probably between Zookeeper and Twilight, while the Saki and bush dog do a lot for it, it is still not that good 7.8/10.
Let's rank all DLCs so far
- Thread starter yoav_r
- Start date
7.8/10 is "not that good"? By what metric?
The Americas pack for me unfortunately ranks rather low. Probably between 16. and 17..
Big part of this is that 90-95% of the scenery is pretty much useless with a ton of unnessecary dublicates. Im not a big fan of the majority of the animals, and all animals i actively wanted out of a south america revisit got left out.
The saki and the handfull of metal pieces are great but they arent enough to make it rank higher. If the rhea gets fixed in the future it will probably climb one step higher tho
I mean compared to other dlcs, I still like the dlc, but there are just so many better ones that this one is not that good in comparison, though with that said I still could've worded it better
Update for the Americas pack: I rank it somewhere in the middle because it's a nice rounding up pack but not essential for me.
- Outstanding pack - a must have
- Great pack - Adds a lot to the game, really good to have
- Good pack - Nice to get if you like the animals/region
- Meh pack - Wait to get on a sale
- Bad pack - Not worth it
- Grassland animal pack - Amazing animals, and helps round up the roster to 3 underrepresented areas in australia, south america, and the middle east, as well as giving us the infinitely useful butterflies. Best pack for hot climate lovers.
- Wetlands animal pack - Gives the game several essential zoo animals, lots of diving animals, and gives a more common and useable alternatives to the otter and caiman from the aquatic pack. Also the capybara alone is a must, and all animals in the pack are well made.
- Arid animal pack - I may be showing regional bias, but this pack is amazing to me. Some of the best models in the game, and a must have for any desert zoo.
- Conservation pack - The scenery makes this pack, and makes realistic zoo building much easier by a mile. The animals are great as well, rounding out asia in general and north africa.
- Africa pack - Great animals, really great scenery, really came to like it over time. Especially as the grassland and conservation packs introduced north african species that go well with the scenery. Combined with the Arid animal pack this is an A tier pack. Also introduces the best penguin.
- Tropical pack - Great animals, great scenery, and helps round up south east asia, madagascar and tropical africa. Can't help hut be dissapointed by the lack of south american animals however. Works great as a combo with the SEA animal pack
- Europe pack - I love the animals personally, and the scenery is amazing. Really came around to it over time, and use it's animals a lot. Goes very well with the Eurasia animal pack.
- Zookeeper animal pack - Adds some animals which are very useful for recreating real zoos, a really nice pack overall.
- Oceania pack - I like the animals, and the scenery is great. Good for rounding up Oceania as a region, but not a must have. I love the flying fox.
- South East Asia animal pack - Has risen massively since the broken models were updated. It makes for a great addition to the game. Really fleshes out its region, and makes for a great combo together with the Tropical pack.
- Eurasia animal pack - For some animals in this pack are must haves, like the swan, for others I care less. Overall a very well rounded pack that goes very well with the Europe pack.
- Americas animal pack - this pack is well made with nice scenery, and the animals range from extremely useful to very niche for me. Mainly helps the underrepresented South America
- North America animal pack - Added many great animals, including diving animals, the first rodents in the game, and animals from diverse biomes. The pack also helped cover Europe and northern Asia along the way. I personally have less connection to the animals, so I don't prioritize it.
- Twilight pack - The halloween pack, with gothic scenery and great models. Focus on north america and temperate areas. Everything in the pack is well made, but as a person that never celebrated halloween and doesn't care much for the species, I can't rank this very high. The bat is an amazing addition however.
- Barnyard animal pack - Very very useful for any realistic zoo, but also quite basic. I like it, but wouldn't make it my first priority.
- Aquatic pack - Used to be my #1 pack, but aged a bit badly due to more practical alternatives to all it's animals being introruced in later packs. The scenery still holds up and the faux rocks are very useful, so I think it is still a good pack.
- South America pack - Used to be afavorite, I think the models in this pack aged badly as more south american animals were introduced. I still love the pack and scenery, but it is no longer a priority.
- Australia pack - A bit less versatile pack, but amazing animals, marsupials and the cassowary, and fills up the Oceania niche a bit. Also aged badly as better models were introduced, but I still love the pack.
- Arctic pack - I really like the scenery, and after the Polar Bear was updated and more polar animals were added in the aquatic pack, this pack became a lot more useable to me, but still not in my priorities.
- Deluxe pack - This one is complicated. A lot of its appeal was in beta access, which is obsolete now, but its price has not gone down after the beta ended. I absolutely love the animals, and I think the Komodo Dragon is a must have, but it's really not worth its price for the content you get. HOWEVER, if you buy it bundled with the base game in a sale, I think it's worth it.
My up-to-date rankings:
20. Arctic Pack
The first pack still holds out as the weakest for me, just like many others. I appreciate the polar bear as an essential animal but rarely use it. The reindeer is good to have as well. But for me several things keep this pack last. The lack of an exhibit animal, the niche scenery (the wall set is nice but I find myself using it less and less as we get more pieces) and whilst the dall sheep was a surprising and enjoyable inclusion to the roster at the time, we’ve received so many good and similar caprids lately that it’s dropped right to the bottom (Markhor, Takin, Bighorn etc.). The Arctic Wolf is an animal I very much disliked on release and still don’t particularly like but has grown on me slightly. It still should have been an Arctic Fox.
19. Oceania Pack
This may be a surprise to some but simply for me this is a case of a decent pack, just one that does not do much at all for me personally. The scenery is nice but not particularly versatile, it’s also not particularly unique with similarities to several other sets like the Tropical and South American ones. But the animals are particularly where this pack falls down the list for me. As a European builder they rarely fit my builds and only the Tasmanian Devil occasionally will see use. The kiwi I can respect but never wanted personally, many other birds I’d have chosen first. And for me the quokka and little penguin simply get overlooked for the more iconic Oceanian species when building. In fact the latter may be my least favourite DLC animal as I simply have no interest in it. Lastly, I’m not a huge fan of the species choice for the bat and so tend to find I use the fruit bats from Twilight much more.
18. Australia Pack
At risk of repeating myself, this is another pack that doesn’t do too much for me. It was okay on release but the scenery is quite niche and rarely finds use from me. While the koala and kangaroo are essential for the game imo, the former is a buggy mess and the other I tend to overlook for the wallaby. The cassowary is a lovely animal (albeit one that I don’t use too often) but on release did feel like it sniped the emu. And the dingo for me is another animal that was really unnecessary at the time of release given how few marsupials we had. The skink is one of the better DLC exhibit species though.
17. Aquatic Pack
Controversial? For me this was never a particularly exciting pack as I simply wasn’t too interested in the rather niche species. I did enjoy the expansion into aquatic animals though as a direction for the game and the scenery in this pack is again, great. But like many I find this pack becomes less relevant as new packs release. The King Penguin has been supplanted by the African. The Grey Seal has been supplanted by the Sea Lion. The Dwarf Caiman has been supplanted by the Spectacled. For the Giant Otter, whilst again it feels it has been pushed aside by the ASCO, I can at least appreciate it as another South American/Amazonian species and therefore use it in those areas.
