In developer Pop Cap’s latest game, Plants Vs. Zombies, you fend off ravenous zombies with a variety of war-ready plants. The game combines zombies and tower defense gameplay in a fresh take on the two genres (zombies are a genre, right?). The game is packed with humorous characters and situations and has a style all its own. Where else can you dispatch a zombie Michael Jackson with an angry jalapeño pepper?
As in most tower defense games, you choose and place different towers in strategic positions, hoping to eliminate waves of enemies efficiently. All the standard tower types are incorporated in clever ways through the plants that you set up on the field. There are projectile towers in the form of peashooters, bombs in the form of jalapeño peppers and cherries, and defense makes an appearance as ice-peashooters and nuts. You’ll choose from upwards of forty unique plants for maximum zombie braining.
Each plant is unique and has a use. I found myself falling back on a trusty lineup of four plants for nearly every battle with the remaining two or three choices depending on the zombies, stage and conditions. While I had my staple choices, I could easily see how a different combination of plants would be equally effective. It all comes down to personal preference, and it’s impressive that people can create their own strategies and plant lineups based on their play-style. Some plants are better for certain situations, but there are always numerous ways to get the job done.