Creature Feature: The Animal Brain
In the first of a series where we take a closer look at some of the unique new features coming to Planet Zoo 2, this week we'll be digging into the new "animal brain" system, how it works and what new behaviours you can expect to see from animals in Planet Zoo 2!
Hayo Zookeepers!
Welcome to the first in a series of articles where we take a closer look at some of the unique new features coming to Planet Zoo 2.
To get us started in style, this week we'll be digging into the new "animal brain" system for Planet Zoo 2, how it works and what new behaviours you can expect to see from animals in Planet Zoo 2!
Let's explore our first Creature Feature!
What is the animal brain?
In Planet Zoo 2 the "animal brain" is a collection of systems that governs how animals behave across your zoos and Wildlife Reserves, resulting in amazingly natural interactions.
This is built on a structure of behaviour for our animals based around 4 different types of actions, together forming what we call the "reactive brain".
This snazzy system groups all the actions our animals can take and enables them to seamlessly transition based on what is happening around them.
- Routines - the animal engages in normal actions by default e.g. exploring, resting, using enrichments
- Periodics - the animal reacts to environmental changes in between their Routines e.g. finding shelter, escaping predation
- Distractions - the animal reacts to stimuli to change how they are performing their actions e.g. joining a herd while exploring, completing a social call to a nearby peer while resting
- Interruptions - the animal reacts to stimuli and stops their action to do something else e.g. playing with another member of their species, waking up from sleep when disturbed
This system also considers how an animal is feeling at any particular time. If an animal is happy, sad, angry or scared, this will impact how they are behaving. For example, a sad animal will complete different actions in a different manner than an animal which is in a happy state. Moods are also visually identifiable, with an animal appearing differently depending on its mood, such as a hot lion panting or an angry tiger flattening their ears.
These moods can even impact the animals around them, such as a scared zebra alerting the rest of their herd to danger.
To support the animal brain, animals in Planet Zoo 2 react to a wide variety of stimuli, including everything from the time of day and weather to the presence of predators and the current season. This can be especially impactful to the courting and breeding behaviour of animals as they move through any seasonal fertility. Animals can also behave differently in the wild compared to within a Zoo as they react to the very different stimuli and circumstances.
In short, the animal brain gives the animals in Planet Zoo 2 a huge amount of reactivity, resulting in even more for you to discover as you care for your zoo and Wildlife Reserves.
But that's not all!
Animal formations
Formations are a new feature for Planet Zoo 2 acting as a layer on top of the animal brain, enabling animals to act as a unified group.
When multiple animals of the same species are close together they can form a formation with their peers. Different types of formation can be formed depending on the animals and their circumstances, including groups for migrating, defending, fleeing and neutral situations. The shape, size and density of a formation depends on its type and species, so a for example a bison may form a defensive ring against a nearby predator, while migrating zebras may form a line-shaped formation with the male at the rear.
Animals in a formation will compare their individual animal brains' Routine behaviours, which determines which behaviour the group wants to do as a whole. Depending on the sociability of a given species, animals are more or less likely to perform this formation-level behaviour or choose another individual Routine behaviour. For example, you'll likely spot zebras and wildebeest all grazing together, while giraffes may more often do their own thing while staying in the vicinity of their herd.
The members of these formations then essentially vote on what action they want to take, such as resting, exploring or grazing together. This allows social animals to behave, well, socially!
Formations are another layer to Planet Zoo 2's animals enabling them to depict even more authentic behaviours that you'd expect to see in the natural world, particularly for social animals.
Emergent behaviour
The greatest consequence of all this work tinkering with the animal brain is a huge improvement in the kinds of emergent, unplanned behaviour animals in Planet Zoo 2 will exhibit.
In the original Planet Zoo, animals would perform the same limited range of actions consistently. Now in Planet Zoo 2, they have a huge range of actions which can be completed in different ways depending on their circumstances and the environment around them.
Now a playful chimp could knock an enrichment item into a sleeping troop member waking them up or a lion could get angry if you remove their favourite scratching post right as they were about to use it.
Not only do these new emergent behaviours create exciting and believable interactions for you to discover, they can also have a direct impact on how your zoos and Wildlife Reserves are managed, requiring you to adjust to the unexpected and maintain the welfare of your animals. Your actions will directly impact the mood and behaviour of your animals, so it's up to you to keep them as happy as possible!
A new world
The animal brain is just one of the ways Planet Zoo 2 is delivering the most authentic depiction of wild and zoo animals to date, bringing a generational leap forward in animal simulation to your screens in October.
These systems all come together to create animals, zoos and Wildlife Reserves that are truly alive like never before.
We'll be back soon to take a dip and dive into another of the features coming to Planet Zoo 2 later this year.
Planet Zoo 2 is available to pre-order now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Join the conversation and keep in touch by following our social channels, subscribing to our mailing list (for an exclusive in-game reward) and watching closely for updates on the website.
