Derrick
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- Joined
- Nov 22, 2010
- Messages
- 5,085
- Reaction score
- 5
Defend humanity against brain eating zombies? Sounds easy enough.
The human race is dwindling on the brink of extinction.
In their final fight for survival they rely on their skills in genetic mutation. With their relentless tampering with God’s creations, something was bound to go wrong and now the waters of the pool of life have spilled over into the vengeful hands of Mother Nature…and she has claws.
But from their freakish genetic experimentation some good may still prevail, for these horticultural abominations will be the weapons that allow man to fight back.
This latest gem from Pop Cap Games is one of the most addictive gams ever created. Not since the days of Karateka and another red plumber that shall remain unnamed, has there been a title that is able to keep a grown man or child so fixated to a square light emitting box.
With your trusty mouse, your main goal is to ward of all the waves of zombies that rush your happy home. Except, they aren’t coming to steal your Grandma’s china or mess up your scrabble collection. They are coming for one thing, and one thing only…brains, yours in particular.
The main focus of the game is strategy. You are given a selection of numerous war-fueled plants, and the task of each level is to place them in such positions as to stop the undead from reaching the end of the lawn. Each plant has a different function and ability, and how you place them is the main challenge of the game.
You have sunflowers which are your main resource producers, but at the same time you have peashooters (peas with machine gun heads) that act as your artillery. The sunflowers don’t have defenses, and will get demolished by incoming zombies, unless they are protected by, say for instance, a peashooter. So your success depends mostly on how adequatly you are at…well…keeping your garden tidy.
As you progress through levels numerous challenges abound. One of these challenges is the switch from day to night. No longer do your day plants function, which limits your arsenal once again to night plants like mushrooms. If that isn’t enough, the game then switches to your backyard, which is pleasantly filled with a swimming pool. The problem with this is that there are now aquatic enemies. These of course call for aquatic plants.
The way in which Pop Cap is able to keep the gamer guessing is truly miraculous, because just as you think you have found your stride and have the hang of the game, they throw another curve ball your way. However, each curve ball is covered in fun and requires strong hand eye co-ordination and will leave you with blistered clicking fingers.
The game increases in pace and difficulty as the levels progress, and with each new challenge comes new rewards in the form of new botanical weapons. The basic tit-for-tat or quid-pro-quo reward system is the perfect way to keep the gamer glued to the screen for hours, and Pop Cap games does this perfectly.
Fun Factor
Fun is the main element of this game. It has it in heaps and bounds, and commanding an army of vicious plant assassins is what I think every gardener secretly wishes for. Finally, the sadistic lust in your green fingers has been answered in the form of the digital massacre of the undead by the hand of our oxygen providing friends.
Visuals
Although this is a Pop Cap game and graphics aren’t its strongpoint, the cartoonish animations and bold textures give the game a unique feel which allows the gamer to forget about being dazzled by stunning visuals and rather mesmerized by addictive gameplay.
Story
Once again, seeing as though the game is level based, and there is no real story to be followed, one would think that any hint at a story would be completely out of the picture. This is where the idea behind the game is such a great one, and the faint hint of an intro is enough to fulfil your storytelling needs…completely.
Sound
The faint music humming in the background while you tend to your garden is relaxing and allows the gamer to keep his calm and act strategically instead of being distracted by cheesy rock tunes. Along with the score, the sound of the zombies getting splattered in the face by oversized peas is top-notch.
Originality
Never has there truly been a game like this. Although games like Castle Crashers and Pirate Bay might have the same type of concept, the idea behind using plants to battle the undead is more original than Riaan Krywagen’s toupee.
Longevity
After playing for almost 8 hours, I had merely progressed to the fifth level, and any signs at reaching an ending were nowhere to be seen. With each level containing almost 10 stages, and each stage having 3 huge waves of zombies…finishing this game is a true challenge.
Bottom line:
This truly is a game that doesn’t need much explanation, as the layout is rather simplistic, yet it is a form of simplicity that is more addictive than a Dragonball Z marathon. Heed my warning though, this is a game that under no circumstance should be installed on your work computer…it will render you jobless and lifeless in mere hours!
