But keeping them fit and healthy, while turning that all-important profit that helps feed and house your animals is a complex task. The animals are beautifully detailed, much more so than in the original, and this helps to create a real affection for them. You start off with one animal, and if you care for this successfully in your zoo, you get the other three from the family group. This can be seen in missions such as the one in which you try to save a group of elephants due to be culled in their home country of Swaziland because of overpopulation. A look at a beta version reveals a game much like the original, but with much better 3D graphics, more depth and greater empathy for the animals.
After a number of expansion packs to the first game, Microsoft has scheduled Zoo Tycoon 2 for release before Christmas. Reviewed by PETER ELEY Zoo Tycoon has been one of Microsoft's most enduring titles, largely because of its non-violent nature and addictive, intelligent gameplay.