Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 (Video Game)
Steve Barton
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Developed by PopCap / Electronic Arts
Available on PS4, PC, and Xbox One (reviewed)
Rated E10
In a world in which playing competitive shooters equals millions of hours sunk into online gaming, it’s kind of easy to get bored with the likes of Halo and Call of Duty. Not saying that those games are bad… in fact they’re quite good, but people have a tendency to take them far too seriously. Video games are supposed to be fun too, remember? Last year’s Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare introduced some much-needed energy to the shooter genre, and while it was fun, it never really felt like a complete package.
Nintendo took a page out of the newly refined silly shooter handbook and created the incredible Splatoon, a game that’s more colorful than a foul-mouthed pirate at a swearing contest while at the same time being cute to the point of nausea. Aside from its appearance Splatoon‘s gameplay was both solid and addictive. Now, PopCap and EA are revisiting the garden they’ve been watering for several years with Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2, and they’ve finally gotten the formula right!
Simply put, if you liked the original Garden Warfare, you’re gonna LOVE this! The powers-that-be addressed every single issue the first game had, fixed them, added a new coat of paint, and turned in a ridiculously robust package that’s totally refreshing… especially after playing the half-of-a-game that Street Fighter V turned out to be.
All of your favorite characters and classes are back with even more zany power-ups and costumes, along with some brand new characters that are nothing short of home runs. But it doesn’t end there…. not by a long shot! Along with the quirky sense of humor we’ve grown fond of, we’re also getting updated modes and even additional solo content, as well as bunch of improvements to the overall gameplay.
Even the way you start the game modes is now delightfully different. Gone are your standard menus in which you’ll choose what you want to play, and in their place is a perfectly laid out playable hub area that’s brimming with color and content. The hub is set up into three areas: Plants, Neutral, and Zombies. Just feel like messing around? Boot the game up and wander around this wonderfully realized area. In addition to the areas that let you access the game’s many modes, including the returning Garden/Graveyard Ops, the new multiplayer component, and the single-player campaign, this area is also chock-full of secrets and mini games that should keep you exploring and playing for what could end up being a surprising amount of time. Well done, PopCap! Bravo.
Now here’s the rub… the single-player campaign. Well, to be honest, it’s hard to even call it a campaign. Basically it boils to a bunch of fetch missions with some Garden/Graveyard Ops sprinkled in. Still, if you grind through it, there’s a pretty cool reward to check out.
In terms of the characters, both sides get three new additions to the lunacy. This brings the total to 14 different kinds of characters to choose from on each side, and each can be outfitted with over 100 customizable variants. It’s kind of insane to think about and will keep you busy unlocking stuff for quite some time via Sticker Packs bought with in-game currency you earn from playing. If there’s a downside to any of this, it’s that each character levels up individually and not as a group, so you’re gonna have to stick with your favorites for quite a while before leveling your bunch of colorful miscreants to the capped level of 50. With over 100 variants it’s a good bet most people will never level them all up, but hey, you can if you want to. Thankfully, if you were an avid player of the original game, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 lets you import all of your data into part 2. This definitely speeds up the whole unlocking process.
In terms of multiplayer, in addition to the Garden/Graveyard Ops mode, you have the following to choose from: standard “Team Vanquish,” “Turf Takeover,” in which teams fight to gain control of checkpoints, “Gnome Bomb,” in which players fight for control of the Gnome Bomb whose power is perfect for destroying the opposing team’s garden or graveyard, “Vanquish Confirmed,” in which you collect your proof of a kill from a fallen opponent before the other team stops you, and finally “Suburbination,” where players compete to raise tombstones and gardens and try to “suburbinate” the other team. Not sure what you want to try? Don’t worry; there’s also an option for “Mixed Mode,” which cycles through all of the other competitive modes without leaving the match.
No matter how you slice it, not only does Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 up the ante over the original game, it also eclipses its competition in the process. Tired of gritty realism with no sense of humor? This game is your comfort food. Open up, and chomp on down.
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Categorized:Horror Gaming Reviews
