Planet Coaster 2 will get wet and wild later this year

Nearly eight years have passed since Frontier Developments took on the world of roaring and exciting theme parks. Planet Coaster grew to become one of the publisher's most popular titles. With eight years having passed, Frontier is convinced that it can do better. What better way to make a splash than by taking on water parks? That's the big selling point for the upcoming Planet Coaster 2, which was revealed early Thursday morning.

Planet Coaster 2 is largely designed on the foundation of the original game. Players can craft their theme park as they imagine it, laying down each piece in great detail. Like the first game, this can include towering roller coasters, spinning teacups, swaying pirate ships, or gentler kiddy rides. There are few limits and the player's imagination can run wild with the game offering enough tools to help them see their vision to fruition.

However, unlike the original game, players will now be able to build water rides. They can lay out giant swimming holes that span dozens of feet. They can enhance those areas with water slides and log flumes. Like land-based coasters, water slides can be designed with numerous possibilities, whether it's a labyrinthine slide layout with a giant fly trap-like opening in the middle, or whatever the players can come up with. Customization tabs will come with numerous options like cosmetic patterns, color schemes, and scenery pieces. Once the coaster or slide is ready, there's a first-person view that awaits, allowing players to experience their creations personally.

Of course, management is also a key component of the Planet Coaster experience. To go along with the new water park features, Planet Coaster 2 users can make sure the swimming areas are watched over by staff members while also putting down new facilities, like changing areas. For water areas, players will also need to ensure those areas are maintained by keeping an eye on clean water generators and that guests are watched over by lifeguards.

In addition to giving players the necessary tools to build creative coasters and wacky water slides, Frontier is offering easier ways to build other aspects of the park. This includes the debut of a new path-building tool that can make constructing wide walkways and open plazas reminiscent of real-world theme parks much simpler. As noted, guest safety is a priority, so players are also given the tools they need to protect their guests from the beaming hot sun, like shaded awnings and sunscreen stations.

Look for themes to be a big element of Planet Coaster 2. Sure, it's possible to build an ordinary park, but Frontier will also offer the use of four other themes. The game will launch with Mythology, Resort, Aquatic, and Viking themes, which give a user's theme park a distinct flavor. This flavor can extend across all aspects of the park, from the ride decor to the food courts.

Planet Coaster 2 promises to go further in letting players design the park of their dreams. That may potentially mean adding elements from the park of someone else's dreams. Blueprints for different ride designs will be provided throughout the game, but the game will also feature an in-game workshop where users can submit their own creations. The player base can then download these creations to use in their own parks and maybe give them the missing piece they didn't know they needed. Friends can also share saves across platforms, turning the theme park-building effort into a collaborative project.

There's much more coming to Planet Coaster 2, just in time to cool off from the summer heat. Look for the game to come to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S this fall.

This preview is based on a developer briefing held via Discord.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?