination of management challenges, creative freedom, or financial constraints you choose. It offers infinite replayability, making it my favorite mode by far.
---Franchise Mode---
I haven’t explored this mode yet, but the concept of collaborating on franchise parks sounds promising.
---Workshop---
For those less inclined to build from scratch, the Workshop provides access to community-made creations, parks, and challenges. However, the download cap on PC (similar to consoles) is restricted, though Frontier has noted they’re addressing it. This should just be uncapped.
---Steam Deck Performance---
Steam Deck performance is okay but not ideal. The default settings look rough, but adjusting to FSR3 allows for a smoother experience at 45 fps on high/ultra for the important settings. While enjoyable for building coaster and scenery blueprints, I wouldn’t recommend it for full parks—it’s more of a complementary option to PC play.
---Day 1 DLC---
This aspect is disappointing. Pricing the base game at $60 would have been preferable to selling a $50 game with a $17 DLC. Not everyone can afford the extra content, and it’s unfair to exclude players based on budget constraints.
Overall Conclusion and Rating
Planet Coaster 2 is a worthy sequel. It retains the best aspects of the first game while improving on core mechanics. The game is highly replayable and has drawn me in deeply. While not perfect, its aesthetics, gameplay, and atmosphere make up for most of the flaws, which will hopefully be addressed in updates.
Score: 7.5/8 out of 10

No i did not get the game for free. I would have liked a review copy, but seeing how i'm not a content creator, i had to pay for this product with my own hard earned money. Would i like to collaborate with Frontier? Yes, as i would with any game company, but this is my review based on my experiences with the game so far. Don't like the game? Don't like my current impressions/review? Fine, that is also okay.