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A Look into Plants vs. Zombies 2

Everybody certainly loves zombies. It’s a bit of craze sweeping the world right now and, hey, why not jump on the bandwagon? It’s all in good fun. And you know what? I bet there are some people in this very same world who like gardening just as much as they like zombies! There are probably a lot of people who like addicting games (zombies included), so PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES IT IS. I love this game. It’s so addicting, witty and charming. Best of all, it’s memorable too. That plain title speaks for itself: it’s game in which plants battle zombies. Yep, to the point and I love it. With the game on a wide array of consoles and handhelds, it seemed certain that PopCap Games would eventually announce a sequel.

Plants-vs. -zombies-2

Plants vs. Zombies 2

Sequels are always something I tend to be rather wary about. Very rarely are you ever graced with a sequel to the caliber of Banjo Tooie. Needless to say, I was rather skeptical about PopCap’s up and coming sequel to the incredibly successful Plants vs. Zombies game. Now, while this game isn’t slated for release until mid-July, there’s footage scattered around the internet from this past E3. Plants vs. Zombies 2 looks like all the fun of the original game, but more! As most sequels go, there are new and improved game modes or simple tweaks added to the game. For example, the sequel features a map directing you to each new level along with new plant food that can supercharge your plants!

Plants vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time is a bit of a play on words. Not only is it PopCap saying “We finally finished another one,” but the game is LITERALLY about time! Instead of fighting off the zombies in the front lawn, you now fire them away from different points in time. Crazy Dave, the saucepan wearing salesman guy from the first game, is still after a taco. But, the twist is that he wants the same exact taco from the original game and decides that a time machine oughta do the trick! I don’t know, if I wanted a taco bad enough, I might stop by the grocery store and try to whip one up as similar to the taco I ate before. But not Dave. That must have been one damn good magic taco. Per usual, things go wrong and you find yourself at various points in time, battling the zombies off with plants! I love the simplicity of this game and I think that’s why it does so well.

I’m certain I’ll download this game! I mean, why not? It’s free. Yes, that’s right. FREE. Is that the sound of angels singing I hear? Or is that nails scraping a chalkboard? Sure, we all love free things, but free games? I don’t know how I feel about that and I’m honestly a bit concerned as to how it’ll be handled. When iOS games are released as free, there’s normally a ton of in game upgrades that you might have to pay for in order to do better or accomplish more things. The MMO world likes to call this “pay to win” and boy is that a fitting name. While EA announced that micro-transactions are going to be completely and 100% optional, it leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Now, on the bright side, there are several of these kinds of games that do surprisingly well or that I don’t find incredibly pressuring to pay for. Happy Street for iOS is one example. There’s normal, in game currency that is used to play the game properly, but there is also currency that can be bought to make progress in the game faster. BUT, it’s still possible to get that bought currency by winning it in the game. I like to use that game as an example of how free games should work, but of course that’s just my humble opinion.

While I’m a bit nervous how “free” Plants vs. Zombies 2 will be, I’m still rather excited to see how it will play out. We can look forward to new plants, new power-ups, an entire span of time periods ranging from past to present to future, and all the fun of the first game! So prepare to defend Ancient Egypt and the Wild West with your plants, my friends! The zombies are on their way.