Review: Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare (Xbox One)

In 2009, a tower defense game came out that had plants defending their gardens from zombies, a ridiculous premise that worked surprisingly well. The overhead or side view works well in this kind of tower defence game, so there were those who were skeptical when PopCap Games announced that they would be releasing a third-person shooter game based on the franchise. Skeptics, relax.

While this isn't anywhere in the league of a Call of Duty or something similar in size, if you just want to have some sit-down fun this game is exactly what the botanist ordered. There are various modes and while the graphics won't blow the lid off of your Xbox One, they are quite decent and clearly charming at the same time.

A minor annoyance is the need to create an EA account if you don't already have one (something console gamers should not be annoyed with, in my opinion) before gamers even begin and then players decide how to play.

There are various modes with the "Garden Ops" somewhat recreating the experience of the original 2D game where you and up to three other plays are pitted against wave after wave of zombies. This mode is a little laborious and difficult at times, making it a strange choice for first timers but you don't have to stay there too long if you don't want to.

Move beyond being just a plant into the choice of being a Zombie in the 12-on-12 matches that make up the bulk of the gaming experience. Different environments (more commonly known as maps) will have you hopping and shooting with all kinds of cool upgrades (a la in-game currency) and you might feel like you are experiencing some deja vu along the way. If you feel like you are playing a little bit of Team Fortress 2, that's no accident as that game apparently served as part of the inspiration on how to create a shooter that's fun, challenging and interesting all rolled into one.

There are eight characters in total to work with, but being able to purchase the next one is going to take quite a bit of work for you in terms of in-game playing to build up your currency. Expect to invest many hours to get to the point where you can buy the next character and then subsequent upgrades. There have been hints that the game will allow real-world transactions to get in-game currency but at the time of writing that had not  yet been implemented.

An important thing to consider about this game is that it is certainly more family friendly than some of the realistic shooters that are available today. The Xbox One version also includes split-screen co-op and SmartGlass and Kinect gameplay in Boss Mode, which are nice additions although they don't really change the overall feel of the game.

This game isn't going to change the landscape (sorry, I couldn't resist) of gaming on the Xbox One, but it is a well priced game that anyone in the family can play and enjoy. It might not be as addictive as some of the shooters but it's definitely an enjoyable experience and with the lack of software out on the machine right now it's definitely worth taking a look (and shot) at.

-Syd Bolton
Follow @sydbolton

The Good:
- Enjoyable, family friendly shooter
- Graphics are well suited to the environments - lively and colorful
- The variety of modes and upgrade options will keep you playing for quite awhile

The Bad:
- Some early modes can get difficult and frustrating for first-timers
- The path to upgrades can be long and overly gruelling

Score: 8.0 / 10

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Syd Bolton surrounds himself in thousands of classic video games as Canada’s top video game collector at the Personal Computer Museum (http://www.pcmuseum.ca) in Brantford, Ontario, Canada.