Up until yesterday evening, I had never played Plants vs Zombies. Gaming people I know looked at me odd when I had told them this, considering I love games like Peggle, Zuma, and Heavy Weapon. Its the same look I get when I tell people Ive never seen Something About Mary.
Dont judge. I just havent gotten around to watching it.
I can honestly say though, after playing the new Plants vs Zombies that PopCap has cooked up for XBLA, I now understand why people looked at me the way they did. The game holds true to PopCaps style, offering simple game play for casual gamers, and enough challenge mixed in to keep the seasoned gamers interested as well. It was easy to just jump in, no matter what experience level you were, and do what matters most; just play.
The game itself has been done in full 1080p for the first time, and looks just amazing. I had seen box covers in stores, and game play on line, but those photos and videos dont do justice to the new high definition rendering of this game. It looks as though you can reach out and plant a flower, or shoo a zombie away.
Having never played the game myself, I listened in on some of the questions being asked by fellow gamers around me who were more familiar with the game. Since the game was originally done on PC and iPhone, the overall concern everyone had was whether or not tracking would translate well from mouse or touch screen to analog sticks. Would it interfere with my ability to pick up seed packets quick enough? What about collecting suns, or planting for that matter?
Oh, we fixed all of that said Associate Producer, Ty Roberts. We knew that would be a concern.
He then went on to give me a rundown of the control scheme for the 360, and how it would compensate for the lack of mouse-like precision. On screen, you have a bracketed cursor, moved with the left analog stick. Need to dig up a plant? Hold down the B button. Boom. Auto-dig. Didnt even need to select it. Need to plant a Pea Shooter on the double? Select your seed pack with the shoulder buttons, quickly and effortlessly. Need to collect those little yellow suns scattered about your flower bed? Theres a new magnet feature where you can auto collect your sunlight lickety-split.
As if just bringing the game to XBLA was not enough, there are few new features to tantalize new comers and gardening veterans alike. Being the Xbox person that I am, I love showing off my achievements. The team behind the game knows this to be true for a lot of gamers. Enter your crib. Your crib is a house that you can upgrade as you earn cash, and show off your accomplishments. Select from houses such as the trailer, or space house. On either side is a trash can, one filled with zombies youve slain, the other piled high with plant soldiers youve lost. On your lawn are small plants and garden memorials that represent the achievements youve unlocked. You can even use Crazy Daves car to cruise up the street and view your friends cribz and compare.
Another new feature is the addition of Co-Op and Vs. modes. Before we go any further I will get this out of the way before the question is asked. YES. You can play as zombies in Vs. mode. In fact, theyve added the new Trash Can Zombie to the roster. Hes a slower shambling zombie pushing a full trash can, which serves as his protection. In Co-Op, join forces and work together against the zombie onslaught, with drop in drop out.
To sum up, all 50 levels of the original Adventure mode along with Puzzle, Survival, and Zen Garden have made it into this game, as well as Heavy Weapon mode. There are tons of features exclusive to the Xbox 360, including Co-Op and Vs. New control mechanics, and to top it all off, a new zombie in the army. Thats a lot of entertainment for 1200 Microsoft Points.
Plants vs Zombies is scheduled to release in September.
