(This review is a collective review for both Plants vs. Zombies and Plants vs. Zombies 2. This is because I played through the second game first, and it would be difficult to review the first game having already encountered the improvements that the second game brought. That said, this review applies equally to both given that the core game is the same.)
Plants vs. Zombies was one of the mobile games I had heard a lot about before trying it out for myself. I assumed, because of the clout surrounding it that it would be too simple and repetitive. It isn't the hardest game - and it is somewhat repetitive, but I underestimated the addicting nature of a fresh tower-defense formula.
Every match works basically the same, although different maps change elements to affect your strategy. The main flow is always the same - the zombies come from the right of the screen and advance left. You place plants on any tile and they 'aim' right. Plants attack the zombies in a variety of ways, by launching fruits or vegetables, punching, exploding. Your goal is to simply prevent zombies from reaching the far left of the screen.
I think the element that makes the game work and addictive is the selection of plants you are given. As you progress through the game, you unlock new plants and other benefits to give you more options and more ways to defend against the zombies. Although I mentioned how plants attack, plants that do not attack are just as important. The core unit of the game is the sunflower - they produce little sun icons, that give you the currency to buy new plants, after tapping the sun to collect it. The choice of how and where to put the sunflower(s) is related to the governing aspect of plant placement - that only one plant can go in a tile. Given that plants react to zombies differently, including different attack range and angles, the game has an element of puzzle, in that you put your plants piece by piece onto the board. My favorite unit is the walnut - it functions as a shield that does nothing but hold up zombies, taking significant damage before being eaten/destroyed.
The game is not easy by any means, and at times can be rather difficult. This is because each new level either introduces a new zombie or throws a new combination of zombies at you. The zombies vary greatly, like your plants, and thus keep you on your toes and constantly changing your strategy. There are zombies that fly and must be hit with flying/air attacks, zombies that can jump over units, zombies that plow through plants instantly... you name it.
The variety of plants and zombies has some degree of humor, and this may have been what kept me away from the game. The humor is enjoyable, but the game does play up a somewhat juvenile celebration of ridiculousness. I can't say that this greatly impacted the game for better or for worse - although mildly amusing, it gets old. I personally found the less-humorous plants more interesting, just to see how the developer adopted plants into sentient beings. Corn, for example, launches cobs up in the air, flying over obstacles. Additionally, sometimes a block of butter will be launched, hitting a zombie in the face and slowing its movement. As I said, it is entertaining, but the novelty wears off quickly.
The game is surprisingly addictive. Even now I am not quite sure why I had so many several-hour play sessions. Each match can take anywhere from a minute or two to five to ten minutes. The game does have a nice forward flow given that new units are constantly being introduced, and that the completion of each level/challenge leads to the next. The progress is split into different locations, each of which contains several missions. The locations affect the board, by either blocking/obstructing a lane, or preventing tiles from being used.
One thing that I think bothered me, after having logged so much time playing, is the need to tap sun icons to gather resources. This simply became old, even if it become natural to perform. I could see the point of it being that you don't automatically get resources, and must first perform an action to receive them, but on the touch-screen format it seemed gimmicky and annoying.
The developers obviously had a good time making this game. It's success is still kind of surprising to me... I can know right well how addicting it is and still not be convinced that it should be that addicting. It gets old, but you still want more. I do hope that the developers continue support so that I can indulge my addiction again in the near future. I recommend trying this game even if you don't like tower defense games. If you can resist playing more after a few matches, then the game just simply isn't for you.
My rating: 75/100
Photo from Google Play Store (PvZ1)
http://www.popcap.com/plants-vs-zombies
Plants vs. Zombies was one of the mobile games I had heard a lot about before trying it out for myself. I assumed, because of the clout surrounding it that it would be too simple and repetitive. It isn't the hardest game - and it is somewhat repetitive, but I underestimated the addicting nature of a fresh tower-defense formula.
Every match works basically the same, although different maps change elements to affect your strategy. The main flow is always the same - the zombies come from the right of the screen and advance left. You place plants on any tile and they 'aim' right. Plants attack the zombies in a variety of ways, by launching fruits or vegetables, punching, exploding. Your goal is to simply prevent zombies from reaching the far left of the screen.
I think the element that makes the game work and addictive is the selection of plants you are given. As you progress through the game, you unlock new plants and other benefits to give you more options and more ways to defend against the zombies. Although I mentioned how plants attack, plants that do not attack are just as important. The core unit of the game is the sunflower - they produce little sun icons, that give you the currency to buy new plants, after tapping the sun to collect it. The choice of how and where to put the sunflower(s) is related to the governing aspect of plant placement - that only one plant can go in a tile. Given that plants react to zombies differently, including different attack range and angles, the game has an element of puzzle, in that you put your plants piece by piece onto the board. My favorite unit is the walnut - it functions as a shield that does nothing but hold up zombies, taking significant damage before being eaten/destroyed.
The game is not easy by any means, and at times can be rather difficult. This is because each new level either introduces a new zombie or throws a new combination of zombies at you. The zombies vary greatly, like your plants, and thus keep you on your toes and constantly changing your strategy. There are zombies that fly and must be hit with flying/air attacks, zombies that can jump over units, zombies that plow through plants instantly... you name it.
The variety of plants and zombies has some degree of humor, and this may have been what kept me away from the game. The humor is enjoyable, but the game does play up a somewhat juvenile celebration of ridiculousness. I can't say that this greatly impacted the game for better or for worse - although mildly amusing, it gets old. I personally found the less-humorous plants more interesting, just to see how the developer adopted plants into sentient beings. Corn, for example, launches cobs up in the air, flying over obstacles. Additionally, sometimes a block of butter will be launched, hitting a zombie in the face and slowing its movement. As I said, it is entertaining, but the novelty wears off quickly.
The game is surprisingly addictive. Even now I am not quite sure why I had so many several-hour play sessions. Each match can take anywhere from a minute or two to five to ten minutes. The game does have a nice forward flow given that new units are constantly being introduced, and that the completion of each level/challenge leads to the next. The progress is split into different locations, each of which contains several missions. The locations affect the board, by either blocking/obstructing a lane, or preventing tiles from being used.
One thing that I think bothered me, after having logged so much time playing, is the need to tap sun icons to gather resources. This simply became old, even if it become natural to perform. I could see the point of it being that you don't automatically get resources, and must first perform an action to receive them, but on the touch-screen format it seemed gimmicky and annoying.
The developers obviously had a good time making this game. It's success is still kind of surprising to me... I can know right well how addicting it is and still not be convinced that it should be that addicting. It gets old, but you still want more. I do hope that the developers continue support so that I can indulge my addiction again in the near future. I recommend trying this game even if you don't like tower defense games. If you can resist playing more after a few matches, then the game just simply isn't for you.
My rating: 75/100
http://www.popcap.com/plants-vs-zombies