Image credit: Frontier Developments

If the Planet Zoo series has taught me anything it's that I'm rubbish at animals. Sure, I'm okay with the simple stuff - I do, you'll be relieved to hear, know the difference between an elephant and a flamingo - but the more exotic they get, the second we start dabbling in subspecies, the more clueless I am. That was one of the joys of the original Planet Zoo: a chance to discover a vibrant menagerie of unusual animals, all brought to wonderful life by developer Frontier's typically exquisite artistry. And after spending some early hours with Planet Zoo 2, it's this, as much as anything, that's kept me so completely enthralled.

Did you know, for instance, there's such a thing as a tree kangaroo? Until about 24 hours ago, I did not! But here comes the little fella (or a convincingly lifelike digital recreation of one, at least), bounding enthusiastically across his enclosure, tail whipping adorably as he twirls up his wooden climbing frame, hugging the beams as he goes.…