Published by Ultimate Games S.A. and developed by Games Incubator, Pets Hotel is a simulation game that puts players in charge of a hotel looking after various pets. Pets Hotel was originally released on PC in 2023, then on Xbox Series X|S in 2024 and is now available on PlayStation 5.

In Pets Hotel, players can start from scratch with a small building and expand their business or start with a pre-made building with facilities already included. Starting small is ideal to slowly get acquainted with the game and everything it takes to run a pet hotel business. As your business grows, you can take in other types of pets, add new facilities, and hire staff to share the workload.

Players must look after dogs, cats, rabbits, turtles, and fish, all of whom have individual needs. The game is similar to other simulation games about running a business, like Rollercoaster Tycoon, Two Point Hospital, etc. Although Pets Hotel isn’t the first game of its kind, it aims to stand out from the rest.

Since we have already reviewed Pets Hotel on Xbox Series X|S, this review will focus on any differences and improvements in the PlayStation 5 version. For our full in-depth review, go to https://www.mkaugaming.com/all-review-list/pets-hotel-xbox-series-x-review/

Overall, the PlayStation 5 port doesn’t do anything different from its Xbox counterpart other than display the PlayStation controls on the screen. This means it has all the same issues as before, and no improvements have been made.

The tutorials help to teach you the tools of the trade. Players can customise their building with various options and with enough funds. If they play their cards right, they can go from a simple building with the necessities to something that looks and feels like paradise. There is much more to it than just looking after people’s pets, as players will need to tend to their needs, feed them the right food, entertain them, bathe them, clip their nails, clean up after them, and more. Players must manage stock, funds, phone calls, customer service, and staff.

The game is played from a first-person perspective, which feels okay on a PC with a mouse and keyboard but doesn’t feel as smooth on a controller, especially when trying to customise your building. The first-person perspective is still a detriment because you’ll see all the outdated graphics up close with people’s expressionless faces, pixelated textures, and graphical glitches.

It’s hilarious to see a dog’s face sticking into someone’s backside, but obviously that wasn’t the intention. Seeing pets up close, however, is always nice, especially when they’re excited to see you, even if it looks like they’re made of plastic. The graphics are still outdated as if it were a game from the early 2000s.

When pets need to be entertained, bathed or have their nails clipped, they act like simple and straightforward minigames just like they were on PC and Xbox. When things become too much to handle on your own, hiring staff helps divide tasks amongst everyone and keep the business running smoothly, especially when that damn phone rings and it’s still as annoying as ever.

When accepting a new pet over the phone, players must input their details into the system, which still has the same issues. You’ll need to remember the pet’s details correctly, including the correct spelling of their name, and if you forget, there’s no way to call them back to double-check. The best way to work around this is to take a screenshot on your console or PC, but memorising their details feels unnecessary for a game that’s supposed to simulate real life accurately. In the real world, you’d input the customer’s details while still on the phone with them and confirm everything before ending the call.

The overall style and presentation of the game also look the same with its bright, colourful, warm and cozy feel, but the graphics are still outdated. The soundtrack has simple, upbeat piano music to add to the friendly atmosphere. Unfortunately, even with the lively pets that come in, the overall game still feels lifeless.

Running a pet hotel would be a dream job for many, and this does an okay job of recreating that experience, but there are better alternatives out there. It’s clear that both console versions are inferior to the PC version, as the mechanics are much more suited to a mouse and keyboard than a controller. The graphical glitches can be distracting, and the outdated graphics make everything except the pets feel lifeless. Pets Hotel is a solid effort but has too much going against it.

Written by: Sammy Hanson