Game Review
-Neowyld
-Neowyld
The Triumphant Return of Theme Park Simulators: Planet Coaster
It has been years since games like RollerCoaster Tycoon and Thrillville grew to popularity and people are ready to begin their craft once again. Whether driven by a desire to rake in huge profits and rule the digital theme park world or just entertained by building rides that result in fatal nausea or outright execution of simulated guests, theme park simulators were an instant hit with players worldwide. Now the genre has made an epic return with the long-awaited release of Frontier Developments’ new sim Planet Coaster.
Planet coaster is one of the most elaborate yet elegant simulator games to hit the market. Despite having only three game modes, players can find themselves indulged in hours of new discoveries and creation, and just when someone believes they have learned all they could about the game, a new creation appears on the Steam Workshop showcasing artistic abilities which push the boundaries of what they thought possible.
Starting things off for players is Sandbox Mode. The least restrictive of the game play options, Sandbox Mode allows players to show off their true capacity for creativity and design with access to every attraction, decoration, and facility available without the constraints of limited resources or funds. This mode also serves a true dual purpose as it not only allows for advanced players to stretch their creative muscles but it also functions as a broad tutorial by allowing new players to experiment with the game’s mechanics in an environment where the only cost of making a mistake is the time it takes to either figure out the solution or the momentary defeat of having to tear down and attraction and rebuild.
Moving on to Career Mode, the game play becomes more restricted and Planet Coaster starts transitioning from an open creative platform to more of a strategy game. Play starts with a partially built park. Instead of having everything at the their disposal, the player must research rides and coasters in order to build them. Money is also introduced along with specific objectives which guide the player’s development of the park. If the player cannot afford to pay for an attraction, it cannot built without taking a loan for the funds. In many ways it is an easier learning curve for new players as elements are introduced a little at a time, but veteran players or others familiar with the genre may find this mode too restrictive or even tedious if their primary interest is simply finding new ways to build more extreme or unique rides.
Finally, Challenge Mode is for the most hardcore of theme park builders. It plays similarly to Sandbox Mode with a completely empty space to build a park, but introduces challenges similar to the objective in Career Mode. These challenges are arranged based on four selectable difficulty settings, Easy, Medium, Hard, and Harder, and attractions must be researched to become available to the player. This provides a hybrid play style between the free form creativity of Sandbox Mode and the regimented, goal oriented play style of Career Mode that provides a unique best-of-both-worlds experience.
Overall, Planet Coaster is a fun and relaxing game with lots to do. It also pulls gamers away from the competitive aspects of most online games and presents a more artistic perspective of gaming with a player paced, single-player format. With a play mode for every interest, Planet Coaster is the kind of game that can provide a relaxing break from the competitive world of online gaming.
Planet coaster is one of the most elaborate yet elegant simulator games to hit the market. Despite having only three game modes, players can find themselves indulged in hours of new discoveries and creation, and just when someone believes they have learned all they could about the game, a new creation appears on the Steam Workshop showcasing artistic abilities which push the boundaries of what they thought possible.
Starting things off for players is Sandbox Mode. The least restrictive of the game play options, Sandbox Mode allows players to show off their true capacity for creativity and design with access to every attraction, decoration, and facility available without the constraints of limited resources or funds. This mode also serves a true dual purpose as it not only allows for advanced players to stretch their creative muscles but it also functions as a broad tutorial by allowing new players to experiment with the game’s mechanics in an environment where the only cost of making a mistake is the time it takes to either figure out the solution or the momentary defeat of having to tear down and attraction and rebuild.
Moving on to Career Mode, the game play becomes more restricted and Planet Coaster starts transitioning from an open creative platform to more of a strategy game. Play starts with a partially built park. Instead of having everything at the their disposal, the player must research rides and coasters in order to build them. Money is also introduced along with specific objectives which guide the player’s development of the park. If the player cannot afford to pay for an attraction, it cannot built without taking a loan for the funds. In many ways it is an easier learning curve for new players as elements are introduced a little at a time, but veteran players or others familiar with the genre may find this mode too restrictive or even tedious if their primary interest is simply finding new ways to build more extreme or unique rides.
Finally, Challenge Mode is for the most hardcore of theme park builders. It plays similarly to Sandbox Mode with a completely empty space to build a park, but introduces challenges similar to the objective in Career Mode. These challenges are arranged based on four selectable difficulty settings, Easy, Medium, Hard, and Harder, and attractions must be researched to become available to the player. This provides a hybrid play style between the free form creativity of Sandbox Mode and the regimented, goal oriented play style of Career Mode that provides a unique best-of-both-worlds experience.
Overall, Planet Coaster is a fun and relaxing game with lots to do. It also pulls gamers away from the competitive aspects of most online games and presents a more artistic perspective of gaming with a player paced, single-player format. With a play mode for every interest, Planet Coaster is the kind of game that can provide a relaxing break from the competitive world of online gaming.