Pretty recently, I tried out Planet Coaster 2 for the first time, and I had a lot of fun with it. Well, even more recently I got the opportunity to give its newest DLC, the Spooktacular Pack, just in time for this year's Halloween. This will be a bit of a shorter one since I'll just be talking about what the DLC adds; if you'd like to see my thoughts on the game as a whole, check out my review here.
Visuals
The visual style of the DLC fits in well with the rest of the game, and I think does a pretty good job of fitting in with the holiday it represents. Nothing particularly unique or mindblowing, but a vibe very reminiscent of the many Halloween haunted houses I've seen in my days.
Gameplay
I'll start out with the smaller parts. The DLC adds seven new rides with a Halloween theme and plenty of customization options, as well as some premade blueprints if you don't want to create your own designs. Nothing particularly special, but I definitely won't say no to more options, especially when they fit well with a new theme.
There's also a plethora of new scenery options and two new staff entertainers, all fitting into that same Halloween theme, so there'll be plenty of opportunity for parks or sections of parks centered on the spooky season. Same as with the rides, it's nothing too special, but still always nice to have new options.
The most significant part of this DLC, however, is a brand new feature in the form of Walkthrough Attractions. As the name implies, these are attractions that your guests walk through. On the surface that may sound simple; when I first heard of it, I didn't understand what made this a new feature and figured it was just a new type of flat ride, but once I dug into it, I realized that the customization options are what really lets it shine.
In addition to determining the paths your guests will take through these attractions, and having access to build something unique from the sheer plethora of options the game already has and those added by the DLC, you can also choose what kinds of reactions each part of the attraction should lead to, whether you want to build a haunted house where certain parts should lead to scares, an exhibit of interesting pieces for guests to admire, or a maze that will leave them frustrated when they go down the wrong paths, there's no shortage of options for a creative park designer to partake in.
Conclusion
As this is a DLC pack, there's not too much to say that isn't just a description of the game as a whole, so I'll wrap this up here. I appreciate having new theming and ride options of course, but I think the new Walkthrough Attractions are the real selling point of the Spooktacular Pack, and they're quite a cool concept, but definitely only for those who like to design a cool park or do some storytelling with their creations.
On the other hand, I will also say that they may not appeal as much to those who are more into the management aspects of the game, since such players are likely to just place a blueprint in order to have the attraction type and move on. So, while I do think the new feature is a fantastic addition for the right person, it is not necessarily going to appeal to everyone.
VERDICT: Maybe
Reviewed on PC
Review Copy was Provided
Available On: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
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