Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville

Sometimes, when a promising game franchise gets stuck it goes the spin-off route, using the same characters or universe but completely changing the game style. This is exactly what PopCap and EA did with Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, being the sequel to the first spinoff of the franchise. Even though the original title of the franchise was based on real-time strategy and tower defense, these spinoffs are in a completely different game category. It is a charismatic new entry for this already excellent series, so, let's see what Plants vs. zombies: Battle for Neighborville is all about.

About the game

This second entry in the spinoff still follows the "hero shooter" game genre of shooting games. This basically means that you pick a "hero" and face off in different scenarios and game modes against the enemies, whether they are in other players or bots or AI-controlled enemies. Each hero has their own unique playability and this means you have to learn to control each different type.

Since every hero is unique, it also means they all have their own specific role inside a team, and you'll have to learn to work together as such. From long-range shooters to rapid fire characters, to some support/healers, as well as some tanks. It's really fun to play as each different hero and see which one works best for you and your gameplay style.

It is always useful to try to understand how to play all the characters, at least the basics. You never know when your team might need a healer or a tank, and you don't want to be stuck playing as a rapid shooter all the time. It also adds a lot of content and playable value to use different heroes.

Hero shooters

This genre is a fan favorite for online and local gaming and has been for a long time now. Some of the most popular currently being Valorant, these games have a huge fan base and tons of active players. They also have tons of content available thanks to all the customization you can get, unlock, and of course, buy. This is great for making your character unique, you can see some examples of how customization adds a lot to the game experience by checking games like Overwatch and Team Fortress 2.

Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville is the right twist of the Plants vs Zombies franchise, as it gives a completely new life for the beloved game world originally presented as a tower defense game. All the game modes and content make it an excellent game for competitive multiplayer, and the heroes are incredibly well balanced. The maps and the game design are great, and it makes for a really fun game to play.

Pros:

• Amazing visuals
• Balanced gameplay
• Fun to play
• Lots of content

Cons:

• Some server connectivity issues
• The PVE can be really easy

Load up your peashooters and get ready to get crazy with Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, the third game in this odd shooter series. With dozens of classes to choose from, you can enter the battlefield and play your desired role, helping your plant or zombie army reign supreme. Now with new modes, more classes, and lots of unlockables, Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville turns the dial up to 11. For those who like intense but strategic gunfights, this is a weird but awesome experience!

Main Game Features

• Wild and silly third-person shooting
• Over 20 playable character classes
• Local and online multiplayer

Gameplay

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville ups the ante from the previous game, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2, by making its combat quicker and more explosive. As before, the core gameplay revolves around team-based matches, where you play either against a computer-controlled team or another player, depending on what mode you're in. At the start of the match, you pick from the roster of 20 available characters, each with their own different play style. This includes damage-dealing classes, tanks, healers, and supports, and you'll need a good variety if you want a strong team. New classes have also been added, like the Acorn, Wildflower, and Night Cap, with special powers to make them stand out.

Once you're in the game, you'll want to play your role as best as possible, either attacking the enemy troops or supporting your own. All classes have a mix of abilities, so it's important to learn what each ability does and how to use it best. Each match has a plant army doing battle against a zombie army, usually in a fight over various objectives. Since there are infinite respawns, dying shouldn't worry you that much, but some modes will limit you to one life only. Don't be confused by the colorful, cartoony graphics, as this is a tough and intense shooter with lots of action.

Modes of Play

While other multiplayer games like Overwatch lack any story content, Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville includes some open-world quests for you to complete. Either playing by yourself or with friends in co-op, you can travel around a handful of maps, picking up quests from different NPCs. These quests see you battling against zombies, collecting items, and even fighting off bosses, all while you gain experience and level up your account. Although these player-versus-environment modes are enjoyable for a few hours, they're not fun enough to play more than once. Still, it's a nice inclusion and something you can kick back and play with your friends when you're not deep in competitive multiplayer.

Most of the modes in Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville focus on competitive player-versus-player combat. Many modes from Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare and the sequel are here, so if you had some old favorites, you can likely continue playing. This includes Turf Takeover, a 24-player game mode that has you battling over a payload as you explore expansive maps. Other modes, like Team Vanquish, are a bit more familiar and resemble standard Team Deathmatch from games like Halo. The most unique mode is Battle Arena, which sees you picking a new character in each round, with characters being locked after use. Overall, there's a good mix of co-op and competitive modes, both new and returning, so fans should be pleased with the selection.

Conclusion

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville might look silly, but the amount of action it provides is far from laughable. There are multiple maps to explore, dozens of playable classes, and a really good mixture of modes that never grows boring.

Pros

• Good variety in shooting styles
• Lots of modes
• Includes both co-op and competitive play

Cons

• Some disappointing changes
• Frequent graphical glitches
• Too many microtransactions