Planet Zoo vs Zoo Tycoon 2: Which Is Better? [2024]

How do two of the biggest zoo tycoon games hold up when compared side to side? Planet Zoo is newer and fresher, but does it match the classic, much loved Zoo Tycoon 2?

CHAPTERS!
00:00 Intro
00:09 [1] Animals
00:45 [2] Building Tools
01:34 [3] Animal Behaviour
02:03 [4] Zoo Management
02:48 [5] Education
03:20 [6] DLCs & Expansions
04:28 [7] Terrain Editing
05:06 [8] Guests
05:47 [9] Transport Rides
06:48 [10] Realism
07:39 [11] Camera
08:10 Conclusion

FOLLOW ME!

Game: Planet Zoo & Zoo Tycoon 2

Have an idea for a future video? Feel free to message me or leave it down in the comments!

CREDITS!
Video Music: Everet Almond
Script Edited by: @LeackyBee
Thank you @ToastieBeard for the idea for this video, and for helping me throughout the entire time I was making it!

This video was made for entertainment purposes, and was not intended to provide a bad image for Planet Zoo, Zoo Tycoon 2 or anybody mentioned in this video. While I did my best to fact-check and provide accurate information, I still make mistakes. Feel free to post any corrections down in the comments, and any known mistakes will be posted in the description.

Tags: Gaming, Ducklops, duck lops, Zoo Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon 2, Planet Zoo, Frontier, Planet Zoo vs Zoo Tycoon 2, Planet Zoo Alternatives, Zoo games, Simulator, Zoo Simulator, Planet Coaster 2, Planet Zoo Review, Zoo Tycoon Review, Planet Zoo vs Zoo Tycoon 2: Which Is Better?, Zoo Tycoon Comparison, Video essay, Planet Zoo 2024

Corrections: You can pick up and drop animals in Planet Zoo with the crate tool.

[ducklops]

Subscribe or a tiger will appear behind you...

[WingedFish]

What I miss most in PZ compared to ZT2 is no "first person mode, " particularly the feature where you could go down and take care of animals yourself (clean poop, refill food/water, ect.). I've lost count of the number of times in PZ that I wish I could just go and feed or clean a habitat myself instead of waiting for staff to get there

[dodoxasaurus]

Remember in Zoo Tycoon 2 lore, Dinosaurs exist and can be released into the wild, as well as a fictional giant Killer penguin.

[ripperrex]

Great comparison!

My biggest trouble with PZ Is creating custom looking exhibits without using the default barriers 😂

[Treestorm]

One great point to ZT2 over PZ is that you can run ZT2 on a potato and it'll work flawlessly. The graphics ain't so outdated that it's unplayable because of the cartoonish art graphic style. PZ, unless you rocking a 7800x3d and a gen 4 m.2 lol good luck running a big ass maxed out zoo.

[LeackyBee]

mfw god picks me up and plonks me down next to a long extinct species while I'm spending time with my family at the zoo: 😯

[ToastieBeard]

Did anyone notice the Raptor run across the screen at 3:55 and the hidden text at 3:41, boy I LOVE Ducklops easter eggs!😜

[BlackieChanE]

My favorite part about Zoo Tycoon 2 was all the mods and modding community, which was actually still slightly active last I checked last year. I was able to have Godzilla, Pokemon, Dragons and other cryptids in my zoos as well as hundreds of other real life animals and foliage that weren't in the base game and DLC. So unless PZ gets better true mod support ZT2 is just always gonna be my favorite of the two game.

[CheshireVulpes]

i give tycoon one extra point on its iconic status

[tempest]

As a person who loves animals and works with them, I still would have given a point to planet for behaviors the animals feel so alive and everything is super accurate having a sea life show is more on features rather than behaviors. I also think the main reason planet zoo hasn’t added in sea life shows is I think it’s because they’re very controversial and are seen as abusive in some zoos and aquariums but simulator is older so it’s understandable to not be afraid to add it in.❤

[ChickenGoogleSoup]

Zoo Tycoon 2 was easier for me to make mods for. there were also dinosaurs, and for that, ZT2 gets the "My favorite zoo game" badge.

Planet zoo just has too many complicated game mechanics as well that make the game less enjoyable for me

[rogelio]

I think Planet zoo shouldve gotten the point alone for animal behaviour like i love zt2 but it doesnt even compare, when it comes to transport planet zoo has more variety of transports and you can also customize them, givin the point to zt2 for having variety in seats doesnt really make sense but i do think the system is easier on zt2, and guests do behave better on planet zoo the reasoning of givin the point to zt2 because you can move them when you can also do that on planet zoo but with a smaller button seemed a lil bias lol but i do love Zoo Tycoon 2 i played it for years before finally trying planet zoo this year and realizing ive been missin out on an amazing game, but zt2 is still very special.

[leehonglocal]

Something I don't like about Zoo Tycoon 2 was that it didn't have giant anteater and another crocodilians, and there were ones that couldn't last, survive and breed in captivity in real-life like mountain gorilla, Ethiopian wolf and Javan rhino.

[moodapenkinislazy]

I feel like giving animals to zoo tycoon 2 is biased. I get your stance but they are way less realistic and there’s way fewer of them.

[sparrow_]

Great video! Well thought out and entertaining to watch :)

[samuelb]

Zoo Tycoon 2 should not have won the animals category. Quantity does not equal quality. Most of Zoo Tycoon 2's animals are copies of one another, with no unique animations or traits besides their model. Planet Zoo also has this problem but to a much lesser extent, and it's made up for with insane hyper-realistic quality (outside of the base game, at least). Planet Zoo also has animals that exist within captivity and provide a much more realistic experience, which should be the main aspect of a game trying to model itself on conservation and modern zoos. Even though ZT2 has more variety on the class level due to fish being in the game, Planet Zoo has far more variety on a Family, Genus and Species level, which matters much more when building zoos. If people want to build zoos for Dinosaurs, 2 different Jurassic World Games and Prehistoric Kingdom exist. Having them in a Zoo game almost detracts from the game's purpose and provides fewer slots for animals, that actually exist within real zoos. This comes from someone who grew up and loved ZT2, but it is not better than what Planet Zoo has given us regarding animals. Planet Zoo is an upgrade in almost every single way.

[LeviHartz]

1:58 This is still in planet zoo with the crate mechanic. 🤓

[Tucher]

I do not play Planet zoo but a bigger disappointment for me towards the game is the lack of dinos, iceage and "recently" extinct animals.

Some folks will say, "oh play Jurassic world evolution for dinosaurs" and to me that is a dumb retort that shows a lack of braincells.

in zoo tycoon 2 (Ultimate collection), I made a safari tour of a jungle, Styras, dodos, and even tapirs.
Its amazing to see the Warrah (RIP, an animal that needs more attention) trotting in the grassland biome, the bluebucks.

The Vraptors (feathery fluffers) chilling peacefully next to the Camels, now some will say "that isn't realistic" and I say, yea, but neither is Planet Zoo, plus JWE does not have shelters and enrichment for the animals because god daint it, I want to see the Utah raptors or Vraptors playing with squeaky toys.

[whoajoshwhoa]

I agree that Planet Zoo is more realistic, but I don’t think that’s a good thing. For example, it’s amazing how in Zoo Tycoon, if you want to buy an animal, you just choose the animal and place it. In planet zoo the process is much more complicated, and while that is realistic it is also bureaucratic and boring for players

[FollowerofFenrir]

How are you playing zoo tycoon 2? I’ve been trying to find a way to play it for days