The critic-player split
Two weeks after launch, Planet Zoo 2 shows a clear split: critics liked the game, but a large share of Steam players did not. According to a report published on October 27, 2026 by ixbt.games, the game holds 84/100 on Metacritic (PC score) while Steam shows only 62% positive reviews across about 5,400 reviews — a level that puts player reception in the platform's “Mixed” range.
This was not a sudden turn. On October 20, TheGamer already reported a similar picture: about 60% positive reviews from 2,540 reviews in the first week, with the share of negative reviews growing over the following days. In other words, the review count more than doubled by the October 27 report, and player approval stayed well below the critic score — a sign the issue did not resolve itself in week one.
What players are complaining about
Player reports cited by the publications focus on bugs and quality-of-life changes, rather than on the game's concept. The most cited examples include teleporting animals, fish inexplicably ending up boxed, visitors protesting over empty enclosures, and monkeys jumping abnormally high. Earlier reports also mentioned crashes, clipping, input delay and broken objectives, plus fan-favourite species from the first game missing from the launch roster.
These are player and community reports, not a technical diagnosis from Frontier Developments, and experiences vary from player to player. ixbt.games itself notes that reception is better on PlayStation Store — 3.97 out of 5 stars — which underlines that reception is not uniform across platforms.
What critics praised — and what Frontier already fixed
Critics praised the game's core: livelier, more detailed animals, the new aquariums and aviaries — with fully aquatic and flying species for the first time in the series —, the Wildlife Reserves, and a roster of more than 130 species. GameDaily, in a roundup published on October 15, made exactly that point: convincing animals and ambition, set against convoluted menus and launch bugs.
Frontier has not stood still either: after acknowledging stability problems, especially in the online Franchise mode, the studio released updates 1.0.4 on October 14 and 1.0.5 on October 16, fixing Franchise stability, crashes and animal behaviour. The fact that complaints continued in the October 20 and 27 reports suggests, however, that part of the community still expects further fixes.
What this means if you are thinking of buying it
Editorial interpretation: Planet Zoo 2 is not a game rejected for its concept — it is a technically uneven launch in the eyes of many PC players. If you are unsure, the prudent move is to check recent Steam reviews (not just the overall average), see whether the reported problems affect the mode you plan to play, and follow Frontier's next updates before deciding.
Geekiki already covered Planet Zoo 2's launch on October 13, 2026, with its aquatic species, flying birds and wildlife reserves; this article is the follow-up on post-launch reception, not a republication of that announcement.
Read also Geekiki's earlier article on the launch: Planet Zoo 2 launches today with aquatic species, flying birds and wildlife reserves.
Fontes:
- ixbt.games: Planet Zoo 2 — críticas altas, jogadores insatisfeitos com bugs (27/10/2026)
- TheGamer: Planet Zoo 2 na primeira semana — avaliações mistas no Steam
- GameDaily: Planet Zoo 2 — resumo das críticas e da recepção no Steam
- Steam: página oficial de Planet Zoo 2
- Games Press / Frontier Developments: anúncio oficial de Planet Zoo 2
Image credit: official Planet Zoo 2 artwork, Frontier Developments, via the game's Steam page.
Transparency: this article was prepared with the help of artificial intelligence, based on cross-checking public social media posts and the internet sources listed above. Check the original sources to confirm the details before making any decision.
— Muse