16. South America Pack
Another early pack down the list. This one falls short in similar places to the other early packs above. The scenery is very stylised and therefore doesn’t see much use and the animals vibe one slightly less relevant as new packs come out. But I think this one holds out a bit better for a few reasons. Firstly the Jaguar is always going to be an essential animal, much in the way of the Polar Bear or Red Kangaroo, but unlike them I find it fits into my builds more readily as I more often build Amazonian/Central/South American areas than I do Outback or Arctic areas. The Giant Anteater to this day remains one of my favourite DLC species with little to compare to it in terms of build and behaviour. The capuchin has carried the NW primates on its back for too long until the Saki arrived and, even if I wanted it to be a Tufted, the species chosen is still fine. The llama was a disappointment at the time, given how few wild SA species we had. But it’s grown on me with the addition of morphs and the inclusion of other SA species to the game. I use it quite a lot and the addition of Barnyard and now the Rhea make it even more versatile.
15. Americas Animal Pack
Again, controversial? The lowest rated animal pack is the newest. I haven’t had much chance to use it and while on paper, it has some of my most requested species, it feels a bit glass half empty. I think it was so highly anticipated that to finally get some SA animals but only four and then have the NA clones bolster it out feels a bit underwhelming, and not only that I feel the Americas animal pack fails at its main job - to add completion to both North and South America by missing the most iconic animals that were still missing ABB, Coati, Mara, Musk Ox? I feel a bit guilty putting this pack so low down because for me the saki was my most wanted NW monkey, so this is a big win for the pack, the rhea was also on of my top wishlisted animals so very happy it was also added (although the model issues drop it a few points). The ocelot for me was a shoe-in for any SA pack and the bush dog was one I was unsure of but did want. So to have all four is very nice. But the other three drop the pack considerably for me. Firstly, the idea of not making this a full central/south America pack already makes me a bit disappointed but to then fill those other spots with rather obscure NA choices makes it taste that bit more bitter. An ABB, Elk and Musk Ox for example would’ve felt much better than the Coyote, Bighorn Sheep (which looks stunning btw) and American Flamingo (I’d have quite liked a Chilean personally). Final comment it on the scenery too, very little versatility and probably won’t use much at all.
14. Tropical Pack
I feel bad putting this pack this low because I like it very much. On paper it is right up my street - I really wanted a RRH and a Lar Gibbon and the Fossa is another great choice. But even on release something didn’t click for me with this pack. Maybe that it wasn’t an animal pack given the theme ‘Tropical’ has so many possibilities? This is slightly compounded I think by the fact one of the habitat animals is largely a clone (lizard). I guess this pack is lacking the ‘star’ of the show and is just a nice mix of decent animals - the gibbon probably would have felt more like this if we didn’t already have the siamang. However, their quality is fantastic and some of the best in the game but there’s just something missing. For the scenery it’s decent again but not anything groundbreaking. And the sloth was a bit of a let down for me more so because of the species choice than the mechanics of it.
13. Twilight Pack
A pack that I wasn’t very excited by on release but has grown on me since. Firstly, whilst I’m not particularly in love with the Halloween themed scenery, the wall set and historical European pieces are lovely. I also really enjoy the bats and find they really mix up building if you can get creative. For the habitat animals they’re nothing too special but I enjoy building smaller filler pens for the raccoons and skunks as is fairly common here in Europe. The fox occasionally finds use in native sections or rescue centres and the morphs are cool. The wombat though is another animal I rarely if ever use (tbf I’d have liked a Southern Hairy-Nosed!).
12. North American Animal Pack
Another one I feel a bit guilty putting this low but I think it’s just personal preference. North American species aren’t too common in European zoos so I don’t tend to use these animals as much. I do however think this pack is one of the best at representing the continent it is from. Many of the big hitters are present and done well. The Cougar and Moose are essential with the latter being fairly unique in the roster. The California Sea Lion is also one of the most unique species to build for in the game and really elevates the pack. The rest of the species are decent too but nothing too exciting. I rarely use the alligator but it deserves a spot in the pack, the prairie dogs are a nice alternative to meerkats when building and the beaver is a fairly iconic animal (although again, as a European is quite like a Eurasian Beaver). The Arctic Fox is a bit forgettable and really should’ve been in the Arctic pack which could’ve freed up a spot for the ABB or something. This pack does have one of the more boring exhibit species too imo. However, if I was from NA I think I’d be rating this pack much higher.
11. Eurasia
When I was deciding this ranking this was difficult for me as I felt it should be higher but couldn’t justify it as the roster simply doesn’t include that many big hitters for me. Firstly I will say, this pack is the pinnacle of quality for the DLCs in this game, with the Sloth Bear perhaps being the best made animal in the game, it’s never quite been the same since. But I must admit none of the animals in this pack were very high on my wishlist at all. In saying that, now we have them several do see a reasonable amount of use from me. The mute swan was a lovely surprise addition that I now put in most parks as a filler animal, the wisent is also a fun addition for native areas and looks superb. The takin, wolverine and boar - while less used - also see limited use and imo deserve a spot in the game. Now for me personally, the sloth bear was probably the least essential bear to include in the game but I can respect it is here now, and as I said looks amazing. The saiga is a bizarre choice that I never use and would’ve rathered was a blackbuck but it’s almost such an oddball choice I kind of respect it.
10. Europe Pack
This pack has slipped slightly over time but still holds well for me. Wasn’t too excited by the lineup on release but it quickly grew on me. The scenery is brilliant for my style of building and the Eurasian Lynx was high on my wishlist. Surprisingly for me the Fallow Deer has become a stand out of the pack and sees use in most of my zoos. The Ibex and Badger on the other hand I rarely use but I don’t dislike them.
9. Africa Pack
Eighth feels low for this pack but I think now this is just a consequence of having so many packs, 9 is still a good rank for a pack that historically would’ve been top 3 for me. All for animals are essential for me and this is perhaps one of two packs in the game for me where I wouldn’t change the habitat roster in any way. The White Rhino and Meerkat should’ve been base game and both see regular use in my builds. The African Penguin filled the need for the small common penguin in the game that required either the African or the Humboldt to be added. And the fennec fox is such a quiet and unique species that the game wouldn’t be the same without it. Only two qualms are the scenery (really just feels like an extension of base game items) and the exhibit animal choice being a rather boring one.
8. Conservation Pack
The other pack I wouldn’t change the habitat roster in. At the time of release this was my favourite pack but has since slipped a bit as new packs released. The scenery was groundbreaking at the time when he had little in the way of realistic building items and foliage and I still use a lot of it. And the four habitat species are all ones I wanted for a long time. All still see regular use in my zoos except maybe the siamang which has been usurped somewhat by the Lar gibbon. I’m also a big fan on the Axolotl.
