The popularity of zombies means the undead are popping up in all kinds of disappointing places. Thanks to this zombie saturation, I did not expect much from PopCap’s Plants vs. Zombies when I first heard the name, but the screenshots showed a surprisingly bright, funny game and I bought the PC version.
Plants vs. Zombies Overview
The goal is to protect your house from an army of hungry zombies hoping to chomp into your brain. It is a basic tower defense game with a big fun factor and enough variety to warrant repeated play. A lively selection of plants shoot veggies, explode and work as a tasty buffer between the zombies and your succulent brain.
Zombies
The game starts slowly with weak zombies and lessons on gameplay, but the enemies become more powerful and interesting as the game progresses. Zombies use screen doors, pails, traffic cones and newspapers as armor. They ride on bungee cords, Zambonis, dolphins and pogo sticks. There are a few surprises among the 26 types of zombies, like a Yeti, and special codes to alter the game with weird changes, like adding moustaches to the zombies. The zombies are more comical than scary, but they make the classic moans, grunts and calls for brains.
Plants
The 49 plants are the heroes of this game. They use various tactics, but mostly pelt the zombies with fruits and veggies. One of my favorites is an aquatic cattail plant that looks like a little kitten and shoots red barbs from its tail.
Zen Garden
The Zen Garden is a relaxing, zombie-free zone that holds plants collected throughout the game. The plants need regular care and reward you with jewels and coins as they grow. A sleepy snail helps collect the spoils. Players can also sell the plants for a profit and buy new tools to defeat the zombies.
Fun Mix
In addition to the 50 levels in adventure mode, Plants vs. Zombies kept my attention by offering a variety of gameplay options, bonuses and surprises. Some stages let the player play as the hungry zombies. There is a zombie aquarium, survival mode and various puzzle games. Some levels unlock new plants and tools to give the player a fighting chance against the increasingly tough zombie attacks. The foggy night stages and endless mode are especially tough, but the fun mini games, like bowling, temper the difficult stages. Players can also create their own zombie avatars with wild hairstyles and accessories.
Overall, Plants vs. Zombies is a charming PC game that is easy to play, but delivers plenty of challenges. It does not have any gore or hardcore firepower like other games and I enjoy the quirky zombies.