Plants vs. Zombies: an Amusing, Addicting Game For All Ages

We don't really do software reviews here at MFM, but I've been pleasantly surprised by a new game that is perfect for new Mac owners, young and old. I originally heard about Plants vs. Zombies from Leo Leporte as his pick of the week on Mac Break Weekly. He did warn everyone that it's a complete time suck, but how bad could it be for someone like me who rarely plays computer games? Answer: really bad.

The general idea is that zombies are trying to attack your house and get inside. Your job is to plant a variety of plants that will defend your house. First you start in the front yard, then the back yard with swimming pool, then at night and finally on the roof. I'll let Earnest Cavalli at Wired explain it better. From his review:

One part chess, one part “tower defense” and one part World of Warcraft, the latest creative stunner from PopCap Games is an addictive whole that’s much more than the sum of its parts. Corpses are rising from their graves, and your army of militant plants is the only line of defense between the unholy mob and the delicious brains to be found inside your suburban home. Peashooters fire deadly legumes. Cherry bombs explode. You get the idea.

I won't go into detail about how to play the game, instead I'll tell you why it's one of my Favorite Things. 

1. It's not a gore-fest zombie game. Instead it's a comic, cartoony game with an amusing sensibility.
2. My 6 and 7 year olds like it at least as much as I do. My wife has also played it. It's got that Wii attraction and skill level for everyone.
3. It's got just the right balance of variety of game play, escalation of levels and bonus material to make you keep coming back for more.
4. $20 buys you 5 licenses. So I can have it at the office, on my laptop and on the kids' Mac.
5. There is something Mac-like about it that is hard to pin down. It may be the smiling sunflower that reminds one of the Mac OS logo or just that it is fully thought through at all levels, and is accessible to newbies while still challenging to the experts.
6. There's a zombie bobsled team coming after you. Really.

In retrospect, Plants vs. Zombies has been one of the best $20 I've spent on my Mac. I've gotten way more than that in value from the game. I'll leave you with final bit, the video trailer that really shows the sensibility of the creators: cute, funny, weird.

DIG DEEPER

The game at PopCap

Wired's Review of Plants vs. Zombies

Edge's Review of Plants vs. Zombies

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