7. Southeast Asia Animal Pack
Controversially too high? From seeing other people’s rankings this pack often seems to rank quite low but for me it’s probably the pack from the older releases that has aged best. Sure, on release the quality wasn’t the best but many of these are now fixed, especially appreciate they finally fixed the tapir! But for me the Malayan Tapir, Babirusa, Sun Bear, Binturong and Clouded Leopard are all animals I really wanted and use often in Southeast Asian sections, now also having great interspecies options with species from other packs/the Base Game like the ASCO, Lar Gibbon and Orangutan. The dhole I use more than I thought I would too, it’s just the proboscis monkey that I never use. Feels like it kind of sniped a spot from a much more versatile primate, especially when primates are so few and far between in this game. Leaf Insect may win away for worst DLC exhibit animal though.
6. Wetlands Animal Pack
This pack contains perhaps the two most vital DLC animals for me personally, at least the two that were most necessary at the time this pack released - the ASCO and the Capybara. They carry this pack heavily as the rest of the roster is a rather bizarre bag. For me, this roster is perhaps the biggest ‘mess’ from all the DLCs as it’s a bit all over the place but all the animals look great and I find use for most of them. Firstly, the platypus. I was surprised it was added and rarely use it but am glad it is in the game and this is a good pack to add it. The crane is also a nice surprise addition which even still hasn’t really got any alternative to it in the game. Then we get to the misfit four that feels a bit like Frontier was pulling animals out of a hat - the Nile Lechwe - an extremely obscure antelope species that nobody asked for. However, I really like it and use it regularly. Perhaps a waterbuck would’ve been the sensible option but I do like this pick. Then we go to the Spectacled Caiman - essentially a clone of the dwarf caiman but slightly largely. But again, I really like it and it is my go to crocodilian. If anything, this should have been the species included in Aquatic over the Cuvier’s. Then we got a WILD water buffalo, with zero captive presence this was a bold choice but the model is fantastic and it’s easy enough to pretend it is a domestic WB. I enjoy mixing it with the Asian Elephants and Rhinos. Just wish we had some blackbuck or nilgai or something to go with it. And lastly, some obscure newt from the Danube. Again, wouldn’t have chosen this myself and aware of the issues with it not having dimorphism but it’s fine. So overall, a pack that is all over the place but adds a lot of value to the game imo.
5. (NEW) Asia Animal Pack
This pack is a subtle pack on the surface without any immediate ‘wow’ factor imo. But when it came down to where to rank it, I realised how much about it I like. It has finally enabled us to make detailed India sections in our zoos. Firstly, I am very pleased we got both the Nilgai and Blackbuck. They are great filler species and compliment each other as well as other Indian hoof stock we have such as the Indian Elephant, Indian Rhino and Wild Water Buffalo. I anticipated the Blackbuck but felt the Nilgai was out when we learnt this wasn’t an India pack. Its inclusion is a lovely surprise!
Then there are another two animals in this pack which I am very fond of, one which I felt was shoe in, the other I felt would likely never make it into the game. The former is the Lion-Tailed Macaque - more primates are always welcome and this is both an iconic and common one for zoos. An Indian monkey is great to have now too. The latter animal is the Père David’s Deer. Has been on my wishlist for a long time but assumed it was too niche to be added one day. I was wrong and it’s great to have a Chinese deer and one with such important Conservation history. The successor to the Scimitar Oryx as our only EW species.
Looking at our other animals, I feel the honey badger, whilst not a personal necessity for me, deserves to be in the game and so I am content with it. The raccoon dog was another animal I quietly wanted, although would have preferred the mainland species. I understand why the Japanese species was chosen though given the importance it has in Japanese culture and general pop culture (Super Mario, Animal Crossing etc.)
Then on to the two downsides of the pack (which aren’t big enough to send it too far down the order but still are notable). First, the scenery. A third celebration set in a row feels a bit of a dud and like the Americas pack, this is quite niche with only a few versatile pieces. Second is the elephant in the room, literally. The Bornean Pygmy Elephant is, in my opinion, the most bizarre animal inclusion in the entire game - more than the Himalayan Brown Bear, more than the Wild Water Buffalo, more than the Nile Lechwe, the Arctic Wolf, the Asian Water Monitor, the Dama Gazelle, even the Coyote. The model is nice and I’ll probably actually use it more than some of the other animals I just listed, but it is very odd nonetheless. Firstly, it wasn’t requested at all as far as the general community is concerned. Second, if it serves as a reskin/upgrade to the Asian elephant, this was arguably one of the least poorly modelled base game animals and thus least in need of a reskin. Third, it’s not like Asia had a shortage of choices for animals to choose from. Wanted to give us a large animal - Gaur! Banteng! Lowland Anoa! Heck, give us one of the other Asian rhinos. Wanted to give us an easy clone? What about one that has actually been requested, is common in zoos and would provide a great update from a poor base game model like the Asiatic Lion? Sumatran Tiger? Sumatran Orangutan? Green Peafowl? Or just give us another fairly easy request Asian species - Fishing Cat? Javan Langur? Pheasant? Waterfowl?
Fourth - it’s not common in captivity at all. Fifth - it may not even be a valid subspecies and is widely known for likely being an introduced feral population from Borneo’s emperors.
I’m just not entirely sure what single point of justification the elephant had for inclusion. What was the basis?!
Either way. It’s still a solid pack now in my top five just on the other animals alone and the opportunities they open for building new areas!
4. Zookeepers Animal Pack
I feel I should like this pack more than I do but there’s just something about it. Maybe it was the long wait meaning nothing would satiate the anticipation and ideas I had in my head. But it is a good lineup, especially as it wasn’t the last pack. The quality isn’t quite the same as the packs before it and it’s noticeable (Pallas’ Cat, Sifaka animations, Markhor face etc.) but it still has a good roster of highly requested animals. For me, the Pallas’ Cat was one of my most wanted species, the Spurred Tortoise and the Dik-Dik were also animals quietly on my wishlist radar that I’m glad we got and both look good. I appreciate the baboon as another primate even if it wouldn’t have been my first choice of monkey and I think both the Markhor and Spectacled Bear deserved inclusion as ZT legacy species and animals well requested by the community. The Sifaka is probably my main gripe - I think it’s a bit like the spider monkey - if you can’t do it justice in animation - choose another animal. I’d have loved an Aye-Aye even if we had to get a fourth lemur but a Howler could’ve been good too, or a coati given they had to create whole new animations anyway for the sifaka. Lastly the scenery is decent too.
