Culture

Rating: 8/10

Popcap’s 2009 game Plants vs. Zombies is arguably the greatest casual game of all time. The fact that the game is easy to get into for brief snippets, but also offers increasingly difficult challenges that could have you playing for hours, makes it accessible and loved by everyone who plays it. And it is all wrapped up in the most absurdly fantastic premise. The part about protecting your home from a zombie invasion is pretty standard; the fact that your defence depends entirely on your horticultural skills is less so, and it is this that makes the game really stand out.

This premise took the “tower defence” genre to a whole new level. The game was a huge success for Popcap, which has a range of other casual hits such as Bejewelled and Peggle. Though their other games are successful, it’s undeniable that Plants vs. Zombies is something special.

Popcap has finally followed up: Plants vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time has arrived. The name seems to be making fun of the fact that it took them three years to develop a sequel (and knowing this company, it probably is in part), but it really illustrates the fact that the game has moved out of the backyard and into new times and new places.

The first game mixed up the gameplay by making players defend different parts of the house, such as the roof or pool. Now, however, in what feels like a fundamental change, the difference comes from the fact that Crazy Dave and a sentient food truck are chasing zombies throughout time and space in search of a stolen taco. The last game was known for its kooky tone, but Popcap have legitimately stepped up the insanity with their latest iteration’s storyline. The locations in the new game currently include ancient Egypt and the Wild West, but it looks like there are more to come.

Despite the dramatic change in context, the base mechanics of the gameplay remain almost perfectly intact. You still plant all of your favourite plants in defence of your house, only now the zombies are encased in sarcophagi or playing the honky tonk on a piano. I think that this was a smart move on Popcap’s behalf – this base gameplay was near perfect in the last game, so it really is a blast to get to keep playing in new and interesting situations.

However, there are also plenty of new mechanics and plants to play with. The best new addition is a melee plant called Bok Choy, which I see quickly joining the ranks of Peashooter and Sunflower and becoming a must-have plant for every player. There is also a new mechanic called Plant Food. Zombies that glow green drop the food, which can then be employed by any plant to create a brief but generally devastating attack. Plant food is fantastic because, like a Pokémon evolution or a Mortal Kombat fatality, it is always satisfying to discover what each plant’s super attack is.

This game’s greatest flaw, however, is its price: it’s free. Now I know that sounds absurd, but instead of the one-time payment model that the first game had, Popcap has instead gone for the free-to-play model. Consequently, while the game is free to download it is packed with micro transactions: players can spend money to make the game easier or unlock new content. This inherently undermines what makes casual games great: I want something that I can pick up for a small amount of time and just have fun with, and the constant attempts to trick me out of my money negatively affects that experience. But still, you never actually have to pay for anything. If you have an iOS device this game is a free and incredibly fun experience, even if it is slightly hampered by its business model.