Which Game Is Better Between Planet Coaster 2 Vs. Rollercoaster Tycoon 3?

Ah, simulations—the games that give us a moment to step out of the jobs we are meh about and into the jobs we want to do. While the genre is filled with jobs and careers ranging from putting together houses or computers to washing off buildings, today focuses on creating a fun time for all ages.

That’s right! We will have fun and check out two theme park titans: RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 and Planet Coaster 2. Which one will win out your affection, and which one is better putting off for another day? We will be determining that below.

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Graphics – Planet Coaster 2

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Is Showing Its Age

Planet Coaster 2 is a more recent release than its long-released predecessor, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, which came out in 2004 and was re-released in 2020 on the Switch. The game looks better but still suffers from the lack of polish of the early 2000s. There’s nothing wrong with the nostalgia, but it’s hard to compete with a game released in 2024.

Planet Coaster comes swinging hard with a new coat of paint and shiny new graphics that make the experience of putting together the theme park of your dreams much more exciting. While graphics are not the most essential aspect of any part of a game, it’s still lovely to look at your park and think, ‘Yeah, this looks nice,’ right?

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Content – RollerCoaster Tycoon 3

Stacks Of Packs At Your Fingertips

The advantage of coming from a long-standing pedigree is having a large backlog from which to pull content. RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 has that in spades with its complete edition. The complete edition adds two expansions, Soaked and Wild, respectively, adding 21 unique scenarios and many rides to tinker around with endlessly. That’s not including the Steam edition, which can add many more packs to your game.

Planet Coaster 2 has its share of DLC packs to enhance the base game, but only in the form of rides. The DLC doesn’t add, at least as far as writing this list, anything beyond more rides to your repertoire. There’s nothing wrong with adding more rides if that’s what you’re looking for, but if you want more than that, then you’re not going to find it in Planet Coaster 2.

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Gameplay – Planet Coaster 2

They Let You Ride The Rides, What Else Needs To Be Said?

On the surface, both games are very similar: They have scenario and sandbox modes, though they approach them differently. Planet Coaster 2 embraces its open-ended gameplay in both modes and even adds a multiplayer experience where you can build a park with a friend. Both games even let you test the rides.

That being said, ride tests are very different experiences in both games. RollerCoaster Tycoon lets you see the rides in action, but you don’t get the first-person view that Planet Coaster 2 gives you. If you’re going to play a game about roller coasters, where’s the fun in not experiencing them up close?

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Coaster Design – Tie

It Comes Down To Personal Skills

The only limitation to the roller coasters of your dreams is your skills! Pivot, snap and lock your pieces into place as you build each coaster from scratch from various starting types. Want to make an inverted coaster and have some peeps’ legs dangle? You can do that.

Want to create a water slide that tests the bounds of gravity and spacetime? You can also do that in Planet Coaster 2 with its water park add-ons. However, that game comes with some caveats we’ll get to in a bit. But no matter which game you go with, you’ll get to stretch your creativity.

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UI Interface – RollerCoaster Tycoon 3

Newer Doesn’t Mean Better In This Case

The UI is the most crucial thing that stands between a player and their experience with a game. Get it right, and you won’t hear any complaints, but get it wrong, and the cacophony of dissent will be loud. Unfortunately, several fans who’ve played Planet Coaster 2 have stated that the sleek and pretty UI was challenging to navigate. Doubly so on the console.

Sure, the radial controls of the Switch version of RollerCoaster Tycoon are out of date, but they’re easy to use and get you where you want to go quickly. The PC version is the default tried-and-true version that makes navigation more intuitive.

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Fan Reception – RollerCoaster Tycoon 3

A Nostalgic Return To Form Versus A Betrayal Of Trust

While Planet Coaster 2 was a critical success and new fans seemed to enjoy it, it wasn’t enough of a step-up in innovation to satisfy returning fans. Many felt that it was a re-skin of the first game, with only added online support and paid DLC.

While not as shiny and new as Planet Coaster, overall, RollerCoaster Tycoon offered more for a whole lot less in terms of both price and problems. You’re getting a better value for your dollar and for a longer time. Sure, you miss out on online features, but you’re better off until they fix the bugs.