Review of Plants vs. Zombies for Blackberry Playbook

Review of Plants vs. Zombies for Blackberry Playbook

I don't think that an introduction is needed for this application as it is one of the most popular and well known games on a mobile hand-set. However, it is my job to write an introduction so I guess here it is: Plants vs. Zombies is simply one of the oddest but most entertainment-filled tower defense games that has ever been created.

The franchise actually began on the PC in May 2009 and received high praise but it's when the game was then re-booted onto the iOS platform in February 2010 that the game really came into the limelight of the general public. Plants vs. Zombies for those who hadn't guessed is a tower defense game in which you play the defender of a house and you have to use plants to stop zombies from breaking into your house and killing you. Now we've done all the introductions, let's get on with the review of this very unique yet brilliant game.

As always we'll begin with the menus as I am a massive nerd and think that menus can sometimes make or break an application and is definitely what people base their first impressions on. The Plants vs. Zombies menu is very unique and is dealt with by using a gravestone as the main place where all your options are. To the left of the gravestone you have your achievements on some kind of stone flower; next to that you have the shop which you can access after you reach a certain level in the game; then there's the almanac which lets you see all the zombies and plants that you've encountered and then there are two flower pots at the end with options and help. On the actual gravestone is where the action is, you have the option to play the Adventure Mode or the option to play a quick game.

The adventure mod is essentially the story; you play as the gardener of a man who is trying to keep you and himself safe from the zombies using plants. There is a small development of actual story progression with the character as the crazy old man likes to pop up and talk to you every now and then, but it never gets deep and this is a game definitely centered around the gameplay aspect. Within the adventure mode you start off with just a couple of plants and as you progress you gain a new plant at the end of each level. If you are someone who loves a game where you feel like you're constantly upgrading to be able to deal with the oncoming slaughter of harder enemies then this game is definitely for you. There are 49 different types of plants to collect in the game, some are kind of just stronger versions of older plants, but there is definitely enough variety to keep you entertained. You also face up to 26 different zombie types within the game giving the levels a feeling of not being repetitive even though the premise for every level is the same. Now when I say that, it's not exactly true as you do get different game types to play in the adventure mode. There is a mode where you throw potatoes down the lines to knock out zombies; there's also a mode where the different plants come up on a wheel and you have to place down whatever you are given.

The game-play of PvZ is very simple which is why it is so addictive! Basically, you collect sun light which counts for twenty five points each and then you use this sunlight to buy plants to place on the field to defend your house. You collect sun light from the general sun or from certain plants that give out sunlight also; lovely and simple! The game-play just runs so smoothly, all the buttons are nice and easy to hit, everything works first time and just in general the game plays absolutely perfectly.

It's hard to review the graphics of a game that doesn't represent real life.. It's even harder to review the graphics of a game about plants! But one thing I know is that when I first began playing, I was pretty amazed at how beautiful and detailed all the zombies and plants were. I've played this game on the iPad too and it definitely looks nicer on the Playbook due to the higher PPI. The game plays really nicely too with no lag whatsoever; the zombies movements are flawless and even when a lot is happening on the screen, the Playbook can handle it.

The presentation of this game was marginally covered in the menus section of this review, however there is plenty more about this game! The developers have definitely taken their time with this one and it really shows with animations flowing about the scrolling being incredibly smooth. All the text looks very detailed, the menus are all very responsive and everything is easy to access and navigate. This application does definitely feels like it's been worked on well. By the developers on the presentation front.

Plants vs Zombies is definitely one of the hardest games I've ever had to review as there is so much in the game to review. As a result there are quite a few things I've missed out that you should go check out for yourself. But let me just say that you'll definitely love this game and will find hours of game-play from this Playbook application title. I can see why it won so many awards!

Price: £5.00

Presentation – 9.6

Graphics – 9.1

Gameplay - 9.5

Sound – 9.5

Lasting Appeal – 9.8

OVERALL – 9.5