Adorable and addictive
The first time I saw the the promotional music video for this game I thought "Ugh, another casual Popcap game.". I did think however that it would make a nice gift to a casual game player and thus I gifted PvZ to my mom. For research purposes of course I had to download the demo and give it a quick go. Before I knew it zombies ate my brain.
Popcap has produced a wonderfully addictive little game here. PvZ has the premise of a tower defense game, although a simplified one at that. The game succeeds however due its gradual pacing and the variety of activities on offer. Playing the game's adventure mode unlocks challenges in the mini-game and puzzle modes. Finishing mini-games and puzzles in turn unlock levels in the survival mode.
The adventure mode serves as a tutorial at first by getting the player to grips with the mechanics of a tower defense game. A new plant is introduced on every level, each having a unique function to ward off a new type of zombie. Every few levels everything is mixed up with a mini-game or location change. The adventure mode remains interesting although I felt that multiple levels of the same plant and zombie set would not have been all bad and extended the lifetime of the story a little. The game is aimed at a casual market however and the design choice makes sense.
The mini-games mode mixes things up by combing the PvZ formula with those of some other Popcap hits like Bejeweled and even Valve's portal. Other levels present altered zombie mixes or rule sets and others test your reflexes. The puzzle mode presents levels that have you breaking jars not knowing whether a zombie or plant will appear or switches the focus and has you trying to defeat the plants using the zombies. Finally, survival mode presents the bulk of PvZ's longetivity allowing you to fight off wave after wave of zombies in different settings.
The modes above are further fleshed out by a Zen-Garden mode that has you tending plants for rewards. The mode is basic but interesting enough when mixed in with the game's other options. A shop is also available whereby a wide range of plant upgrades and Zen-garden supplies can be bought.
At the heart of PvZ's charm lies the wonderful art style. The game runs at a fixed resolution but this hardly seems to matter as the sprites ooze personality. The sound effects and music are equally effective. Overall the aesthetics touches on PvZ combine to offer one crazy, addictive, and sometimes hilarious expererience.
The only negative that I can direct at the game is a lack of overall challenge once the mechanics have been mastered. Once again this results from the game's casual focus. While it lasts however you'll look hard to find a more charming and addictive experience on the PC.
PvZ may be aimed at casual players but its quality will ensure a dedicated audience among the "hardcore" as well. A trend that Popcap hopefully continues.
