Planet Zoo Tropical Pack review: Exquisite scenery pieces coupled with few exciting additions

The Tropical Pack is the latest DLC that Planet Zoo players can dive into, with five highly requested new faces making their way into the game. There are plenty of fresh scenery pieces and foliage that are stated to be inspired by Southeast Asia, which players can creatively utilize. A new Career scenario also awaits them, featuring Tiffany Summers and Dominic Myers.

Be it for Planet Zoo or Jurassic World Evolution 2, I am reminded with each DLC pack that there is a plethora of exciting animals and species yet to arrive in these beautiful games and that the developers have mastered the art of bringing them to life in all their glory. The Tropical Pack is another such win for Frontier Developments.

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Planet Zoo Tropical Pack adds familiar faces from the tropical rainforests

While there is a new career scenario and an addition of 200+ scenery pieces with the Tropical Pack DLC, the crown jewel of this update is the enthralling new species that swung into the game. But before diving into that, I will quickly talk about the former two.

The official announcement revealed that the new scenery pieces were meant to celebrate "the beauty of traditional Indonesian architecture," and it did manage to do so successfully. The variety of structures that are available with the Tropical Pack, be it the mossy archways or the grand temple, is impressive and compliments the new arrivals.

Similar to the earlier Twilight Pack and Grasslands Animal Pack, this DLC also features a career scenario revolving around players being tasked to help Tiffany Summers manage a tropical zoo. While the tasks will be quite familiar to those who have been playing Planet Zoo for a while, the involvement of the new species and scenery pieces makes it quite refreshing.

Coming to the five new species, Tropical Pack brings Lar Gibbon, Red River Hog, Asian Water Monitor, Fossa, and Brown-throated Sloth. The developers have yet again hit the nail with the movements and behavioral nuances of the new creatures.

Starting off, the focus of the Tropical Pack is the Lar Gibbon. The behavioral nuances, general antics, climbing, swinging, and running animation made them a delightful addition to my zoo. The Red River Hog also looks beautifully realized in-game, with the creature's model, fur, and animation neatly tied up together in a package.

The Lar Gibbon (Image via Planet Zoo)

The Asian Water Monitor loves to deep-swim, requiring 2m depth, and bask in the sun. The Fossa is a creature found in Madagascar and flaunts playful and jumping animation in-game that fits it nicely.

It is a treat to watch the Brown-throated Sloth move around slowly in their walkthrough exhibit in Planet Zoo, interacting with the climbing frame, hanging from the logs or just sitting in a chair. It is also fun to increase the in-game speed to see visitors zoom around while these creatures pace around gingerly.

The Sloth (Image via Planet Zoo)

I do hope that Frontier Developments will allow a bit more creativity in editing the walkthrough exhibit, especially with the climbing frame that sticks out from its surroundings.

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Is the Tropical Pack worth it?

In my earlier DLC reviews, I have repeatedly stated that the developers at Frontier Developments have mastered the art of bringing these gorgeous creatures to life in Planet Zoo, accompanied by unique animations and behavorial nuances that enrich immersion. The Tropical Pack is another testament to that and is indeed worth it.

The Red River Hog (Image via Planet Zoo)

Each of the new introductions looks absolutely beautiful and I spent quite some time looking at their animations as they roamed about their surroundings. The scenery pieces allow players to add detail and depth to their park with creative and imaginative designs.

The Tropical Pack adds new scenery pieces (Image via Planet Zoo)

With that said, I hope to see Frontier Developments push the envelope with their next DLC for their management game, with the long-awaited aviary perhaps making the perfect candidate. Nevertheless, I eagerly await to see what they have penciled in next.