"A Dissapointing Sequal to a Great Game."

Zoo Tycoon was an excellent game where you could design a zoo with over 100 animals... It was an instant hit and one of the best PC games ever. I loved it and would play for hours on it and its expansion packs. Just when it was dying out... Zoo Tycoon 2 came out! It'll be so much better than it's predecessor and we can all have fun with it for hours! Right? Wrong.

Graphics: 9/10

The graphics being better are what really kills the game. Precious space was wasted for 3D graphics. Now the game is more about "Ohh, look at my shiny 3D panda! I named it Mike!" I will admit, however, that they did make the game more visually appealing.

Sound: 8/10

Average sound, nothing to write home about.

Gameplay: 7/10

Zoo Tycoon 2 has a total of 30 animals. Yes, ladies and gentleman, 30. This is the first game I saw where the length became 4 times shorter than its prequal. Other than that, its okay. They have also added an option where you can walk around the zoo and see it as your guests might. In this form you can also give animals more food, clean up garbage and dung, and wash/groom animals. It did add a lot more features and it outshines Zoo Tycoon 1 in that aspect; however, you can't make up for such a lack of animals.

Replay: 8/10

Building different zoos is fun, so I guess people who like it will play it over and over again. After you have completed your zoo, there's nothing much to do but watch as the cash rolls in set free some of the animals you have too much of.

Rent or Buy?

If you're going to play this game, buy it. If you truly think you'll enjoy it, than you'll want it for a long time as this is the kind of game you don't get bored of. Again, Zoo Tycoon 1 is better in my eyes, so consider buying #2 seriously before deciding.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/21/05