Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted Review – Flower Defense Redux

Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted Review

It’s been 16 years since the gaming sensation Plants vs. Zombies first appeared. Since that time, the franchise has blossomed with new games and even a comic book series. There have been two direct sequels to the original, featuring the same familiar tower-defense structure. Additionally, the cleverly named Garden Warfare spin-off series featured a more action-orientated shooter approach to the franchise. Now, we’re travelling back to where it all began with Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted, an HD remaster of the original game.

At its core, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is the same game you fell in love with 16 years ago. It features the same 50 levels in the campaign Adventure mode. The same group of zombies will slink their way across your backyard in search of brains, while an eclectic group of plants, planted by you, will stand in their way. Oh, and your neighbour, Crazy Dave, is back to lend a hand, just like before.

The Complete Package

Adventure Mode is the meat of the game and broken down into five separate worlds. Each level requires players to fend off on-coming hordes of zombies by using a selection of plants, each with their own abilities. In order to plant a plant, you’ll need sunshine, which can be acquired in a variety of ways. You’ll need to figure out the right combination of support plants, defense plants, and offensive plants. Levels have 5 tiers of attack from zombies, so you’ll need to place plants strategically. If zombies make it past your defenses, a last ditch lawnmower will save your butt – but only once. If zombies make it past your defenses a second time, they’ll break into your house and eat your brains. Each world introduces some new dynamics that impact the overall gameplay. All this is to say there can be a lot of strategy involved, but Plants vs. Zombies does a really good job of easing players in and introducing them to new gameplay elements, plants, and even zombies, in a balanced way.

After completing Adventure Mode, you’ll gain access to three additional modes, Mini Games, Puzzle, and Survival, each of which provide unique new ways to experience Plants vs. Zombies. You’re getting the entire Plants vs. Zombies package here, which is exactly what fans have been longing for.

Instead of just a straight-forward port, the developers have taken some extra steps to add new content to Plants vs. Zombies, which is a welcome surprise. Included are two new challenging modes; Cloudy Day mode, where you’ll be faced with limited sunlight, and Rest in Peace mode, which includes permadeath – if you make a mistake in Adventure, you’ll be starting all over.

Flower Power with Other People

However, the greatest addition to Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is the new multiplayer modes. A PvP mode allows two players to compete against each other locally. One player is in control of the plants, while the other is in control of the zombies. While there are some balancing issues here, and there isn’t a huge amount of depth to it – it still provided a fun diversion. Even better is the local Co-Op mode, which allows two players to work together in exclusive co-op levels or the entire Adventure mode. The addition of a second player can make things a bit easier, but sharing resources also means that good communication skills are a must! There are no online modes.

There are a handful of other additions worth mentioning. A brand new Art and Concept Library gives fans a look at never-before-seen sketches showing the history of Plants vs. Zombies. A collection of Bonus Levels will give players some fresh new challenges to tackle. And a vast assortment of Achievements will motivate some players to push themselves. Speaking of which, the Achievements section is worth the visit for fans looking for an Easter Egg or two…

Pretty Flowers

A big draw to Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted will be re-experiencing the classic game with updated, HD visuals. Everything looks very crisp. The zombies are well detailed. It still maintains its classic look, and yet feels fresh at the same time. A toggle to switch between the updated visuals and classic visuals might have been nice for purists, but alas, no such luck.

Speaking of visuals, I did notice a slight visual hiccup in the PvP mode. In PvP, the zombie player collects brains, instead of sunshine, as a currency to purchase which zombies take to the field. And yet, each zombie shows their cost with a sunshine icon instead of a brain icon. A minor oversight which I imagine will be patched eventually.

Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is a worthy remaster of a classic, beloved game. When it was first announced, I was genuinely excited at the prospect of replaying this game. I imagine if you don’t have the same nostalgic feeling for Plants vs. Zombies, you might not share the same enthusiasm, but for fans, it’ll be nice to be back in the backyard. The updated visuals are crisp, but don’t expect anything too mind-blowing. I would have liked to see a deeper PvP mode, and the lack of any online mode might be a turn-off for some folks. The Co-Op mode is great and worth the price of admission alone. If you’re a fan of Plants vs. Zombies or looking to see what all the fuss is about, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is a great place to start.

***Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted key for Xbox Series X provided by the publisher for review.***