3. Barnyard Animal Pack
When this pack released I’d have never thought it’d be this high up. I was rather underwhelmed. But I find it adds so much to the game in terms of allowing us to make petting areas and farms. The scenery is good and even animals from other packs can find use like the llama. Sure, some of the breeds wouldn’t be my first choices like for the goat, but I can look past this and you can play around with the morphs of several breeds like the goats and the donkeys to create a proper barnyard/petting zoo feel with different looking animals.
2. Arid Animal Pack
This is gonna make people think I’m crazy but I love this pack. Firstly, the quality is superb. The animals in this pack are some of the best in the game from the porcupine to the camel to the wild ass and more. But the main issue I see most have with his lack is that it is too narrow a scope focussing on just North Africa. But if you ignore the name and take it for what it essentially is - a North African Animal Pack - I think it does its job as an animal pack perhaps better than any other animal pack. I sort of see it like traditional four animal packs should introduce a theme and the ABC animals of a continent like the Australia or South America or Arctic packs do. But Animal Packs should be for found deeper and expanding on an area or ecoregion and this is what Arid does. It not only gives us the ABCs like the camel and the porcupine and the rhino. But it really allows us to create a really detailed/well fleshed out North African section with some of the less iconic but still fairly common in zoos species from this ecoregion like the addax, sand cat and dama gazelle. I almost wish more animal packs were like this. Being focussed on a smaller area/scope but giving us a really good palette of the animals from the area. Southeast Asia also does this well imo. It’s like if we got a ‘South Asia’ Animal Pack but it was just 7 animals from India. If those 7 animals made India feel really well represented and even gave variety for building for similar animals - I’d still like it. Anyway, case in point - Arid is great!
My only gripe is the snake is a bit of a dull choice
1. Grasslands
Hard to dethrone imo. It’s far from perfect but it does so many things well that it will take a lot to beat. Firstly, the butterflies - they are so unique to anything else in the game and bolster the DLC roster to twelve species. I include them in most zoos. Then onto the species. The maned Wolf was never an animal I was too desperate for unlike some others but it is lovely and I do like using it. The emu and red-necked wallaby were at last the two Oceanian species I ever wanted and I use all the time (finally I’m saying something positive about Oceanian animals! XD ). I also really like the caracal and it was another species I wanted.
The blue wildebeest is another superb looking animal and an iconic one at that for any savannah. The striped hyena wasn’t an animal I wanted too much either but deserves a spot in game. And, while I don’t particularly care for the armadillo, it does look fantastic and is a unique animal. As I said, it’s not a perfect pack - if I was making it I’d probably swap the nine-banded armadillo to a six-banded given they’re common on both sides of the Atlantic and the nine isn’t. I’d also probably swap the wildebeest to a common eland and put the caracal in Arid over the sand cat and then put the serval in grasslands. But no pack will ever be perfect, I just appreciate that this pack brings a lot of great animals to the game!
20. Arctic Pack
The first pack still holds out as the weakest for me, just like many others. I appreciate the polar bear as an essential animal but rarely use it. The reindeer is good to have as well. But for me several things keep this pack last. The lack of an exhibit animal, the niche scenery (the wall set is nice but I find myself using it less and less as we get more pieces) and whilst the dall sheep was a surprising and enjoyable inclusion to the roster at the time, we’ve received so many good and similar caprids lately that it’s dropped right to the bottom (Markhor, Takin, Bighorn etc.). The Arctic Wolf is an animal I very much disliked on release and still don’t particularly like but has grown on me slightly. It still should have been an Arctic Fox.
19. Oceania Pack
This may be a surprise to some but simply for me this is a case of a decent pack, just one that does not do much at all for me personally. The scenery is nice but not particularly versatile, it’s also not particularly unique with similarities to several other sets like the Tropical and South American ones. But the animals are particularly where this pack falls down the list for me. As a European builder they rarely fit my builds and only the Tasmanian Devil occasionally will see use. The kiwi I can respect but never wanted personally, many other birds I’d have chosen first. And for me the quokka and little penguin simply get overlooked for the more iconic Oceanian species when building. In fact the latter may be my least favourite DLC animal as I simply have no interest in it. Lastly, I’m not a huge fan of the species choice for the bat and so tend to find I use the fruit bats from Twilight much more.
18. Australia Pack
At risk of repeating myself, this is another pack that doesn’t do too much for me. It was okay on release but the scenery is quite niche and rarely finds use from me. While the koala and kangaroo are essential for the game imo, the former is a buggy mess and the other I tend to overlook for the wallaby. The cassowary is a lovely animal (albeit one that I don’t use too often) but on release did feel like it sniped the emu. And the dingo for me is another animal that was really unnecessary at the time of release given how few marsupials we had. The skink is one of the better DLC exhibit species though.
17. Aquatic Pack
Controversial? For me this was never a particularly exciting pack as I simply wasn’t too interested in the rather niche species. I did enjoy the expansion into aquatic animals though as a direction for the game and the scenery in this pack is again, great. But like many I find this pack becomes less relevant as new packs release. The King Penguin has been supplanted by the African. The Grey Seal has been supplanted by the Sea Lion. The Dwarf Caiman has been supplanted by the Spectacled. For the Giant Otter, whilst again it feels it has been pushed aside by the ASCO, I can at least appreciate it as another South American/Amazonian species and therefore use it in those areas.
16. South America Pack
Another early pack down the list. This one falls short in similar places to the other early packs above. The scenery is very stylised and therefore doesn’t see much use and the animals vibe one slightly less relevant as new packs come out. But I think this one holds out a bit better for a few reasons. Firstly the Jaguar is always going to be an essential animal, much in the way of the Polar Bear or Red Kangaroo, but unlike them I find it fits into my builds more readily as I more often build Amazonian/Central/South American areas than I do Outback or Arctic areas. The Giant Anteater to this day remains one of my favourite DLC species with little to compare to it in terms of build and behaviour. The capuchin has carried the NW primates on its back for too long until the Saki arrived and, even if I wanted it to be a Tufted, the species chosen is still fine. The llama was a disappointment at the time, given how few wild SA species we had. But it’s grown on me with the addition of morphs and the inclusion of other SA species to the game. I use it quite a lot and the addition of Barnyard and now the Rhea make it even more versatile.
15. Americas Animal Pack
Again, controversial? The lowest rated animal pack is the newest. I haven’t had much chance to use it and while on paper, it has some of my most requested species, it feels a bit glass half empty. I think it was so highly anticipated that to finally get some SA animals but only four and then have the NA clones bolster it out feels a bit underwhelming, and not only that I feel the Americas animal pack fails at its main job - to add completion to both North and South America by missing the most iconic animals that were still missing ABB, Coati, Mara, Musk Ox? I feel a bit guilty putting this pack so low down because for me the saki was my most wanted NW monkey, so this is a big win for the pack, the rhea was also on of my top wishlisted animals so very happy it was also added (although the model issues drop it a few points). The ocelot for me was a shoe-in for any SA pack and the bush dog was one I was unsure of but did want. So to have all four is very nice. But the other three drop the pack considerably for me. Firstly, the idea of not making this a full central/south America pack already makes me a bit disappointed but to then fill those other spots with rather obscure NA choices makes it taste that bit more bitter. An ABB, Elk and Musk Ox for example would’ve felt much better than the Coyote, Bighorn Sheep (which looks stunning btw) and American Flamingo (I’d have quite liked a Chilean personally). Final comment it on the scenery too, very little versatility and probably won’t use much at all.
