Super cute and super super addictive, plants vs. zombies (Read Gamespot Review) is a game where the antagonists have a most nefarious design, to eat my brains (Aaarrgggghhhh!). In a parallel universe around a beautifully colored cartoon house, hoards of zombies have launched an all out attack on the frontyard, backyard and the brightly tiled roof. Their demand is very simple. They want the brains of the person in the house, and that happens to be me. And I am not going to give my brain up without a fight. Like Will Smith so well portrayed in "I am legend" and Milla Jovovich in "Resident evil", its hard work to save your brains from these supposedly brain dead zombies. Why do they need my brain again? Anyway, technicalities aside, a zombie that just sits around is not much fun. Give him a whiff of the delicacy of his dreams, a raw fresh brain, and he can become so interesting. Interesting enough to kill a whole weekend clicking the mouse buttons like crazy. I might just get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome if this game goes one for another day.
So, there are these zombies attacking my house from all directions. They start during the day, but then grow in courage and desperation to reach their meal (that's shivering in my head). They then decide to attack the backyard for a weakness. And when the fort holds under my brain's able (and selfish) leadership, they launch an attack of an unprecedented scale on my roof. How did they get up there when the frontyard and the backyard are safe? Bungee zombies would you believe? And as if fighting crazy zombies handing from bungees is not enough, there is a dancing zombie with four accompanying dancers around him who looks too much like Michael Jackson in thriller. Then there is the huge zombie with a dwarf zombie on his back who is launched behind enemy (me) lines. Then there is a joker zombie, a pole vaulting zombie, one with a ladder, a miner zombie, a flying zombie and the list is almost endless. At a point of time you might even wish to simply be dead rather than have to face these persistent undead who love having their heads roll. And when one puts a bucket on his head he becomes much more difficult to kill. After all, there are no gunpowder based weapons to blow these walking cadavers sky high. This is a game that is environmentally conscious and allows only euro IV compliant power to stop the imminent lightheaded feeling.
So to fight this menace, the stash of weapons under my hood is...... Plants. That's right. You have fight off hoards of brain hungry zombies with the green thumb. No nuclear weapons, no M16, no grenades. Hell, there are no guns and knifes. You will fight off these waves with cute looking colorful plants. But that is just the disguise of Clark Kent and there is superman's underwear in the jeans just under that button fly . Sunflowers and sunshrooms will fuel the war machine. Fuel to buy pea shooters (the basic infantry if you will), the zombie eaters (heavy infantry), the potato bombs (sappers), chemical mushrooms that can fume the wide eyed fanatics, from an amazing arsenal of zombie fighting tools from nature. There is even an atomic plant that leaves a barren crater while exploding and sending all the zombies on screen to their death (or second deaths). But alas, the atomic plant works only in the night and is expensive. For the middle game when the hoards are at the maximum, the star plant is good as it fires in five directions. Even the wall is a good defense, but can fall under the persistent hunger of the enemy.
There are more than 50 colorful levels, each long enough to build the tension but short enough to enjoy without really getting serious. After all its only dead guys who are losing their heads. We are allowed to keep ours in this game. Phew. With each level starting fingers twitch to start with a sunflower, but then the different strategies take shape. Should the corn lobber be built first or the cabbage lobber. Will a defensive approach be good or is offense the best defense. Zombies have a simple life so to say. All they have to do is walk in their trademark zombie and eat anything in their path. But I have to stop them from getting near my head. Lob a few cabbages, fire a few peas, strategically place a few garlic pods to make them change lanes.
The feeling is of really being in a war (with your legs up on the center table). Its exciting, its visually appealing, its fun. And thankfully its short enough to have ended in a weekend. Otherwise I would not have gone to office today. Pretty intelligent and insane in the same breath. And it is real value for money. A game where killing zombies is rated universal so that the kids can play it, is always welcome. And the bonus missions are going to keep me kicking the zombie butts for another weekend I think. So, for now, adios from the zombie killer (oxymoron?)
P.S. I think I heard a zombie whisper outside my window. Going to check it now. If I don't return, you know what to do. You don't? Hmm... You should spread the word and get all the peas you can.
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