Video Game Blog 003: Time-Travelling Zombies
I really didn’t mean for there to be such a long gap between my video game posts. The idea behind this new category was to have near-constant updates based on whatever games I happen to be playing. Life kind of got in the way and I’ve been having trouble finding the time for my projects and excuses excuses. But here I am now with a post I started working on several months ago!
I am an avid mobile gamer. Ever since I got my first smart phone, I’ve dipped in and out of dozens of games. There are some I play every day (Marvel Strike Force, Merge Mansion, Bud Farm, the Criminal Case series), some I play for extended periods and then fall out of habit of playing (The Simpsons Tapped Out, Gardenscapes, Sonic Dash, Angry Birds 2) games I play for a while and then get bored with (Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, Godzilla Defense Force), and then the occasional game that I actually finish all the way through (Mario Run, Steven Universe Attack the Light, the first two Criminal Case games). There are many, many more that I have not mentioned. I haven’t talked much about mobile games on here so far (aside from one notable exception) but with these video game posts, it’s a lot easier to do.
I would say the mobile game that has made the most impact on me was Kingdom Hearts Union X Dark Road, which I have recently done two posts on, and plan to do two more on in the near future. For those of you unaware or have not yet read those posts, this year the game went out of service. This came seemingly out of the blue and was a huge shock to those of us (like me) who played it daily. The fact that this game, which felt like it would always be around, was being pulled out from under us and made forever inaccessible in its full version was a jarring thought. This is something I haven’t fully come to terms with.
One lingering effect of this, however, is the knowledge that nothing is forever. Just because a game is on your phone or tablet right now, doesn’t mean it will be there tomorrow. This is something that really worries me… especially with the Criminal Case series. The developer Pretty Simple recently announced the most recent game would be their last and I’ve only completed two of the eight games in the series. I would be really sad if I didn’t get through all of them before they end service, so I’ve been much more faithful about playing those daily again. I’m working on the third and fourth games now. They’re fantastic and I have to finish them all!
My fears are not unfounded. It’s not out if the question to lose games the way we’ve lost Union X. Dr Mario was recently announced to be ending service and some games are delisted and impossible to play unless you have them on your device already. (RIP Calculords and Futurama Game of Drones.)
The other game that worried me was Plants vs Zombies 2. That game has been around for nine years now and I know they have a third game in the works. The story mode of that game ended years ago and I never finished it. Yes, the game does have a story. It’s a totally different case than Angry Birds 2, which is another mobile sequel to a PC game. AB2 has no story mode per say, just randomly generated levels that seemingly go on forever. (Around 2700 levels at the time of this writing.)
Now bear in mind that no end of service for PvZ2 has been announced or even hinted at… but nine years is a long lifespan for a mobile game, especially with continual updates. So I decided, in light of my recent loss (RIP SoraRab, Keyblade hero of the fairy tale ages) I needed to buckle down and slay some zombies.
Pretty much everything Dave said could have made a perfect screenshot. (Credit: PopCap Games)
Plants vs. Zombies 2 was released in 2013 for mobile phones by Popcap Games. It was the sequel to the hit 2009 tower defense game Plants vs Zombies. The PvZ series involves zombies invading a neighborhood. The only thing that can hold back the endless horde of zombies is an assortment of combat-ready plants. Tower Defense is a style of game in which you set your defenses (usually towers or fighters) to stop waves of enemies from reaching a goal.
Since this is one of my short and sweet Video Game Blog posts, I’m not going to break down the entire game and all the mechanics. In brief, the premise of this game is that Crazy Dave (your insane but friendly neighbor) eats the best taco he has ever eaten. He then gets sad and decides to use his time-travelling RV Penny to go back in time and eat the taco again. Penny warns him that this is not advisable and could cause a time paradox, but Dave is… well… crazy. So he sets off on a time-jumping zombie-infested and plant-filled adventure in search of his missing taco. You visit various time periods like caveman times, the old west, and the future, eventually ending up back in modern times where time rifts are opening up, allowing the zombies to follow you through time.
Along the way you have to battle various time period-themed zombies led by the boss of the first game, the diminutive and (relatively) intelligent Doctor Zomboss. As you proceed in the game, you unlock new plants and deal with new game mechanics, having to change up your strategy to face each new threat.
