Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare

Multiplayer shooters are mostly dedicated to mature audiences, because they usually contain graphic violence and the probability of bad language. While that certainly doesn’t seem to stop kids from overcrowding the Call of Duty servers, there are a few options for those who despise excessive violence as well.

Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare is an online shooter that focuses on multiplayer action, rather than the usual tower defense-style gameplay of the series. Hence, you can now get a bit more personal with the zombies and use the plants to move around the battlefield. Players can either choose to play in cooperative modes against the zombies, or battle each other in versus matches, although both options are fun.

To keep you from getting bored, there are plenty of maps to play on, all of which have unique traits and objects to defend or capture. In the cooperatives modes, most of your job is to keep the zombies from capturing certain objects, but things get more heated when you have to face other players. Capture the Flag modes are included as well, although they are cleverly disguised as “Capture the Taco” maps in this case.

Another thing that was designed to keep you interested in the action for long periods of time is the customization process, which allows you to change the character’s appearance along the way. By completing challenges and winning matches, you also gain experience points, which can be used to unlock powerful attacks and abilities. Cosmetic items can be purchased or earned as well, so there are more than enough reasons to keep playing.

Lastly, the visual quality impresses as well, especially when you consider the fact that this is mainly aimed at the casual market. Everything looks exquisite, and you can tell that the 3D artists put a lot of effort into the models and the environments. On the other hand, such beauty comes at a pretty steep price, and not many casual gamers may have a computer capable of running DirectX 10 games at a smooth framerate.

Apart from the unusually high system requirements, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare is definitely a pleasant game, especially if you are not looking for something overly complicated. On the other hand, the action can be a little disorienting at first, especially if you are not accustomed to shooters.