Planet Coaster vs. Planet Coaster 2

The coaster park simulation game Planet Coaster pushed the boundaries of creativity in the theme park management genre, enabling players to construct fun and magnificent theme parks. It became so popular and engaging that it stole the spotlight from titles such as Rollercoaster Tycoon.

Now, Planet Coaster 2 is on the way eight years after the original game. And it promises to be better and more creative. So, what’s new in Planet Coaster 2, and how does it differ from the first version? Here is a comprehensive comparison of Planet Coaster versus Planet Coaster 2.

What is Planet Coaster?

Planet Coaster is a coaster park management and sim game launched in 2016. Developed and published by Frontier Developments, the game offers great flexibility and supports creativity and innovation. Players can build entire parks based on any design or style they conceive through a piece-by-piece construction system. Moreover, they can manage many aspects of the parks, including the visitors’ happiness. Interestingly, players can also create, share, and trade their creations with other players.

What is Planet Coaster 2?

Planet Coaster 2 is a sequel to Planet Coaster. The game is still under development and will launch later in the fall. Fortunately, the developers shared many details about the game during its announcement, including its features and gameplay design.

Notably, Planet Coaster 2 retains the original version’s piece-by-piece construction mechanics. It also retains most of the original game’s other components, including guest satisfaction and sharing creations. Moreover, it introduces a few new features that expand the gameplay and make it more exciting.

Story

The Planet Coaster series doesn’t have much of a background story. Instead, the game is more hands-on and focuses on the park’s construction and management.

Gameplay

Planet Coaster and its sequel share a similar gameplay design that involves designing, constructing, and managing theme parks. Players can build any theme park structure using the game's piece-by-piece construction mechanism. In addition, the games feature over a thousand building components to construct diverse structures. Furthermore, you can use the landscape sculpting feature to change the terrain and design natural environmental features such as lakes, mountains, and islands.

Additionally, the gameplay also involves managing the theme parks after construction. Managing the parks involves many tasks, including overseeing different rides’ controls, ensuring visitors' happiness, and balancing the books. Notably, the games feature diverse campaigns and modes with varying objectives and activities.

Interestingly, players can also share and trade their creations with other players via the game’s online marketplace. You can trade and share individual structures such as scenery and rollercoasters or entire parks. Moreover, Planet Coaster 2 takes the sharing system one step further, enabling players to collaborate on creations one at a time.

New Features

After eight years, Frontier Developments introduces a few new features to Planet Coaster 2 to spice things up. Moreover, it improves upon some of the previous game’s features to make the latest version easier and more enjoyable.

The new version makes collaboration easier by enhancing the Shared Saves system. Previously, players had to upload their blueprints, share the files with their friends, and subscribe to each file to collaborate on constructions, which was tedious. However, players can save their blueprints locally on their computers when connected to the internet and give other players permission to access and edit them without needing to send files and subscribe every time.

Planet Coaster 2 also brings back some of the rides from the original game and enables ride editing. Some of the retained rides include the Tea Cups ride. In addition to editing rides, you can use the symmetry tool to build replicas of rides and other structures. Moreover, you can use the event sequencer to make animations, laser shows, and fireworks.

More Improvements

Pools and water parks, which were lacking in the original game, are some of the most notable new features in Planet Coaster 2. The game features a Pool Construction Tool (PCT) that players can use to install custom-shaped pools with sharp or curved edges. Additionally, you can design new aquatic rides connected to pools. Aquatic rides include the Drop Slide for individual riders and Tube Flumes for up to six riders, and you can add cool elements such as whirlpools and boomerangs. Interestingly, paths can also connect to pools to give visitors easier access.

In addition to connecting paths to pools, Planet Coaster 2 has also improved the pathing system. Notably, pathing was complicated in the original game, as paths could cross over each other. Fortunately, that will no longer be a problem, as paths will now be based on a realistic design using the new plaza tools.

Scaling is also an exciting new feature in the sequel. Players can adjust objects’ sizes at scales ranging from 60% to 200%, making them smaller or larger. Theoretically, players can also increase or decrease the scaling range through the free building modification feature for modders.

While guest satisfaction in the original version was limited to visitors’ happiness, Planet Coaster 2 also introduces a new metric for gauging their health. For example, you can provide your visitors with enough sunscreen and shade covering to protect them from sunburn. Moreover, you can offer them floaties and employ lifeguards to protect them against drowning in the new pools and water parks.

Finally, the new version features diverse themes to suit varying tastes and preferences. They include the official Planet Coaster theme, which is compact and versatile. Other themes include a vibrant Aquatic theme for water enthusiasts, a sunny Resort theme that feels like California, a rustic Viking theme, and a majestic Mythology theme for the mysterious.

Verdict

Indeed, Planet Coaster 2 is a bigger and better version of Planet Coaster. The new version enhances some of the features from the previous games and introduces new innovative features, including the much-anticipated water parks. The game will be compatible with various platforms after its launch, including PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.

So, what’s your take on this comparison of Planet Coaster and Planet Coaster 2? What is your opinion of the new features in Planet Coaster 2? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.