I’m not being dramatic when I call the original Plants vs. Zombies one of my favourite games of all time.
It’s got a relatively simple premise, but the increasing variation of levels combined with the various different plants and zombies that are featured makes it a rather compelling game. I was obsessed with the original PC version in 2009, and that interest translated into the alternative versions for Xbox Live, mobile, and even Nintendo DS.
In essence, it’s the game that introduced me to tower defense games, before I quickly learned that there aren’t really any other tower defense games quite like Plants vs. Zombies.
However, I never really got on with any of its continuations. The rather aggressive monetisation and complicated progression mechanics of Plants vs. Zombies 2 was a major turn-off for me, and the spin-offs like Garden Warfare or Heroes didn’t appeal either.
So, when Electronic Arts announced Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted earlier this year, I was generally rather excited, but still had some reservations.
This is the series that has implemented pay-to-win and freemium mechanics into a large number of its games in the past, and I generally find these systems to be off-putting. Especially for a series that originally began without those elements.
After putting about 20 hours into Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted over the last few weeks, a lot of these fears have subsided. It’s a rather faithful remaster in many ways, and less faithful in other ways. However, the major red flags I got from the initial announcement have been quelled, and I’m rather happy with the remaster as it is. There are no microtransactions, pay-to-win mechanics, or other rather dodgy monetisation tactics on display here.
It was always frustrating that the original PC release of Plants vs. Zombies is basically a mess to run on modern displays, and even became quickly outdated just a few years after it was originally released. The game is relegated to a 4:3 aspect ratio along with framerate stuttering and a low resolution of around 480p. With no settings to change this, it was an absolute mess to enjoy on PC.
Playing Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted on PC is a world of difference. The game now runs at resolutions up to 4K, it’s in wide-screen, and doesn’t suffer any major performance issues. It feels a lot more on par with the later versions of the game now in terms of enjoyability, with the original sprites upscaled to fit modern displays.
Electronic Arts hasn’t confirmed the exact process that it went about upscaling these sprites for 4K resolutions. In the leadup to launch, there were some concerns that the game had used generative AI to upscale the textures. When we reached out regarding concerns about AI usage to the developer, it did confirm that all the art was touched by hand. Whether that means the art was actually redrawn, or rather upscaled by AI and then touched up afterwards, remains to be seen (AI upscaling, despite having “AI” in the name, is completely different from generative AI. It doesn’t generate any new assets, nor does it take the job away from artists.)
On the other hand, there does seem to be an issue with the game’s music. In the original release, Plants vs. Zombies featured a dynamic audio feature, where the intensity of the game’s soundtrack would increase depending on the amount of zombies on-screen. It also had unique crescendos for when large waves of zombies would spawn, and it generally really helped the flow and pacing of each level.
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted doesn’t feature this, and instead uses a static track that plays throughout the entire level. It feels odd and out of place, and really takes away from the excellent music composed by Laura Shigihara. It’s a detail about the game that the composer herself has even noted.
Other Plants vs. Zombies developers have noted that they were not contacted for Replanted (as seen in this thread here), and it feels like a huge shame to not get the original team involved.
Many of the original developers are also left off the end credits screen too. You do get that excellent Zombies On Your Lawn music video to watch, which features credits for PopCap alumni such as Shigihara and Werner. But when the main credits start rolling, the original Plants vs. Zombies team appears to be absent.
It feels like a bit of a sting when there is a lot about this new re-release that will appeal to long-time fans. After all, it collects all the different game modes and features from different versions of the game into one unified platform. In particular, the addition of the controller support and multiplayer modes from the Xbox Live version gives the game a more casual appeal, which is great.. I love that my partner and I can just pick up two controllers and play a few quick versus rounds (even if it does feel a little unbalanced in favour of the Zombie team right now).
Even the brand new content, such as the new bonus missions and Cloudy Day missions, just gives the game a little bit of extra longevity. It’s the bonus modes and mini-games that made the original so enjoyable, after all. Cloudy Day, for example, essentially adds a new mini-campaign in which you need to defend the front lawn from waves of zombies while contending with the clouds putting your sunflowers to sleep. It adds a little bit of extra challenge by making plants harder to obtain due to diminished sun supply.
There’s also the new R.I.P. mode, a sort-of extra challenge that adds permadeath mechanics to the Adventure mode. Here, you’re locked to six seed slots with three more picked out automatically for you (as in the original New Game+ mode), but zombies are also more numerous and seem harder to kill. If you lose at any point during this mode, you’ll be sent back to the beginning and have to start your run all over again.
It’s this mode which makes Replanted worthwhile to me. The new mini-games, bonus campaign, and multiplayer are fun, of course. But being able to replay Adventure Mode with a huge sense of dread makes it such a unique challenge. There’s nothing more stressful than getting to level 5-9, essentially the final stretch of the game, when three gargantaur zombies get thrown at you. If you lose, that’s it. Back to square one. It’s quite fun.
I think Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is an excellent remaster that respects what makes the original game fun without adding anything too contrary to that experience. The new content is excellent and doesn’t feel too out of place with the rest of the game. Meanwhile, the conversion to HD and new controller support is excellent for PC players, and it’s also great that this will be available on platforms such as Nintendo Switch. Having played most of my hours on Steam Deck, I see this as being a great on-the-go game.
Pros: Excellent visual upgrade, compelling gameplay, fun new content
Cons: Minor audio issues, original developers not credited
For fans of: The original Plants vs. Zombies, Bloons Tower Defense, Kingdom Rush
8/10: Excellent
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted launches on 23 October on PC (version tested), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.