14. Tropical Pack
I feel bad putting this pack this low because I like it very much. On paper it is right up my street - I really wanted a RRH and a Lar Gibbon and the Fossa is another great choice. But even on release something didn’t click for me with this pack. Maybe that it wasn’t an animal pack given the theme ‘Tropical’ has so many possibilities? This is slightly compounded I think by the fact one of the habitat animals is largely a clone (lizard). I guess this pack is lacking the ‘star’ of the show and is just a nice mix of decent animals - the gibbon probably would have felt more like this if we didn’t already have the siamang. However, their quality is fantastic and some of the best in the game but there’s just something missing. For the scenery it’s decent again but not anything groundbreaking. And the sloth was a bit of a let down for me more so because of the species choice than the mechanics of it.
13. Twilight Pack
A pack that I wasn’t very excited by on release but has grown on me since. Firstly, whilst I’m not particularly in love with the Halloween themed scenery, the wall set and historical European pieces are lovely. I also really enjoy the bats and find they really mix up building if you can get creative. For the habitat animals they’re nothing too special but I enjoy building smaller filler pens for the raccoons and skunks as is fairly common here in Europe. The fox occasionally finds use in native sections or rescue centres and the morphs are cool. The wombat though is another animal I rarely if ever use (tbf I’d have liked a Southern Hairy-Nosed!).
12. North American Animal Pack
Another one I feel a bit guilty putting this low but I think it’s just personal preference. North American species aren’t too common in European zoos so I don’t tend to use these animals as much. I do however think this pack is one of the best at representing the continent it is from. Many of the big hitters are present and done well. The Cougar and Moose are essential with the latter being fairly unique in the roster. The California Sea Lion is also one of the most unique species to build for in the game and really elevates the pack. The rest of the species are decent too but nothing too exciting. I rarely use the alligator but it deserves a spot in the pack, the prairie dogs are a nice alternative to meerkats when building and the beaver is a fairly iconic animal (although again, as a European is quite like a Eurasian Beaver). The Arctic Fox is a bit forgettable and really should’ve been in the Arctic pack which could’ve freed up a spot for the ABB or something. This pack does have one of the more boring exhibit species too imo. However, if I was from NA I think I’d be rating this pack much higher.
11. Eurasia
When I was deciding this ranking this was difficult for me as I felt it should be higher but couldn’t justify it as the roster simply doesn’t include that many big hitters for me. Firstly I will say, this pack is the pinnacle of quality for the DLCs in this game, with the Sloth Bear perhaps being the best made animal in the game, it’s never quite been the same since. But I must admit none of the animals in this pack were very high on my wishlist at all. In saying that, now we have them several do see a reasonable amount of use from me. The mute swan was a lovely surprise addition that I now put in most parks as a filler animal, the wisent is also a fun addition for native areas and looks superb. The takin, wolverine and boar - while less used - also see limited use and imo deserve a spot in the game. Now for me personally, the sloth bear was probably the least essential bear to include in the game but I can respect it is here now, and as I said looks amazing. The saiga is a bizarre choice that I never use and would’ve rathered was a blackbuck but it’s almost such an oddball choice I kind of respect it.
10. Europe Pack
This pack has slipped slightly over time but still holds well for me. Wasn’t too excited by the lineup on release but it quickly grew on me. The scenery is brilliant for my style of building and the Eurasian Lynx was high on my wishlist. Surprisingly for me the Fallow Deer has become a stand out of the pack and sees use in most of my zoos. The Ibex and Badger on the other hand I rarely use but I don’t dislike them.
9. Africa Pack
Eighth feels low for this pack but I think now this is just a consequence of having so many packs, 9 is still a good rank for a pack that historically would’ve been top 3 for me. All for animals are essential for me and this is perhaps one of two packs in the game for me where I wouldn’t change the habitat roster in any way. The White Rhino and Meerkat should’ve been base game and both see regular use in my builds. The African Penguin filled the need for the small common penguin in the game that required either the African or the Humboldt to be added. And the fennec fox is such a quiet and unique species that the game wouldn’t be the same without it. Only two qualms are the scenery (really just feels like an extension of base game items) and the exhibit animal choice being a rather boring one.
8. Conservation Pack
The other pack I wouldn’t change the habitat roster in. At the time of release this was my favourite pack but has since slipped a bit as new packs released. The scenery was groundbreaking at the time when he had little in the way of realistic building items and foliage and I still use a lot of it. And the four habitat species are all ones I wanted for a long time. All still see regular use in my zoos except maybe the siamang which has been usurped somewhat by the Lar gibbon. I’m also a big fan on the Axolotl.
7. Southeast Asia Animal Pack
Controversially too high? From seeing other people’s rankings this pack often seems to rank quite low but for me it’s probably the pack from the older releases that has aged best. Sure, on release the quality wasn’t the best but many of these are now fixed, especially appreciate they finally fixed the tapir! But for me the Malayan Tapir, Babirusa, Sun Bear, Binturong and Clouded Leopard are all animals I really wanted and use often in Southeast Asian sections, now also having great interspecies options with species from other packs/the Base Game like the ASCO, Lar Gibbon and Orangutan. The dhole I use more than I thought I would too, it’s just the proboscis monkey that I never use. Feels like it kind of sniped a spot from a much more versatile primate, especially when primates are so few and far between in this game. Leaf Insect may win away for worst DLC exhibit animal though.
6. Wetlands Animal Pack
This pack contains perhaps the two most vital DLC animals for me personally, at least the two that were most necessary at the time this pack released - the ASCO and the Capybara. They carry this pack heavily as the rest of the roster is a rather bizarre bag. For me, this roster is perhaps the biggest ‘mess’ from all the DLCs as it’s a bit all over the place but all the animals look great and I find use for most of them. Firstly, the platypus. I was surprised it was added and rarely use it but am glad it is in the game and this is a good pack to add it. The crane is also a nice surprise addition which even still hasn’t really got any alternative to it in the game. Then we get to the misfit four that feels a bit like Frontier was pulling animals out of a hat - the Nile Lechwe - an extremely obscure antelope species that nobody asked for. However, I really like it and use it regularly. Perhaps a waterbuck would’ve been the sensible option but I do like this pick. Then we go to the Spectacled Caiman - essentially a clone of the dwarf caiman but slightly largely. But again, I really like it and it is my go to crocodilian. If anything, this should have been the species included in Aquatic over the Cuvier’s. Then we got a WILD water buffalo, with zero captive presence this was a bold choice but the model is fantastic and it’s easy enough to pretend it is a domestic WB. I enjoy mixing it with the Asian Elephants and Rhinos. Just wish we had some blackbuck or nilgai or something to go with it. And lastly, some obscure newt from the Danube. Again, wouldn’t have chosen this myself and aware of the issues with it not having dimorphism but it’s fine. So overall, a pack that is all over the place but adds a lot of value to the game imo.
