To be honest, initially I thought Endangered Animals was an add-on to Zoo Vet, an expansion pack adding more animals and more cases to the game. As I discovered, this is a stand-alone game, and could easily have been simply called Zoo Vet 2. However, while the basic formula remains untouched, there are a few new features in Endangered Animals that make it a little different.
The office remains the same: there’s a trophy cabinet where your maximum scores are recorded, the diplomas on the wall, and the zoo map, which tells you which animals are in need of treatment or care.
On your computer, you can do a number of activities or learn more about the animals and get help for the game. The memory, jigsaw puzzle and trivia games are back, with word search as the new addition. In the movies tab, you will be able to see some short clips of real animals. These are unlocked as you treat the animals and progress through the game.
A glossary of terms, another of tools, one of animals and a troubleshoot guide are features from the previous game, but this time you also have a list of professions that in some way can be related to the saving endangered animals issue. There are two other tabs, one with a history of veterinarians and another with what this occupation will mean for the future.
Treating the animals is still the same process of examining, using the right tools in the appropriate spots, asking the right questions and comparing data with what is on your PDA to do the correct diagnostic. Some scenarios are based on real endangerment problems, while others may seem a little silly at first, but then you read how something like hair loss, pneumonia and hypertension can seriously affect an animal.
You will be doing everything from taking temperatures to administering medication via IVs, even shaving a bear to be able to clean and sew a deep wound. From mundane things like applying eye drops or taking an x-ray to simple surgical procedures, it’s always an educational experience.
The care process takes you into a different view of a certain area of the zoo, showing the animals in their habitat. You can use the arrow keys to scroll up, down, left and right to look around. If an animal needs care, a certain type of icon will appear above it. If it’s a food bowl, you must pick the correct food for the type of animal out of a few options. If it’s a red cross, it’s a health issue, so you are given a description of the symptoms and must pick the correct medication.
You can also find a few collectibles when you look around your surroundings. The photo album on your desk will be slowly filled as you find Andrew’s lost photos throughout the zoo. Unfortunately, I experienced some random crashes and weird texture effects (sky and ground) during this exploration mode.
Endangered Animals actually has less animals to treat than the original Zoo Vet game, but now adds a few baby animals to the mix. Some species were already present in the previous game, while a few are new: panda, grizzly bear, otter, eagle, tiger.
I found it a bit odd to see certain species cohabiting with another in the “care” stages, like a crocodile with chimpanzees… somehow I keep imagining the crocodile chomping on the little guys.
Graphically, the game is a mixed bag. While some of the characters look good, one of the zoo technicians looks extremely odd. The same for the animals, usually they look fantastic during the treating sequences, but not so much in the care sequences.
I did enjoy the jungle-themed tunes and the voice acting, but I think we could have used more animal sounds throughout.
Overall, Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals is another educational game particularly aimed at those who love animals and aspire for a veterinarian profession. It offers more diverse activities than the original game, keeping the franchise fresh and interesting, and making it even better for newcomers to the vet sim genre.
Special thanks to Linda Meyers and Legacy Interactive for providing a copy of this title.