Planet Coaster was really good, specifically on PS5, but it didn’t quite stir those fond memories of Theme Park like Park Beyond looks poised to. Due out 16th June on Sony’s new-gen system, here’s our first proper look at the gameplay systems – and how it’ll all work on a DualSense controller. And it looks good, even if we’re not totally sold on the style of the user interface.

At its core, the Theme Park comparisons are apt: you’ll place attractions, build pathways, and hire staff to maintain your venue. The management strategy seems to get really dense, though: you’ll need to think carefully about placement, demographics, and much more. In addition, there’s a creative aspect, as you’ll be able to design rides specifically to the tastes of your attendees.

All in all, we’re quite impressed with what’s on display here, we’re just concerned about how it’s going to feel on a controller. The early indications in this trailer are good – it looks like the developer’s done a decent job of mapping everything to the pad – but we’ll need to go hands on to come to any firm conclusions, because the realities could be fiddly and awkward.

Fortunately, we’ve not got to wait too long to find out.

[source youtube.com]