5. (NEW) Asia Animal Pack
This pack is a subtle pack on the surface without any immediate ‘wow’ factor imo. But when it came down to where to rank it, I realised how much about it I like. It has finally enabled us to make detailed India sections in our zoos. Firstly, I am very pleased we got both the Nilgai and Blackbuck. They are great filler species and compliment each other as well as other Indian hoof stock we have such as the Indian Elephant, Indian Rhino and Wild Water Buffalo. I anticipated the Blackbuck but felt the Nilgai was out when we learnt this wasn’t an India pack. Its inclusion is a lovely surprise!
Then there are another two animals in this pack which I am very fond of, one which I felt was shoe in, the other I felt would likely never make it into the game. The former is the Lion-Tailed Macaque - more primates are always welcome and this is both an iconic and common one for zoos. An Indian monkey is great to have now too. The latter animal is the Père David’s Deer. Has been on my wishlist for a long time but assumed it was too niche to be added one day. I was wrong and it’s great to have a Chinese deer and one with such important Conservation history. The successor to the Scimitar Oryx as our only EW species.
Looking at our other animals, I feel the honey badger, whilst not a personal necessity for me, deserves to be in the game and so I am content with it. The raccoon dog was another animal I quietly wanted, although would have preferred the mainland species. I understand why the Japanese species was chosen though given the importance it has in Japanese culture and general pop culture (Super Mario, Animal Crossing etc.)
Then on to the two downsides of the pack (which aren’t big enough to send it too far down the order but still are notable). First, the scenery. A third celebration set in a row feels a bit of a dud and like the Americas pack, this is quite niche with only a few versatile pieces. Second is the elephant in the room, literally. The Bornean Pygmy Elephant is, in my opinion, the most bizarre animal inclusion in the entire game - more than the Himalayan Brown Bear, more than the Wild Water Buffalo, more than the Nile Lechwe, the Arctic Wolf, the Asian Water Monitor, the Dama Gazelle, even the Coyote. The model is nice and I’ll probably actually use it more than some of the other animals I just listed, but it is very odd nonetheless. Firstly, it wasn’t requested at all as far as the general community is concerned. Second, if it serves as a reskin/upgrade to the Asian elephant, this was arguably one of the least poorly modelled base game animals and thus least in need of a reskin. Third, it’s not like Asia had a shortage of choices for animals to choose from. Wanted to give us a large animal - Gaur! Banteng! Lowland Anoa! Heck, give us one of the other Asian rhinos. Wanted to give us an easy clone? What about one that has actually been requested, is common in zoos and would provide a great update from a poor base game model like the Asiatic Lion? Sumatran Tiger? Sumatran Orangutan? Green Peafowl? Or just give us another fairly easy request Asian species - Fishing Cat? Javan Langur? Pheasant? Waterfowl?
Fourth - it’s not common in captivity at all. Fifth - it may not even be a valid subspecies and is widely known for likely being an introduced feral population from Borneo’s emperors.
I’m just not entirely sure what single point of justification the elephant had for inclusion. What was the basis?!
Either way. It’s still a solid pack now in my top five just on the other animals alone and the opportunities they open for building new areas!
4. Zookeepers Animal Pack
I feel I should like this pack more than I do but there’s just something about it. Maybe it was the long wait meaning nothing would satiate the anticipation and ideas I had in my head. But it is a good lineup, especially as it wasn’t the last pack. The quality isn’t quite the same as the packs before it and it’s noticeable (Pallas’ Cat, Sifaka animations, Markhor face etc.) but it still has a good roster of highly requested animals. For me, the Pallas’ Cat was one of my most wanted species, the Spurred Tortoise and the Dik-Dik were also animals quietly on my wishlist radar that I’m glad we got and both look good. I appreciate the baboon as another primate even if it wouldn’t have been my first choice of monkey and I think both the Markhor and Spectacled Bear deserved inclusion as ZT legacy species and animals well requested by the community. The Sifaka is probably my main gripe - I think it’s a bit like the spider monkey - if you can’t do it justice in animation - choose another animal. I’d have loved an Aye-Aye even if we had to get a fourth lemur but a Howler could’ve been good too, or a coati given they had to create whole new animations anyway for the sifaka. Lastly the scenery is decent too.
3. Barnyard Animal Pack
When this pack released I’d have never thought it’d be this high up. I was rather underwhelmed. But I find it adds so much to the game in terms of allowing us to make petting areas and farms. The scenery is good and even animals from other packs can find use like the llama. Sure, some of the breeds wouldn’t be my first choices like for the goat, but I can look past this and you can play around with the morphs of several breeds like the goats and the donkeys to create a proper barnyard/petting zoo feel with different looking animals.
2. Arid Animal Pack
This is gonna make people think I’m crazy but I love this pack. Firstly, the quality is superb. The animals in this pack are some of the best in the game from the porcupine to the camel to the wild ass and more. But the main issue I see most have with his lack is that it is too narrow a scope focussing on just North Africa. But if you ignore the name and take it for what it essentially is - a North African Animal Pack - I think it does its job as an animal pack perhaps better than any other animal pack. I sort of see it like traditional four animal packs should introduce a theme and the ABC animals of a continent like the Australia or South America or Arctic packs do. But Animal Packs should be for found deeper and expanding on an area or ecoregion and this is what Arid does. It not only gives us the ABCs like the camel and the porcupine and the rhino. But it really allows us to create a really detailed/well fleshed out North African section with some of the less iconic but still fairly common in zoos species from this ecoregion like the addax, sand cat and dama gazelle. I almost wish more animal packs were like this. Being focussed on a smaller area/scope but giving us a really good palette of the animals from the area. Southeast Asia also does this well imo. It’s like if we got a ‘South Asia’ Animal Pack but it was just 7 animals from India. If those 7 animals made India feel really well represented and even gave variety for building for similar animals - I’d still like it. Anyway, case in point - Arid is great!
My only gripe is the snake is a bit of a dull choice
1. Grasslands
Hard to dethrone imo. It’s far from perfect but it does so many things well that it will take a lot to beat. Firstly, the butterflies - they are so unique to anything else in the game and bolster the DLC roster to twelve species. I include them in most zoos. Then onto the species. The maned Wolf was never an animal I was too desperate for unlike some others but it is lovely and I do like using it. The emu and red-necked wallaby were at last the two Oceanian species I ever wanted and I use all the time (finally I’m saying something positive about Oceanian animals! XD ). I also really like the caracal and it was another species I wanted.
