Which Planet Zoo 2 Game Mode Should You Choose First? All Modes, Explained

Planet Zoo 2 has landed and Frontier Developments has provided a variety of modes to play, so deciding which one to dive into first can be tricky.

Whether you’re a returning player from the original Planet Zoo game or are new to the series, we’ve got the details on all the modes and some advice on where to begin.

What Are The Planet Zoo 2 Game Modes?

There are three main modes to play Planet Zoo 2, each of which offers a different experience. We’ve detailed them all here.

Career

Career Mode in Planet Zoo 2 is a globe-spanning adventure that tests your mettle in a variety of situations and scenarios, alongside serving as an introduction to both the basic and more advanced features of the game.

Progression is marked by Objectives, which combine together in three levels; Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

Requirements for each level will vary but include a range of things, including perfecting animal welfare, attracting a set number of guests, completing research, reaching financial milestones, and lots more.

Sandbox

Sandbox mode offers creative freedom, without any restrictions on the money that’s available, the animals you can adopt, and there’s a variety of customization options in the settings too, like turning off animal breeding or ageing.

This is a great mode to get to grips with Planet Zoo 2 most complex building mechanics without the stress of having to balance the finances and keeping an eye on all the other impoirtant matters that are going on in your zoo.

It’s a particularly good mode for anyone playing with young children too, as they can let their creative freedom run wild, without worrying about the lions eating the zebras.

Franchise

Franchise Mode is the core mode in Planet Zoo 2, combining all the zoos and Wildlife Reserves you create in the mode into one connected system.

All research is shared, as is animal storage, so you can freely move an animal from one zoo to another.

There are challenges, however, with budget management, keeping guests happy, and ensuring all your animals are content all intertwined, so it can be a lot to take on at times!

Which Game Mode Should You Play First?

The first point of call for any Planet Zoo 2 player, whether you’re new to the series or have hours of experience in the first game, should be Career Mode.

This serves as the game’s tutorial, teaching you everything from the basics to more advanced situations, and provides a heap of scenarios to challenge yourself with, helping you become a master of zoo management.

You don’t need to grind it out to get a Gold Medal on each level, but doing so will unlock some extras to use. That said, just achieving Bronze on each Career level should be the target initially, as you can always circle back.

Once you’ve tested out Career Mode, the next choice depends on your experience. Franchise is the ongoing, main mode in the game, with restrictions on adoptable animals, cash, and everything else, while Sandbox gives you full freedom.

You can use Sandbox to test out new ideas and practice your building without restrictions, and you can even save your creations as a Blueprint to use in another mode later on, assuming you have the required funds.