After a short wait (that seemed like an eternity) my PC is finally equipped with a brand new graphics card that supplies it with all the power it needs to run ZT2.
I started the game.
I watched the Microsoft logo.
I went “Ooooooh” at the new Blue Fang logo.
And then...
...you start in the clouds.
The faint strains of a new version of the Zoo Tycoon theme music plays in the background as the camera zooms down and through the entrance of a zoo. Past crocodiles and tigers, past penguins and polar bears it finally comes to rest on the elephants.
Then you see the ZT2 logo for the first time.
Very nice.
Next up is the game select screen with all the usual options: Play saved games, play freeform or campaign (scenario), download content...and the opportunity to create your own user profile.
At this point I figured I’d go for the novice approach and try to learn about how to play the game first.
You begin with an overhead isometric view of a couple of camels in an enclosure to help you learn the basics of gameplay. It’s the usual click this, click that stuff and serves as a nice way to dip your toe in the water (so to speak). My first reaction to the first person view was “Woah!”
Navigating your way around the 3D rendered zoo is a very cool experience, as is taking photographs.
One new feature is the overview map, which gives you a top down view of your zoo rendered in map form. It also shows a legend at the side displaying buildings, animals etc that can be toggled off and on.
Zookeepers and maintenance workers can be added in the usual manner, however the zoo guide has been replaced with an educator who can give guests information about animals from special podiums that you can add around the zoo.
There are a brand new set of emoticons that the animals and guests display to show their needs and on the zookeeper’s tab the recommendations for foliage, shelters and the like are much more specific. You can now also view zookeeper’s thoughts which can give you an added insight into the animals, the exhibits and the zoo as a whole.
The new photo safari mode reminds me of Pokemon Snap and it allows you to prowl the zoo and take pictures of whatever you see. These can then be added to your photo album and uploaded to the internet to share with your friends. You are also given specific tasks/events during the game that you need to photograph to complete challenges.
Onto construction...
One of the first tools you play with is the familiar bulldozer that deletes unwanted items and turns them into cash. This being the new millennium of course everything gets recycled rather than simply being thrown away.
Then it’s on to the fences. Fences and paths work in a similar to the original game. However you can now build at 45 degree angles which allows for a more realistic zoo environment. It also gives you a much greater range of creativity when constructing exhibits and paths. Want to make the lion enclosure in the shape of a lion? It CAN be done! (With a LOT of time, but it CAN be done).
Buildings are also similar to the original game, but now you can rotate them as you place them by holding down the left mouse button. They also have helpful arrows that point to their entrance (or front). Another nice touch about the buildings can only be appreciated in first person view; they have people inside them. The insect house and reptile house are much smaller, but they each contain fully animated critters now!
One other cool feature is the ability to move an object/building without having to sell it.
Now you get to play with the animals for the first time. The elephants are stunning to watch In action (as are all the other 3D creatures) and you can waste a LONG time just watching them move around. You can add shelters as usual (although you may need to research them first), and of course there are toys too. One new feature is the ability to add food and water to an exhibit (and the opportunity to fill up empty dishes in first person mode!).
So after some playing around the elephant has everything that it needs now.
Right?
Nope.
Now you get to landscape his environment. You can scroll through the various types of terrain such as savannah and tundra and then select which type of that terrain (with water, with trees) you want to lay down by selecting from a cross section display. One selected you drag the mouse across the screen and watch in awe as the landscape gets painted in trees and all. You can still tweak it like crazy by raising or lowering it and adding in specific trees and rocks.
One other neat new touch is the Zoopedia, which is literally an encyclopaedia of everything in the game. This can be most useful indeed.
After playing around with the basic I decided to take the plunge...
So, back on the main menu I hit freeform game and was presented with a globe of the world filled with selectable locations that rotates to show the various sites that you can choose.
Then there is the level load screen, which is most pretty indeed while you wait.
And there it was, a new map ready for me to fill.
The first thing I noticed was that I had unlimited funds (which was nice). The second was that all the buildings and items were already unlocked which was MOST helpful.
Although everything is new there is a certain familiarity with the gameplay that makes getting into it a fairly straightforward affair. I do feel that the novice player may be a bit overwhelmed at first by the range of options that are available to them. It’s the added depth though that strikes me as being one of the major draws of ZT2 for veterans of the original games.
I started in my usual way and build a lion exhibit (something I could do in minutes with 100% suitability in the original ZT). Watching them frolic and prowl around their new home was most gratifying.
One of the (many) nice cosmetic touches is the way that the lighting in the game changes each day. You can follow the progress of the sun through the sky and even see the rays of light that shine out as it passes behind clouds. The sky is also the home to various birds which are as well detailed and animated as the main animals in the game.
I could cheerfully spend hours building zoos in this mode (and most likely will!).
My next port of call was to try out the campaign (or scenario) mode. As with ZT you are faced with a wide variety of challenges that become increasingly difficult as you progress through the scenarios.
This time around you have a Zoo Fame rating which ranges from 1-5 stars. As your zoo improves (with better exhibits, objects and guest/animal happiness) your zoos fame increases and you new objects/buildings and animals become available for you to research and then use.
Most cool.
And so...
I’ve been playing it solid all afternoon now and I’ve barely scratched the surface. This game has TONS more depth and replay value than the original, from the scenario challenges to building the ultimate freeform zoo (and then wandering around it in first person mode).
A lot of time, thought and I suspect listening to players views has gone into making this game something rather special.
Just to give an example of how cool it is;
I was writing this while I was waiting to snap a photo of a zebra using a scratch post (to scratch his butt on!) for one of the campaigns.
I suddenly heard screaming.
One of the guests had somehow gotten into the exhibit and was running Around in a panic. The zebras didn’t like that at all and one of them ran over and promptly trampled the guest!
Then the zookeeper rushed over and tranquillised the poor zebra (aw!).
Most cool.
My final though for now is that ZT2 is THE perfect game to pester someone for as a gift this holiday season. With tons of replay value it will keep you coming back time and again. In truth the only downside I’ve spotted so far is that it’s fairly memory intensive and so some people may need to upgrade their system memory (like yours truly).
But damn does it look pretty.
Buy it.
You won’t regret it.
The basic system specs are as follows:
Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows XP
A Pentium 733 or higher processor
256 Megabytes (MB) of RAM (hehehehehe)
900 MB of available hard disk space (which requires the CD to be in the CD-ROM drive to play the game (until a hack turns up somewhere))
A 4× CD-ROM drive
A Direct3D-compatible super VGA display adapter with 16 MB of VRAM
A keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device (essential for getting around in first person mode)
A sound card and speakers or headphones for audio
DirectX 9.0b or later (which IS included on CD)
Internet access for optional (but lets face it, essential) downloadable content