The blue wildebeest is another superb looking animal and an iconic one at that for any savannah. The striped hyena wasn’t an animal I wanted too much either but deserves a spot in game. And, while I don’t particularly care for the armadillo, it does look fantastic and is a unique animal. As I said, it’s not a perfect pack - if I was making it I’d probably swap the nine-banded armadillo to a six-banded given they’re common on both sides of the Atlantic and the nine isn’t. I’d also probably swap the wildebeest to a common eland and put the caracal in Arid over the sand cat and then put the serval in grasslands. But no pack will ever be perfect, I just appreciate that this pack brings a lot of great animals to the game!
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My rankings
How dare you say that about my boy, look at him he never did anything wrongMy only gripe is the snake is a bit of a dull choice
Honestly I used to be in the same boat with you but now I think it is my favorite snake.
I can't believe i've never done this lol
Now i have 19 packs to go through
Well, i'll try it later.
Now i have 19 packs to go through
Well, i'll try it later.
Looks good and is a very cool species but is boring. Doesn't even hide in the sand which is it's signature move. And it was the perfect time to get a cobra so it has that going on against it as well.
I think the problem is that we already had 2 desert vipers. Meanwhile we still lack even a single python.
So don't get me wrong, it isn't perfect, I would have much rather got a Gabon Viper or Cobra, but I feel that the fact that this Viper is probably the only good looking snake makes it overshadowed the other ones, with that said I can see where you lot are coming from
The viper, eastern brow and maybe, just maybe the anaconda are really the only ones id feel comfortable using in my zoo. The other ones quite frankly look horrendous and are far and away the most inaccurately depicted animals in the game. The rattlesnake is missing its banded tail for crying out loud, and its a perfect example how little attention was paid to how these species actually look in real life. Its like missing it on a raccoon or ringtailed lemur
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Oh it probably is the best snake in the game ngl. I just don’t know whether the desert horned viper was the snake we needed for our sole DLC snake. Where’s my Emerald Tree Boa!
I want both
This time i will be faster cuz there's only two packs to rank and i don't have anything new to say about the rest
20.deluxe
19.SEA
18.arctic
17.twilight
16. Americas - what a bad model and two bad choices can make to a pack rating huh? If this pack had a coati instead of a coyote and any other ungulate that wasn't the bighorn or a camelid this would be a top 5 pack. And if the rhea had a decent model i might even consider buy it, but currently i don't think i will.
Shame, considering the Saki and bush dog are very cool.
15.tropical
14.Arid
13. Conservation
12. Zookeeper - i don't actually have anything to say about this pack, it's just ok.
11.Africa
10.Eurasia
9.Oceania
8.Aquatic
7.Australia
6.Europe
5.Barnyard
4.South America
3.Wetlands
2.Grasslands
1.North America
Shorter this time, but i think i said how i feel about each pack. here the ratings:
deluxe: 1.0
SEA: 2.8
arctic: 3.0
twilight: 3.5
Americas: 4.0
tropical: 5.0
Arid: 5.0
conservation: 5.5
Zookeeper: 6.5
Africa: 7.0
Eurasia: 7.0
Oceania: 7.0
Aquatic: 7.5
Australia: 7.5
Europe: 8.5
Barnyard: 8.8
South America: 9.0
wetlands:9.5
grassland: 9.5
North America: 10
SEA: 2.8
arctic: 3.0
twilight: 3.5
Americas: 4.0
tropical: 5.0
Arid: 5.0
conservation: 5.5
Zookeeper: 6.5
Africa: 7.0
Eurasia: 7.0
Oceania: 7.0
Aquatic: 7.5
Australia: 7.5
Europe: 8.5
Barnyard: 8.8
South America: 9.0
wetlands:9.5
grassland: 9.5
North America: 10
Updating mine from 2 years ago:
Colors
Top Tier
Solid Pack
Mixed Reaction
Not Great
Avoid Like the Plague
1. North America 9.5 - still the GOAT. Amazing animals. The only blemish is including the Arctic Fox, which really should have been in the Arctic DLC. Change it out for a Turkey, Elk or Black Bear and this would be a perfect 10.
2. Grasslands 9.0 - Great animal roster. Very few complaints
3. Conservation 9.0 - Love most of the animals here. Scenery was okay, but the flowers are worth a high rating by themselves.
4. Europe 8.5 - I surprised myself with how high I rate this, but all of the animals except the badger have become among my most used.
5. Africa 7.5 - Rhino is the only animal I use a lot, but I love it. Also, the plaster walls are a must-have.
6. Arid 7.5 - After letting this marinate a bit, and seeing the "left out" animals also failed to make it into later packs, I find the animal choices better and better. I still think they should have included a couple other animals from other continents to give it a more rounded feel.
7. South America 7.0 - Worth it if nothing else for the Jaguar and foliage.
8. Arctic 7.0 - Polar Bear space requirements are still tough to implement, but it's an iconic animal...and for some reason the Reindeer is oddly compelling. I've also grown fond of the build set. This one moved up the most spots from my previous ranking(#12).
9. Zookeepers 7.0 - A solid roster that could have been better. Markhor is one of my faves. Scenery pieces being worthless for me is a downer.
10. Americas 6.5 - A bit surprising this snuck in the top 10 for me. The roster is sneakily better than many though initially, even with certain underwhelming choices. That, along with the scenery pieces being worthless(again) prevents it from being higher than it really should be.
11. Wetlands 6.5 - This used to be much higher, but I find myself using the animals less and less. Still a good pack with a solid, diverse roster.
12. Barnyard 6.5 - Not the best animal selection. But I will give props for implementing the oft-requested "petting zoo".
13. Eurasia 6.0 - Decent animal selection, but I cannot avoid the Elephant(okay the sloth bear) in the room. Completely out of theme.
14. Oceania 5.5 - Mixed reaction on both animals and scenery. It's an okay pack.
15. Tropical 5.5 - Red River Hog and Fossa are great choices. Sloth is solid and don't care one bit that it's "the wrong one". Build set isn't for me.
16. Aquatic 5.0 - Giant Otter and the occasional Penguin are my only uses from this pack. But I love the path and the faux rocks
17. Australia 5.0 - Kangaroo and Cassowary are solid. Don't care much for anything else. Scenery is cool, but super niche.
18. South East Asia 5.0 - Very sad that the bugs in the Clouded Leopard really make it tough to use...which is a shame because it's the most appealing animal in the pack imo.
19. Deluxe 4.0 - All 3 animals are great and iconic. But at only 3 animals it's tough to warrant the purchase.
20. Twilight 3.0 - Red Fox and a couple of the dead tree pieces are the only parts of this pack that have any use for me. This would be the only DLC I wouldn't buy even on sale.
