Planet Coaster 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to the world-renowned 2016 theme park simulation game. Building upon the creative foundation of its predecessor, Frontier Developments introduced enhanced building tools, more advanced management systems, and exciting new features like integrated water parks. These additions aimed to immerse players in a dynamic park-building experience, allowing them to craft sprawling plazas, construct breathtaking roller coasters, and design twisting water flumes.
The sequel offers customization options, including scalable scenery and objects that can be intuitively attached to rides, elevating the creative potential of parks to new heights. Players can create vibrant, interconnected attractions that blend coasters and water rides seamlessly, while a newly implemented global illumination lighting system enhances the visuals.
Beyond creativity, Planet Coaster 2 delves deeper into park management, introducing features like guest heat maps and amenities for water park visitors, including lifeguards, sunscreen stations, and changing rooms. These mechanics challenge players to balance guest satisfaction with budgetary constraints, all while striving to build the ultimate theme park empire. The game also emphasizes community collaboration, offering cross-platform save-sharing, co-op Franchise Mode, and a Frontier Workshop for sharing user-generated content.
While the game’s ambition is clear, its reception has been mixed. Some players have lauded the new tools and features, calling the integration of water attractions a game-changer. Others have criticized the lack of content from the first game, persistent technical issues, and the early release of paid DLC. Whether Planet Coaster 2 will successfully capture the magic of its predecessor—or leave its legacy floundering—is a question that remains at the heart of its ongoing development.
Mixed Reactions: A Community Divided
As of this writing, Planet Coaster 2’s 7,000+ reviews on Steam remain categorized as “Mixed,” reflecting a deeply divided player base. While the game has rightfully received praise for its visual enhancements, new customization tools, and ambitious additions like integrated water parks, a significant portion of the community has expressed disappointment over missing features, technical issues, and what many perceive as an incomplete launch.
For some, tools like advanced pathing systems, animatable scenery attachments, and scalable objects allow players to create more detailed and immersive parks than ever before. However, many fans of the original Planet Coaster feel that Planet Coaster 2 falls short of expectations, particularly in terms of the depth of content. Core features players have gotten used to from the first game, such as custom gift shops, hotels, and classic rides like the carousel, are absent from the base release. Reviews call out the frustration of seeing these elements locked behind DLC paywalls, including some that were exclusive to pre-orders and unavailable for current purchase. Similarly, one user described a long list of issues, from guest navigation bugs to broken water park mechanics, stating that the sequel feels more like an expansion than a proper evolution of the series.
The introduction of paid DLC shortly after release has only exacerbated the controversy. A cohort of players has accused Frontier Developments of prioritizing monetization over delivering a polished and complete experience, with one denouncing the sequel as a “masterclass in how not to develop a simulation title.” Many reviews emphasize that the DLC feels like content that should have been included in the base game, especially considering the $49.99 price tag of of the full release (to say nothing of the price point for the Deluxe Edition at $64.99).
Technical issues have also been a sticking point. Players have reported game-breaking bugs, poor optimization, and inconsistent guest behavior, particularly with water rides—a marquee feature of the sequel. Some noted that the waterslide physics are worse than those in RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, a game released in 2004. Performance issues seem to further compound the frustration, with reports of significant frame rate drops in large parks even on high-end PCs.
Despite the criticisms, a large portion of the community remains optimistic. One such player sees Planet Coaster 2 as a “diamond in the rough,” with the potential to surpass its predecessor once additional updates and fixes are implemented. They acknowledge the game’s flaws but highlight its creative possibilities and improvements over time.
In the end, while the sequel introduces groundbreaking features and possibilities, its perceived shortcomings and business decisions have left many fans questioning whether Frontier has truly delivered the next generation of theme park simulation—or merely a promising work in progress. In any case, this December update holds some promise.
The December Update: A Step Forward?
The December update for Planet Coaster 2 introduces a suite of new features, bug fixes, and quality-of-life improvements aimed at addressing the most pressing player complaints from launch. With enhancements targeting creativity, guest behavior, and core gameplay systems, this update represents Frontier’s first major step toward refining the experience and winning back the trust of the community. Here’s a closer look at what’s included and how it addresses player feedback.
Core Gameplay Enhancements
Separate Loading and Unloading Stations for Coasters
This much-requested feature gives players more control over ride operations, allowing for more efficient guest throughput. By separating loading and unloading areas, players can minimize bottlenecks and improve the flow of park guests—an issue many players highlighted in their reviews.
