When the first Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare was revealed at E3 2013 it was met with restraint, with many dismissing the title for straying from the original formula. However once release the first Garden Warfare quickly rose to acclaim due to its unique style and wacky combat system. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 builds on the same edifice of the first game with more modes, classes, character customization and maps. It’s an improvement from the first game but as a full-retail game it falls short of greatness.

The brand new HUB area is the most notable change from the original game. Here plants and zombies contest one area on opposite sides of the map. It’s been cleverly designed to highlight each faction’s allegiance. The area is saturated with secrets to uncover and areas to explore, including a few mini-games for those looking for a distraction from the core game. The rivalry between Crazy Dave and Dr. Zomboss is explained here in more detail in this small open world, with charming jokes saturating most of the dialogue.

The hub world is where you buy packs, customized your characters, look at your various accomplishments in the form of trophies and portal to different modes. In conjunction to the online multiplayer options players have access to a horde mode called Garden/Graveyard Ops, depending on which side you’re fighting and a single-player campaign. The campaign is hollow, with a mixture of fetch quests and horde mode matches. With the exception of a final reward at the end the campaign yields little experience and low amounts of currency. It’s the competitive multiplayer that you’ll spend most of your time playing.

Like the first Garden Warfare instead of preventing an army of zombies from entering the home of your creator, Crazy Dave, players take control of either plants or zombies to defeat the other. Three new characters have been added to both sides, bringing the grand total to 14 characters. It’s clear that PopCap designed each class with care; all of them are visually spectacular. Each character plays in different ways, with distinctive attacks, movement speeds, health, special abilities and variants. There’s up to 110 different character alternations that change the function of each class.

Each class has a specific archetype, such as Tank, Sniper, Support or Medic. Every class has a counter-character, with Engineers able to force Chompers out of the ground or the Citron’s shield absorbing damage from the Imp’s combat robot. Forging a team of diverse classes is essential to victory and since the roster is rich players will find multiple favorites to choose from.

For those who played the first Garden Warfare PopCap has given you the ability to transfer all your characters over, a special thank you for supporting the original game. Even with these advantages players brand-new to the battlefield can easily obtain the status of MVP, which is rewarded at the end of each match. Not only does the counter-class system allow for newcomers to enjoy the game but players are rewarded for offensive play, defensive tactics and teamwork with extra experience and currency. While some may find the absent of sprinting, crouching and a melee option the shooting is solid and controls are precise.

The modes in Garden Warfare 2 have been expanded on. You have the standard Team Deathmatch and Domination to play, but with a Plants vs. Zombies twist, but now Zombies and Plants have been become more available. For example Turf Takeover, which is a variant of Battlefield’s Rush mode, now has specific maps designed for Plants and Zombies, each ending with a different task specific to that faction. Other modes include Vanquished Confirmed where players must collect coins from fallen players before the opposing side can to gain a point and Gnome Bomb has a garden gnome randomly appear on the field and must be delivered to a specific location. Those still not confident enough to join the ranks of the competitive arena can play the Welcome Mat option, an option specifically designed for beginners and only accessible for players of specific low-level.

Despite have such a broad character selection Garden Warfare 2 suffers from major padding. Characters level individually; this means one variant doesn’t level with the rest. Instead players have to commit to playing a certain character and type to yield results. Character passive abilities are linked to leveling up, requiring dedication to multiple variants if you intend to get the most of each character class. Experience does become more difficult to accrue as you level but with over 110 variants leveling becomes more of a chore.

The previously method of how to unlock new characters remains the same. Players must purchase booster packs to obtainconsumables, costumes and variants. Different sticker packs grant specific stickers randomly. There’s no guarantee you’ll unlock what you’re hoping for. With such a wealth of content the slow-paced purchasing system and random nature of sticker packs add more unnecessary padding. Those willing to spend real-world money can speed up the process if they desire.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is a great improvement from the previous game. The addition of new classes, maps and variants allow for diverse multiplayer content for better competitive matches. The single-player is shallow and progression can become vexing but overall PopCap has succeeded in crafting a worthy sequel to the first Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is a wacky and fun third-person shooter and worth checking out for those looking for a refreshing competitive title.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
Twitter | YouTube | Facebook