Hands On - Planet Coaster: Console Edition

If you're like me and you spend 30 hours building one attraction, PlanCo: CE still has you covered. All of the grid-based scenery items are present, and even the 'advanced move' tool is available, if you wish to be obsessively precise with your building habits - I know I am. After completing the tutorial level, I jumped straight into the Sandbox mode to give building a custom coaster a try, and much to be expected after the first hour of play, building a representation of a B&M Dive Coaster was an utter breeze.

Using the thumbsticks and triggers to turn and bank track, while using the shoulder buttons and the d-pad to navigate through the side menu to change the track type and add pre-fabricated elements (such as loops) felt entirely natural. In fact, it felt like I built that coaster quicker with a controller than how I usually would with a keyboard and mouse! All of your post-build customisation options are present, such as control over block sections, colour schemes, and naming your coasters! Building a station platform on the grid system is more finicky with a controller, but it's still entirely doable.

My time with Planet Coaster: Console Edition has managed to exceed my already high expectations. As someone who wasn't sure about how well a complex title like this would translate to controller input would go, I am very pleasantly surprised. To those who have been clamouring for this title to release on consoles for nearly four years now, you're in luck. This is the full Planet Coaster experience, and then some. Kicking back and building an incredible theme park from the comfort of your sofa is something to really get excited for come this holiday season.

Thank you so much to Frontier for the early hands-on opportunity for Planet Coaster: Console Edition

Planet Coaster: Console Edition is available for pre-order here.