Plants vs. Zombies is a trailblazer, laying the foundation for tower defence and strategy games back in 2009. Tactical and tense, but oozing charm with its quirky premise and characters, the title has gone on to be ported to practically every platform since, whilst spawning a handful of sequels. In lieu of a new entry, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted returns to where it all began. If you’re on the fence about picking this one up, stay tuned: here are 15 things you need to know.
It’s PvZ, but HD
Even though there’s enough appetite for a new entry, Plants vs. Zombies is instead returning to its roots – this time, in glorious HD. Proving that good game design is timeless, the original garden themed tower defence is back, now with a freshly mowed lawn and re-painted fence. This is an HD port of the original game – same source code, upscaled and widescreened in 4K. Some graphics are being imported from the iPad HD port, with the remainder being retraced. While mechanically unchanged, Plants Vs. Zombies: Replanted’s sharp edges aren’t just for beauty’s sake but ensure obscured elements from earlier versions – seed packet sprites, item price fonts, particles – are more clearly visible.
New Content
Replanted’s Steam page confirms the remaster is “packed with new secrets and content to uncover.” We know Adventure Mode will feature, followed by Mini-Games, Puzzle, and Survival Modes once the campaign has been completed. As for new content, well, it’s not entirely new: Bonus Levels! is a mode exclusive to Replanted – packaging the majority of the Limbo page mini-games from the original PC version, including them as newly playable levels whereas earlier versions required a Cheat Engine to access.
Mini-Games Will Feature
Plants Vs. Zombies and Mini-Games are peas in a pod. Of the series’ storied Mini-Game catalogue, most are returning in Replanted – HD polished like the rest of the game. Confirmed as included are fan-favourite detours Wall-nut Bowling, Slot Machine, ZomBotany, and more, with the remaster promising even more chaotic fun than their earlier versions.
Some Platform-Exclusive Mini-Games Excluded
There are a couple of reasons why certain Mini-Games that appeared on specific platforms are set to be excluded in Replanted. First, certain platforms relied on extra apparatus – the Nintendo DS and its stylus, for instance – meaning we’re unlikely to see Homerun Derby or Air Raid in Replanted. Secondly, Replanted’s cross-platform launch suggests some Mini-Games wouldn’t be compatible, meaning iPad and Android-exclusive Buttered Popcorn could miss out.
New Multi-Player Modes
Something new Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted brings to the table is two multi-player modes: Team Up is a co-op mode with two players defending the yard together, and PvP where two will battle head-to-head to take control of the zombies. Both of these modes are local only, and currently there is no word on whether online multi-player will become available.
No Microtransactions
Here’s some welcome news – it has been confirmed that Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted will not feature microtransactions. All skins, cosmetics, and upgrades are attainable in-game; everything is included in the price. Furthermore, there are currently no DLCs planned. Whether that changes in the future likely depends on how commercially successful this remaster is.
New Solo-Challenge Mode: Cloudy Day
Cloudy Day is a gloomy new feature, where dark clouds block sunlight and sunflowers take an adorably animated snooze. Appearing in ten non-linear Adventure Mode levels, Cloudy Day tasks players with managing their sun production, using sunny periods to plant as many sun-producing plants as possible and stockpiling their produce before the storm rolls in. Under cloud cover, players will need to rely on their existing defences until the sunshine returns. During cloudy spells, seed packet costs are halved and they’ll reload faster. Cloudy Day presents new layers of strategy, with players having to think strategically about their defences in preparation for a rainy day.
Another New Solo-Challenge Mode: Rest in Peace
Or R.I.P., for short – Rest in Peace is a hardcore permadeath mode set to test the mettle of experienced PvZ players. This optional toggle for Adventure Mode transforms the campaign into a one-life gauntlet, where losing a level forces players all the way back to the start. There’s a rogue-like twist to R.I.P. Mode too, with Crazy Dave pre-selecting three seeds to use exclusively on each level. With difficulty set to ramp up quickly, Rest in Peace promises the tensest PvZ experience to date.
Tree of Wisdom Returns
The original Tree of Wisdom revealed hints the more it grew, with “cheat codes” rewarded as its hefty trunk reached certain milestones. It’s likely the Tree of Wisdom will function similarly in Replanted, however there is an innovation tied to the tree unique to the remaster. Now, players can customise visual options via the Tree of Wisdom’s toggle buttons, with one confirmed option being to switch to a pixellated Browncoat Zombie skin. There’s a pre-order bonus item that can be toggled on or off here too – we’ll outline this item later.
PvZ 2’s Speed-Up Button Appears
A welcome quality of life addition makes it way over to Replanted – the ability to speed up time. While not available in the 2009 original, now Plants vs. Zombie players will be able to turbo boost the action up to 2.5x faster. Levels can take a minute to get going, so the speed-up function is a nice addition. It can make gathering sunlight a little trickier though.
There’s an All-New Art and Concept Library
Placed in a new section within the Almanac, the all-new Art and Concept Library charts all the development and pre-production art and sketches of the game. On the one hand, this is a nice nod to the game’s legacy, and should provide an interesting browse for new and veteran players alike. On the other hand, there’re legitimate question marks over the Library given the game’s original artists are not affiliated with the remaster.
Pre-Order Bonus
We mentioned it a minute ago – pre-ordering Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted gives a delightfully retro peashooter skin, drawn in the same pixellated style of the already-mentioned Browncoat Zombie. It’d be nice if more retro skins are available in-game as one-or-two pixellated characters might look out of place in Replanted’s high-res garden. Also worth pointing out here is that Replanted is a digital only release. No physical release has been revealed so far.
Release Date, Platforms, and Price
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted releases worldwide on October 23rd. The game is available on pretty much every major platform, both past and current generation hardware. PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, or the EA app. Reasonably priced too, retailing at $19.99 / £17.99.
PC Requirements
Playing PvZ: Replanted won’t require too demanding a setup: 3rd gen Intel i3 or AMD FX-6300 processor, Intel Integrated Graphics and 4GB RAM are your minimum requirements. An Intel i5 or equivalent CPU, Radeon HD 7730, GeForce GT 640 or better GPU, and 8GB RAM are recommended specs. 4GB storage space is required. Controller support is available on PC, which is especially useful for those local co-op and PvP sessions.
No Mod Support
Replanted will not ship with official mod support. Despite this being a heavily requested feature, modding continues to be sidelined. Reportedly, the original 2009 game code was tough to modify, and without Steam Workshop Support, the modding community surrounding PvZ wasn’t as plentiful as it arguably could have been. It’d be nice if this changed, but players should be prepared for official mod support to not arrive.