Part of the world map. I was thrilled to find an 80’s-themed world. (Credit: PopCap Games)
The story unfolds through various “worlds” or time periods. Each one has a set of levels and an “endless” mode where you keep playing until you fail. In order to advance, you need to win each level, defeat a boss, and earn a World Key to unlock the next world.
This game could get pretty intense. (Credit: PopCap Games)
The gameplay was just like the original Plants vs Zombies game. You set your defenses and try to stave off the zombie hordes, planting more defenses by using sun that is gradually accrued during the game. There are sun-generating plants and more sun drifts down from the sky at intervals. Sometimes when defeating zombies, plant food will drop. This is used to activate a single plant’s special effect, which is usually a powerful attack or, in the case of the Sunflower plants, a burst of extra sunlight. As is the case with many mobile games, there are power ups you can use to freeze, electrocute, or flip the zombies away.
The zombies come in many varieties, changing by time period. There are zombies with traffic cones or buckets on their heads which are shielded, zombies floating on balloons, gargantuan zombies, and many zombies that have different special effects. Depending on the time period you can fight caveman zombies, cowboy zombies, and more. When the last zombie is defeated, you survive the level. If a zombie reaches the left side of the screen and there is no plant or lawn mower to protect you, the zombie eats your brain and the level is lost.
In most levels you can choose which plants come with you. You have six plant slots, although you can acquire two more in the course of the game and by purchasing. In some levels, the plants are set for you, and in other levels, new plants roll by on a conveyor belt, costing no sun to plant. There are also levels where you have a limited amount of sun and have to plant your defenses prior to the level beginning.
Sunflower is essential. (Credit: PopCap Games)
The variety of plants in this game is overwhelming. Classic plants from the first game are in attendance, including the Sunflower and the Peashooter. The developers introduced a slew of new plants as well, some of them only unlockable by purchase. Yes, since this is a mobile game, there are microtransactions. I only purchased a couple of upgrades like unlocking more seed slots and various other things. To get plants I played through the story and bought piñatas with in-game currency.
A really cool later development in the game (it was introduced during one of my long hiatuses from playing) was the ability to upgrade your plants. This would give them better stats like damage, toughness (how many bites it takes for a zombie to eat your plant), and more. This added a lot more play value to the game and helped me get through the more difficult levels.
Wheeee! (Credit: PopCap Games)
Story mode is the main meat of the game. There are also special events, challenges, an arena, and a newer mode called Penny’s Pursuit, that has rotating levels that change every 1-4 weeks. (I’ve never tried this mode. I was focused on story mode.) While much of the game is in tower defense style, there are a few different play styles, just like in the first game. There is a mode called Vase Breaker where breaking vases will earn you plants, powerups, or unleash zombies. There are Wall-Nut Bowling levels, and later in the game, Beghouled (shown above) where you play a match-3 puzzle while fighting zombies and upgrading your plants. (That was my favorite mode in the original, so I was glad to see it make a return here, if even just for a couple of levels.)
Plants vs Zombies 2 is a worthy successor to a classic game. It has all the cartoony fun of the original while adding in a lot more strategy. What plants you take with you and focus on leveling up adds a whole new dimension to the game. The different time periods kept the game fresh. The story and the challenge add to the fun. This game takes everything that made the first game so much fun and expanded it. In the process of making it a full mobile title with micro transactions and pay to advance features they did lose some of the charm of the original, but it maintains the PvZ spirit.
What actually drove me to stop playing years ago is the steep jump in difficulty around Big Wave Beach. I could not, for the life of me, complete that world. Once I returned and found the ability to level up your plants, I did just fine.
Although there is much more to the game and I could continue playing, I consider it over now that I’ve completed the main story. I’m happy I was able to cross this game off my list and see the ending. Bring on Plants vs Zombies 3!
Zombie piñata! (Credit: PopCap Games)
Thank you for reading my mini review of Plants vs Zombies 2. I promise I will do better at updating this section of my blog. I have no end of games that I would like to talk about, and the posts really don’t take as long as my mainline posts, so it should be fairly easy to keep up with this. As always I appreciate you all and will see you soon!
Aww, a happy ending. (Credit: PopCap Games)
