A war is brewing, and whoever wins, we lose. That war will pit plants against zombies for the battle over the lawn. There's nothing we can do, we can just sit, watch and pray.
Actually, that's not right at all. Plants vs. Zombies, a new game from PopCap Games (makers of Bejeweled, Peggle and other horribly addictive games), gives you full control over an army of plants as you try to fend off a wide variety of zombie invaders. It's a unique take on an already crowded tower defense genre, but several aspects really help set it apart.
First off, the visuals. Unlike the grim, war torn landscapes of most tower defense games, Plants vs. Zombies looks like something out of a Disney movie. Everything in the game has a cutesy, family-friendly look (yes, even the zombies), and the bouncy soundtrack only helps to serve this. The tone is extremely similar to Peggle in that way. Despite the undead minions, the title should be safe for the kiddies.
Next, the gameplay. Instead of having a path to defend, the zombies simply come in from the right and you must protect the left. There are 5 rows, and each row must be well-defended, with several layers of offensive and defensive plants.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Plants vs. Zombies is the sheer number of different units you can place. Field Runners, for example, has 6 different towers. Plants vs. Zombies? A whopping 40 different kinds of plants at your disposal. Thankfully you don't have to worry about all 40 at once...each level only allows you to select six different units, but what you pick heavily impacts the end result.
There's plenty of variety, too. There are standard bullet-shooters, plants with ice attacks and land mines. There are also venus fly traps, which will snap up a single zombie instantly, but leave itself open to further attacks while it chews its prey.
To add to the variety, there are a handful of minigames,
including a killer bowling variant, where you'll have to roll giant
nuts and take out massive waves of the undead. There are puzzle and
survival modes to unlock once you conquer the adventure, as well.
Plants vs. Zombies launches on May 5th for both PCs and Macs and is easily one of the most unique and enjoyable games PopCap has put out in recent years. The "just-one-round" feeling is alive and well with this one, and the gameplay should be friendly to hardcore and casual players alike.
