The latest edition to the Plants vs. Zombies franchise might confuse and even startle fans as the series isn't usually associated with the shooter genre. With Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, the series typical gameplay has been transformed into a third-person shooter with some remaining tower defense elements in which players assume the roles of various plants in battling waves of relentless zombies and other mischievous creatures. Each of the plants that players control contain specific traits and abilities following close in line with character classes from multiplayer shooters, not surprisingly similar to Battlefield 3.
During the E3 presentation of Garden Warfare, I was immediately drawn to the visual style that's powered by EA's Frostbite engine, which is able to provide stunning graphics while still maintaining the quirky and charming world of Plants vs. Zombies. All of the plants and zombies return with new additions, but more importantly the ability to switch between the direct control of plants on the actual battlefield. Plants ranging from the sniper-like cactus to the unit-healing sunflower were showcased during the presentation, each containing special abilities such as a precision corn missile strike and even a sun beam blast. I particularly enjoyed the variety between each of the plant's roles on the battlefield. The player also has the power to spawn new plants at specific points in the level.
The demo ended with the plants defending the base against a zombie disco boss that literally danced through the battlefield, which then was followed by a brief clip of the returning Gargantuar. Players will have to utilize the powers of all the plants to defeat the towering Gargantuar. While the game is a major contrast from previous games in the series, it seems as it will be a refreshing addition to the franchise as players can experience the world of Plants vs. Zombies from a new perspective.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare will be available exclusively first for Xbox One and Xbox 360 and then followed for release on PC and other systems.
