A wonderfully wacky but neatly executed title
AS far as throwbacks go, there’s nothing short of a sequel to Half Life 2 that could evoke such strong feelings of nostalgia as Planet Coaster does.
The days of park management sims are a distant memory, and it is only in recent years that developers have made a stab at reviving the venerable genre.
The day before its release, Atari’s RollerCoaster Tycoon World comes out, having had a rough beta thanks to flaws including limited coaster heights and a clumsy camera.
The community is siding with Planet Coaster in a repeat of SimCity versus Cities: Skylines—the official continuation alienates fans, the nostalgic throwback wins hearts.
In true Theme Park World and RollerCoaster Tycoon fashion, Planet Coaster is a spreadsheet simulator brilliantly masquerading as an amusement park sandbox.
In Planet Coaster, you try to make sure there are enough bins and toilets, and hire mechanics and janitors to keep your rides and pathways in good order.
You work to keep your finances in order, investing wisely so that you can splash out on the game’s biggest draw; those awesome coasters.
If you know your Hyper Coaster from your Floorless, you’ll be thrilled with the excellent roster of coaster types available.
However, it is in the almost endless customisation options that Planet Coaster is elevated from a simple park management game to the lofty realms of ‘instant classic’.
The tools for laying out track rides, water rides and coasters are some of the most deeply customisable editing tools I’ve ever used in a title, making for one of the most satisfying world-building experiences I’ve come across yet.
Not only can you build your own theme park, you can fully realize your own personal vision for every amusement and amenity, right down to the nitty-gritty details such as the layout and design of a toilet cubicle.
If you are someone who enjoys micro-management in the extreme, then this is your game.
Planet Coaster is a wonderful dose of weapons-grade nostalgia, but it is not perfect. Still, for anyone who was a fan of the original Theme Park games, or any sandbox themed-management titles, then this is the game for you. A wonderfully wacky but neatly executed title.