Improved Water Park Functionality
Water parks were one of Planet Coaster 2’s marquee additions, but their mechanics faced heavy criticism at launch. The update introduces:
- Enhanced Guest and Raft Movements: Guests now experience more dynamic interactions on flumes, including increased spin, swing, and bounce effects. This helps make water attractions more visually exciting and immersive.
- New Flume Pieces: The addition of “Big Bowl” and “Ultra Wide Pipe” flume segments expands creative possibilities for water rides.
- Improved Testing and Operations: Flumes can now be tested without requiring a pool at the end, and guests can use flumes even if the exit leads to terrain or paving.
Scenery and Creative Tools
Fireworks and Event Sequencer
All players now have access to fireworks displays through the Event Sequencer, a new tool that allows for custom timing and synchronization of park events. This feature adds dramatic flair and creative opportunities for park designers, addressing requests for more ways to personalize guest experiences.
Glass Scenery Pieces
Transparent glass scenery elements are now available, offering additional creative options for building structures and attractions. This addresses complaints about limited scenery customization at launch, noted by reviewers who felt the game lacked the variety of assets seen in Planet Coaster 1.
User Interface and Controls
Redesigned UI and Camera Controls
- Edge Scrolling and Rebindable Keys (PC Only): These additions give PC players more flexibility and comfort when navigating their parks, improving the overall ease of gameplay.
- Streamlined Shortcuts: Keyboard shortcuts have been revamped, including toggling angle snapping and demolishing objects more intuitively, based on player feedback about the cumbersome interface.
- Browser Enhancements: The in-game browser now remembers the player’s last-used settings, reducing the number of clicks needed to access favorite tools and objects.
Management Systems
Guest Heat Maps
A new heatmap system provides insights into guest tolerances, happiness, and ride preferences. This tool makes it easier for players to identify areas for improvement, such as overcrowded paths or underperforming attractions. This addition aligns with feedback requesting more accessible tools for analyzing guest behavior.
Maintenance System Rebalance
Maintenance mechanics have been refined, making it easier to manage the upkeep of attractions without overwhelming micromanagement. This addresses concerns that certain management features were either too simplistic or overly frustrating.
Bug Fixes and Optimizations
Improved Performance and Stability
The update includes fixes for guest pathfinding, reduced coaster camera jitter, and visual glitches with ride elements. These optimizations are crucial, given widespread complaints about poor performance and technical issues at launch.
Expanded Guest Limits in Sandbox Mode
Players can now host up to 12,000 guests in sandbox mode, doubling the original cap. This change is a significant improvement for those looking to build large-scale parks, addressing complaints about unnecessary limitations on guest capacity.
Most Impactful Features Based on Feedback
UI Streamlining: Improved shortcuts, rebindable controls, and heatmaps significantly reduce player frustration with navigation and management.
Fireworks and Event Sequencer: These creative additions inject personality and spectacle into parks, giving players more tools to dazzle guests.
Water Park Improvements: Enhanced guest behavior, flume dynamics, and new ride pieces address widespread frustration with the core water park mechanics.
Separate Loading and Unloading Stations: This change directly improves ride operations, a frequent source of player complaints about inefficiency.
Current State: Ride Maintenance in Progress
Player reactions to Planet Coaster 2 remain a mixed bag. The game’s creative potential and new features have earned praise, but persistent bugs, optimization issues, and incomplete systems undermine the experience. Performance woes are particularly notable, with some players reporting significant frame rate drops in larger parks.
The water park additions—one of the game’s marquee features—have drawn mixed reactions. While visually appealing, the physics and guest behaviors fall short of expectations, with comparisons often drawn to older games like RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, which executed similar mechanics more effectively.
The decision to release paid DLC so soon after launch, while the base game still faces significant issues, has exacerbated community frustration. Many players feel that Frontier is prioritizing monetization over delivering a polished product, a sentiment echoed in numerous reviews.
Is Planet Coaster 2 Worth the Entry Fee?
Planet Coaster 2 has the foundations of a great game, with its stunning visuals, advanced customization options, and community-driven features. It’s simply gorgeous to look at. However, the rating on Steam doesn’t lie. The incomplete launch, technical issues, and controversial monetization decisions mean it’s not yet the definitive 3D theme park simulation many hoped for, or that it could become.
For newcomers, the game provides an engaging—if imperfect—introduction to the genre. For veterans, its missing features and technical setbacks may warrant waiting for further updates or a sale. The December update shows promise, but whether Planet Coaster 2 can win back its disillusioned fan base remains an open question.
If Frontier continues to build on this momentum, the game could become the ultimate theme park simulator. For now, it’s a promising ride that’s still under construction.