The Plants vs Zombies 2

The first Plants vs Zombies was a big hit when it was released in 2009, although it can only be played on computers and Mac. It took an entire year before it was finally released on the iOS, and the game turned out to be awesome even on the touch screen. The second game, Plants vs Zombies 2, contains several elements from the first one, but this was released when the game’s developer PopCap was bought by Electronic Arts which is not exactly loved by the Internet.

The Gameplay

The way you play Plants vs Zombies 2 is largely similar to how you play the original game. The zombies still come in from the right side of the screen, and your main goal is to stop them from reaching the left side of the screen. You have seeds that you can use to grow plants to fight off the undead. This time, you will be traveling through time with Crazy Dave and his car, which is a new thing that Crazy Dave didn’t mention in the first game… because he is CRAAAAAZY!

The classic plants including the sunflower, pea shooter, and wall nut are still in the second game. There are also new plants to try, such as the snapdragon (which breathes fire), the power lily (which drops power-ups), and the coconut cannon (which is explosive). Sunlight still falls down from the top of your screen at a time interval, and you still have to scoop the floating sunlight from your sunflowers. The first few minutes of the game is critical as you build up your defense, and it will depend on your strategy how you ration the sunlight that you have collected.

What’s new in the Plants vs Zombies 2 is its plant food system. A zombie randomly drops plant food that can be used or saved so that you can use it in times of need. You can use the plant food on any plant for it to launch a special attack; the pea shooter, for instance, fires of peas at turbo speed, the cabbage pulp launches its attack on every approaching zombie, and the wall nut gets an armor.

Another new addition to the game is that you can spend 800 to 1,200 coins in order to activate one special power and you can use gestures to kill several zombies at once – without even the help of your plants. The three options or special powers available are: pinching the zombies’ heads, plucking them off the screen, and electrocuting them by swiping the screen. These powers defy the title of the game itself and feels a bit like cheating, so as much as possible, the gaming experience would still be best if you use the plants.

Also unlike the first game, Plants vs Zombies 2 lets you move through a map. You can unlock new levels through keys which you collect and also by completing challenges in various levels. Some of the plants that offered for free in the first game such as the torchwood and the snow pea are now for sale in the store, costing a few dollars each .

There are still several plants that appear for free as you progress in the game and as you collect keys, so you should not be worried about it. The items sold at the store are a bit too pricey. For instance, one plant can cost $4, and a bundle of plant, coins, and perk costs $10. These in-app purchases guaranteed to make you overspend on the game, especially if you become too into it. For instance, the plant food and the powers somehow push you to spend money because the coins can bought at the “best deal” category of $99.99 for 450,000 coins. Everything you buy from the store is available for all your in-game profiles.

Overall look and gaming experience

Upon seeing the game, you would still easily recognize it as Plants vs Zombies. It still has the cute plants and characters (zombies and crazy Dave), with the added bonus that the graphics are much clearer now. The lines are smooth and the animations don’t lag even with a ton of zombies approaching you. Odd, though, because the lag comes on the map as you navigate through it. Good thing this does not affect the gameplay.

The three worlds available in the second game lets it have variation in terms of appearance and experience because the locations provide a different mix of zombies to kill. The ancient Egypt world, for instance, features zombies that carry stone slabs as their shields, while the pirate world features zombies that launch themselves at the screen with cannons.

The verdict

The in-app purchases are an annoying and disappointing addition to the game because there are times where you’d feel that you have to work your way through challenges in order to avoid spending money. The good news is that the game is really fun and challenging. The keys also dropped at reasonable times so you may not get terribly infuriated. In short, you can finish the game without spending a single dime.

Most of what offered at the store (except the plants) can obtained by playing the game. This lets you progress at a slower rate but that’s fine because all the game levels are nice. Plants vs Zombies 2 also supported by Google Play Games, with cloud sync, leaderboards, and achievements.

Have you tried playing the game? How were you experience?

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