Review courtesy of My Gaming
The human race is dwindling on the brink of extinction.
In their final fight for survival they rely on their skills in genetic mutation. With their relentless tampering with God’s creations, something was bound to go wrong and now the waters of the pool of life have spilled over into the vengeful hands of Mother Nature…and she has claws.
But from their freakish genetic experimentation some good may still prevail, for these horticultural abominations will be the weapons that allow man to fight back.
This latest gem from Pop Cap Games is one of the most addictive gams ever created. Not since the days of Karateka and another red plumber that shall remain unnamed, has there been a title that is able to keep a grown man or child so fixated to a square light emitting box.
With your trusty mouse, your main goal is to ward of all the waves of zombies that rush your happy home. Except, they aren’t coming to steal your Grandma’s china or mess up your scrabble collection. They are coming for one thing, and one thing only…brains, yours in particular.
The main focus of the game is strategy. You are given a selection of numerous war-fueled plants, and the task of each level is to place them in such positions as to stop the undead from reaching the end of the lawn. Each plant has a different function and ability, and how you place them is the main challenge of the game.
You have sunflowers which are your main resource producers, but at the same time you have peashooters (peas with machine gun heads) that act as your artillery. The sunflowers don’t have defenses, and will get demolished by incoming zombies, unless they are protected by, say for instance, a peashooter. So your success depends mostly on how adequatly you are at…well…keeping your garden tidy.
As you progress through levels numerous challenges abound. One of these challenges is the switch from day to night. No longer do your day plants function, which limits your arsenal once again to night plants like mushrooms. If that isn’t enough, the game then switches to your backyard, which is pleasantly filled with a swimming pool. The problem with this is that there are now aquatic enemies. These of course call for aquatic plants.
The way in which Pop Cap is able to keep the gamer guessing is truly miraculous, because just as you think you have found your stride and have the hang of the game, they throw another curve ball your way. However, each curve ball is covered in fun and requires strong hand eye co-ordination and will leave you with blistered clicking fingers.
The game increases in pace and difficulty as the levels progress, and with each new challenge comes new rewards in the form of new botanical weapons. The basic tit-for-tat or quid-pro-quo reward system is the perfect way to keep the gamer glued to the screen for hours, and Pop Cap games does this perfectly.
Fun Factor
Fun is the main element of this game. It has it in heaps and bounds, and commanding an army of vicious plant assassins is what I think every gardener secretly wishes for. Finally, the sadistic lust in your green fingers has been answered in the form of the digital massacre of the undead by the hand of our oxygen providing friends.
Visuals
Although this is a Pop Cap game and graphics aren’t its strongpoint, the cartoonish animations and bold textures give the game a unique feel which allows the gamer to forget about being dazzled by stunning visuals and rather mesmerized by addictive gameplay.
Story
Once again, seeing as though the game is level based, and there is no real story to be followed, one would think that any hint at a story would be completely out of the picture. This is where the idea behind the game is such a great one, and the faint hint of an intro is enough to fulfil your storytelling needs…completely.
Sound
The faint music humming in the background while you tend to your garden is relaxing and allows the gamer to keep his calm and act strategically instead of being distracted by cheesy rock tunes. Along with the score, the sound of the zombies getting splattered in the face by oversized peas is top-notch.
Originality
Never has there truly been a game like this. Although games like Castle Crashers and Pirate Bay might have the same type of concept, the idea behind using plants to battle the undead is more original than Riaan Krywagen’s toupee.
Longevity
After playing for almost 8 hours, I had merely progressed to the fifth level, and any signs at reaching an ending were nowhere to be seen. With each level containing almost 10 stages, and each stage having 3 huge waves of zombies…finishing this game is a true challenge.
Bottom line:
This truly is a game that doesn’t need much explanation, as the layout is rather simplistic, yet it is a form of simplicity that is more addictive than a Dragonball Z marathon. Heed my warning though, this is a game that under no circumstance should be installed on your work computer…it will render you jobless and lifeless in mere hours!
Review courtesy of My Gaming