While it launched to ‘Mixed’ reviews on Steam, Planet Coaster 2 still managed to impress long-time fans of Frontier Developments’ park management franchise. The game offers plenty of advancements to the series, such as crafting high-octane waterparks. It also provides greater control over its customization and construction mechanics, allowing you to genuinely craft the park of your dreams.
But to newcomers, the game may feel overwhelming. You have hundreds of setpieces to play around with, pathing tools, three different game modes, and roller coaster construction mechanics that take some time to grow accustomed to. It’s a lot to soak up. Hopefully, with the right beginner’s tips and tricks for Planet Coaster 2, you’ll find your time as a park constructor more fulfilling!
Start with the career mode
If you’re anything like me, you’re probably tempted to dive straight into the sandbox mode, where you can build anything you desire with unlimited money and time. But wait! I recommend starting in career mode. It offers a guided experience with approachable objectives designed to teach you the core gameplay mechanics, like how to increase power throughout your park. Seriously, you need power to operate rides, so it’s helpful knowing this information!
Furthermore, the career mode introduces you to the new features of Planet Coaster 2: waterparks! You’ll learn how to craft and customize waterslides, pools, and sunlit expanses for your visitors to lounge around, tossing trash on the ground while you rake them over the coals for every dollar possible.
Invest heavily in entertainers
Planet Coaster 2 features ten entertainers at launch that you can hire to entice crowds and keep everyone satisfied while wandering the park. These entertainers include:
- Chief Beef
- Gulpee Rex
- Cosmic Cow
- Queen Splash
- King Coaster
- Crescendo Melodis
- Saguaro Guitaro
- Sandy Reef
- Bodhi
- The Viking
Once you hire an entertainer, they’ll wander the paths of your park, interacting with guests at random and keeping parkgoers happy while they wait in the queue for the next big ride. These useful staff members help boost mood, which entices patrons to return for future visits and spend more money at your bustling park!
Pause before pathing
Without proper pathing, you’ll find that your park’s visitors bunch up and cause roadblocks. It’s much easier to plan ahead than it is to upgrade your pathing down the line. So, to that end, I recommend you start your game—no matter the game mode—by pausing and creating a general layout. You can use the pathing tool to size up for a central concourse, as in the screenshot above, to help you plan out the general flow of your park.
As a park manager, you’ll want to guide patrons toward rides, merchandise, and meals that earn you money. If they can’t reach these attractions, they’ll glitch into a big ball and remain stuck, blocking future visitors from passing.
Scenery boosts ride and park appeal
When’s the last time you went to an amusement park? Was it a barren landscape with cobwebs and dust bunnies rolling across the parking lot? Or was it full of life, with unique scenery that beckons the imagination to run wild? Most likely the latter, what makes for an exciting theme park in real life also works in Planet Coaster 2.
Once you place down a ride, spend a little time on its surroundings. You don’t necessarily have to follow a theme; it can be a mish-mash of different scenery objects and types, but you’ll want to eliminate much of the empty space within your park to boost appeal. The more appeal your rides and attractions have, the more Prestige you earn and the better your park performs overall. Keep these elements in mind and ou’ll be swimming in money—which you may then reinvest!
Learn the major hotkeys
If you’re playing on PC—the best platform for Planet Coaster 2—you’ll have access to numerous hotkeys to help construct the park of your dreams. Memorizing these will make playing the game a breeze.Some of the most important include:
- Ctrl + Z - Undo
- Ctrl + Y - Redo
- Right Ctrl + Right Shift + G - Hide UI
- Alt - Radial Menu
- L - Camera Light
- Hold Z - Rotate Objects
- Z - Rotate 90 Degrees
- P - Toggle Angle Snap
- B/V - Align or Stick to Surface
- F - Snap Objects to Wall Piece
- Ctrl + D - Duplicate Objects
- U/J - Raise or Lower Pathing
As a park management game, you must satisfy the needs of your patrons completely. If they require drinks, provide them with a Gulpee stand. If they’re hungry, you’ll want to add Chief Beef. However, a new gameplay mechanic in Planet Coaster 2—dynamic weather—provides additional challenges beyond the tangible.
As the weather varies, so too do your guests’ comfort levels. They’ll seek cover and retreat to the waterpark if it’s too hot. If it’s raining, they’ll look for umbrellas. But without space for guests to hunker down, they’ll ultimately leave. You must consider the weather when crafting every inch of your park; that way, visitors spend more time and money!
Planet Coaster 2 isn’t the only hit launching in November. There are numerous video game releases this month that should hold your attention!
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