Plants vs. Zombies

ATTENTION: Due to the timing of this review, and the recent updates to the mobile devices, the games on offer on all platforms are almost identical. It is with this in mind that the review has been written with all platforms taken into consideration. For those interested in the benefits of a particular platform, there is a note at the end of the review.

Plants Vs Zombies. Plants Vs Zombies? What kind of a name is that for a game? If someone were to try and come up with two things that had as little to do with one another as possible, they would be hard pushed to beat plants and zombies. Though, just like what happens in real life, the unlikely couple come together to make one hell of a partnership.

Plants Vs Zombies (PVS) is basically a simple tower defence game. Players undertake the task of defending their house from waves of zombies, hell bent on eating your brains. Fortunately, although rather bizarrely, you can place plants in your garden to fend off the hordes. Each plant you place on the screen has a different ability, rate of fire and strength. These range from things like pellet shooters, to Water melon launchers, and what can only be described as exploding potatoes, and it is only by utilizing the plants properly players can hope to repel the waves of the un-dead.

Completely 2-D, the games looks very much like a cartoon. This visual direction lends itself perfectly to the light hearted tone of the game. As readers may have guessed, PVZ doesn’t take itself very seriously at all, and is at times very funny. The best character in the game is probably the shop keeper Crazy Dave who will sell you things from the trunk of his car, and even buy the odd taco from you for a couple thousand dollars.

The games focus is very straight forward. The Zombies will only ever appear on the screen from one direction, and the difficulty curve is gradual. Although tricky at times, PVZ seems to have struck the perfect balance between challenge and reward, very rarely becoming frustrating. For those unfamiliar with the castle defence genre, the games gridded structure makes it very clear where to place plants, and as the game goes on, the real challenge comes from selecting the ideal load out of plants to help get you through the level.

As a whole, the primary concern of the game is that little happens to shake things up. At around three and a half hours for a basic first play through, this is a long time to play what is essentially the same map with different features and zombies over and over again. Loading can also be an issue if you choose to play the game on an older generation iPod.

As a whole, PVZ is an enjoyable title, for the majority of the time there can be little complaints levelled in its direction. An easy game to pick up and understand. There is a huge amount of depth on offer for anybody that wants to dig into it. Content enough to be a pick up and play experience, PVZ can easily scratch the itch of almost any gamer. Whether you’re one looking for a deep and rewarding experience, or even if you just need something to do while you wait on the bus, PVZ has something to offer you.

N.B.

Although on most platforms available, PVZ is definitely at its best on mobile devices. Touch screen functionality lends itself very well to the way the game is played. During the more frantic moments of the game, the touch screen allows players to place plants far more quickly than it does on the home consoles. PVZ was clearly built for the mobile market, and if possible, that is how the game should be played. For players that only have access to the home consoles, PVZ is still a rewarding experience. The controls work well, and are more than adequate for getting players through the levels to the end of the game. Xbox and PS3 owners have access to an identical game in looks and controls, with the loading times being a complete non-issue.