The year is 2024. The apocalypse has left the world in ruins. There is nothing left but a few measly plants in your garage keeping you company as society has come to a halt. The only thing between you and endless hordes of zombies is your front lawn. Using the power of the sun and weaponized plants, you are able to defeat the mastermind behind it all: Edgar George Zomboss, formally known as Dr. Zomboss. Released in 2009, Plants vs Zombies is a game that has captivated the hearts and brains of many, especially mine.
The repetitive yet exhilarating nature of the game has me hooked. It has a relatively simple premise, yet is so fun. The five-by-nine plane of checkered turf is readied for plants to slurp up its nutrients as golden drops of sun fall from the sky. Players can use the sun to buy plants that have been genetically modified to be sentient beings and lethal weapons.
The difficulty of the levels range from chill to absolutely insane. The first few levels are basically tutorials on how to play the game, but as the levels progress, things get more and more crazy. Contrary to popular belief, the final roof level isn’t the most difficult- it’s actually the final fog level. The screen is black for most of the game, except for the occasional lightning flash where you can see what is going on, so the level is played mostly in darkness. I always fly by the seat of my pants when I play that level, but I’m a professional PvZ player, so I never lose.
All of the defenses are creatively designed to resemble the plants they’re inspired by, and each one has their own unique abilities. My favorite plant is the melon-pult. It is insanely overpowered and is the perfect plant for any level. The only downside is that it costs 300 suns, which is quite a lot but is definitely worth it.
The zombies are also creatively designed. My favorite is the conehead zombie. According to the official PvZ Almanac, he loves to party, and I think that’s rather humorous. My least favorite zombie is the football zombie. He is unnecessarily difficult to defeat and doesn’t even know what football is according to the official PvZ Almanac… what a poser.
Though there is a second game, it hardly compares to the OG. PvZ 2 has over 300 levels and is still being updated and expanded on, while the superior first game only has 50 levels and was last updated in 2018. Although the second game has more plants, levels, zombies, events, and mechanics, the first game still surpasses it in funness. It makes me sad that my favorite mobile game has been neglected for so long, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it I guess. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
As the last zombie falls, you claim your victory and your reward: a bag of coins. Plants vs. Zombies will always have a special place in both my heart and brain. Even 13 years after it came out, the game is still just as whimsical as the first time I played it.