Colors
Top Tier
Solid Pack
Mixed Reaction
Not Great
Avoid Like the Plague
1. North America 9.5 - still the GOAT. Amazing animals. The only blemish is including the Arctic Fox, which really should have been in the Arctic DLC. Change it out for a Turkey, Elk or Black Bear and this would be a perfect 10.
2. Grasslands 9.0 - Great animal roster. Very few complaints
3. Conservation 9.0 - Love most of the animals here. Scenery was okay, but the flowers are worth a high rating by themselves.
4. Europe 8.5 - I surprised myself with how high I rate this, but all of the animals except the badger have become among my most used.
5. Africa 7.5 - Rhino is the only animal I use a lot, but I love it. Also, the plaster walls are a must-have.
6. Arid 7.5 - After letting this marinate a bit, and seeing the "left out" animals also failed to make it into later packs, I find the animal choices better and better. I still think they should have included a couple other animals from other continents to give it a more rounded feel.
7. South America 7.0 - Worth it if nothing else for the Jaguar and foliage.
8. Arctic 7.0 - Polar Bear space requirements are still tough to implement, but it's an iconic animal...and for some reason the Reindeer is oddly compelling. I've also grown fond of the build set. This one moved up the most spots from my previous ranking(#12).
9. Zookeepers 7.0 - A solid roster that could have been better. Markhor is one of my faves. Scenery pieces being worthless for me is a downer.
10. Americas 6.5 - A bit surprising this snuck in the top 10 for me. The roster is sneakily better than many though initially, even with certain underwhelming choices. That, along with the scenery pieces being worthless(again) prevents it from being higher than it really should be.
11. Wetlands 6.5 - This used to be much higher, but I find myself using the animals less and less. Still a good pack with a solid, diverse roster.
12. Barnyard 6.5 - Not the best animal selection. But I will give props for implementing the oft-requested "petting zoo".
13. Eurasia 6.0 - Decent animal selection, but I cannot avoid the Elephant(okay the sloth bear) in the room. Completely out of theme.
14. Oceania 5.5 - Mixed reaction on both animals and scenery. It's an okay pack.
15. Tropical 5.5 - Red River Hog and Fossa are great choices. Sloth is solid and don't care one bit that it's "the wrong one". Build set isn't for me.
16. Aquatic 5.0 - Giant Otter and the occasional Penguin are my only uses from this pack. But I love the path and the faux rocks
17. Australia 5.0 - Kangaroo and Cassowary are solid. Don't care much for anything else. Scenery is cool, but super niche.
18. South East Asia 5.0 - Very sad that the bugs in the Clouded Leopard really make it tough to use...which is a shame because it's the most appealing animal in the pack imo.
19. Deluxe 4.0 - All 3 animals are great and iconic. But at only 3 animals it's tough to warrant the purchase.
20. Twilight 3.0 - Red Fox and a couple of the dead tree pieces are the only parts of this pack that have any use for me. This would be the only DLC I wouldn't buy even on sale.
I might do a total overhaul of this list with my new feelings once we finally get the "final pack" for realsies, but for now the Americas Animal Pack would probably go at #13 for me, above SEA and below Europe. Not so good in the grand scheme of things, but it's not bad (but that's also coming from someone who doesn't straight up dislike any of the DLCs, Arctic and Arid are the closest I'd consider to being "bad" and even with those I still feel like I'm getting my money's worth).
Americas is the epitome of a hit or miss pack in every way for me. To get the bad of the way, it is lacking in diversity but only in parts, three of one group (in this case carnivorans) isn't usually too much of an issue for me provided that A. they're good picks, and B. the rest of the pack has the diversity to make up for it (eg. not the one non-ungulate/non-carnivoran approach that Arid, Barnyard, Eurasia, and SEA all had). This pack only really clears B for me. Canids are one of my favorite groups of animals, but even I think that two in one pack is insane - especially when neither of these are anywhere close to what I'd call essential. The ocelot is a better pick, but the game is very well off cat wise already (and getting three in a row doesn't help things). These three are picks that I do enjoy from a personal perspective and can't totally be mad at, but I'd be lying if I said I thought they were great or even good. Oh yeah, and there's also the bighorn. Thanks for holding back with one bovid this time around Frontier, but I really can't get excited for yet another caprid. Aside from some wonderful metal pieces and benches that are few and far between, the scenery is also way too themed for my uses.
As for the good, we finally have another pack with two birds and another NW monkey (finally), though I'll admit the flamingo would have been much better suited as an anniversary animal, I'll still take almost any bird (even if it incredibly simple) over another carnivoran or ungulate. The rhea is... useable. One of my most wanted animals, but yeah the model just looks like a weird ostrich. Again, I'll still use it by need of a rhea at all though.
Edit: Oops, forgot about Zookeeper's, I'd put that at #12, below Tropical and above Europe (moving Americas down to #14). An okay-ish middle of the road pack, the baboon and tortoise are amazing, and the dik-dik is the first time I've enjoyed a bovid addition in a long while (finally an XS ungulate). Another bear isn't my favorite thing ever, but I'll take almost anything to add to non-tropical South America. The sifaka is alright, and the manul just doesn't really do anything for me - its region was very well represented already and certainly didn't need another cat... and certainly not another caprid either - the markhor is probably my least favorite addition of 2024. I'm sorry, but it fills the same niche as the takin while being less unique in every way. Overall, for what it gives, Zookeeper's is okay - nothing I'd call essential, but nothing overly awful either -, but this is pretty much "missed potential the pack". The name implies that any animal kept in zoos would fit here, and we get two bovids, two carnivorans, and not a single bird? I appreciate two primates and our annual reptile at least.
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Honestly it’s funny how the Americas pack is both absolutely essential for rounding out South America in my eyes, and is also not horribly exciting at the same time.
Personally I would put it at the middle of the road, two birds for South America (and the Caribbean getting something is huge) and a new world monkey make it a must have. However, the coyote and bighorn sheep really don’t do it for me. The bush dog and ocelot are useful and good representation, but I wasn’t exactly jumping for joy when I saw them.
Personally I would put it at the middle of the road, two birds for South America (and the Caribbean getting something is huge) and a new world monkey make it a must have. However, the coyote and bighorn sheep really don’t do it for me. The bush dog and ocelot are useful and good representation, but I wasn’t exactly jumping for joy when I saw them.
Yeah. And while I'm not super excited for the bighorn and coyote, I have to admit they perfectly complete both north america's deserts, and two previously empty niches - hot climate caprid (I did hope for the barbary sheep here), and a desert canine to match the "timber wolf's" cold climate focus.
Its literally one must have animal, one butcherd must have that i could continue using female ostriches for and 5 animals that are objectivly filler and hinge on subjectivity.
Personally i can see giving leeway to the ocelot and bushdog, in fact i do so for the ocelot myself, but big horn, coyote and flamingo all 3 are a mix of bottom of the barrel additions, not exciting and just why (i know why, they were easy but comeone is a squirrel monkey or another capuchin that much harder?)