Park Beyond Hands-on | Dizzying Simulation, Dazzling Rides

Recently, I got to have a hands-on with Park Beyond, the upcoming theme park creation and simulation game from Limbic Entertainment.

Back in August last year, we got a chance to see a preview of Park Beyond, and based on what we saw, the game had a lot of promise. Of course, fans of games like Rollercoaster Tycoon are sure to be interested in this given that it’s a game in a similar vein. Though it also promises to bring its own twist to the genre in the form of “impossification” which is basically crazy, physics-defying rides that make it more fantastical.

As someone who isn’t into simulation games like these, the game’s preview still piqued my interest. Though I still had some reservations. While the developers did promise that the game is being made to be accessible to new players in the genre, there’s still a lot of complexity here that might make it daunting to jump into as a totally new player.

So, when I booted up the game’s closed beta build for this hands-on, I was a bit overwhelmed with all that it gives you to manage.

In Park Beyond, players take on the role of a new manager that is tasked with reversing the fortunes of an old theme park. Yes, while the game has a focus on fun “impossified” rides, managing the business of the theme park is a major part of the game, and one that has a lot of things to consider.

Aside from building new rides to attract more visitors, you are also tasked with designing most of the other elements of the theme park. While you can craft the park to your liking, you must do so in a way that satisfies visitors.

The game features different kinds of visitors. For instance, there are families who are more receptive to kid-friendly rides. Meanwhile, teenagers love more adrenaline-pumping rides. So choosing which rides to build in the park will depend on what type of visitors you want to attract. Not to mention that the other shops that you can build should also match the rides that you set up in your park.

While this is the core objective of the game, there are a lot more things to consider that will be way too long to list down here. In fact, I’d even have trouble naming everything that you can control in the game’s park management side.

Again, I don’t typically play simulation games, so there were times that I was overwhelmed with everything on my plate. Even if the game has a candy-colored style that makes it seem simple, there’s a lot of depth here. Thankfully, the game has some good tutorials that can guide you through the process of park building and management from the beginning. Though you’ll still need to put in effort in learning the game’s systems before you can build the park of your dreams.

Speaking of building, the game has a comprehensive ride-building system, and you can make various rides. Of course, the biggest draw here are the rollercoasters which you are free to design as you please.

I’ll admit, because I found the management side to be quite a lot to take in, coupled with the limited time I had with the game, I wasn’t able to explore the “impossification” elements as deeply as I could. Though from what I’ve tried, the game’s ride-building system should let players exercise their creativity well.

Though you’ll need to take note that it’s not ideal to just build the wildest rides throughout your park. After all, not all kinds of visitors will appreciate a vomit-inducing rollercoaster. So you’ll need to balance your “impossification” with the needs of the park’s visitors.

If what I said above based on my hands-on piqued your interest, Park Beyond is a game that you may want to check out. Again, while it’s decidedly heavy on the management elements, there’s a lot of fun to be had here even if you don’t typically play these kinds of games. Plus, if you love sim games with a dizzying array of options, you’ll likely be right at home with this game.

Park Beyond will be released on PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on June 16, 2023.