The Quirky Personality of "Plants vs. Zombies"

The Quirky Personality of "Plants vs

The Quirky Personality of "Plants vs. Zombies"

The tower defense genre is perhaps one of the oldest and, at its core, most simplistic of game types. A sub-genre of the strategy games field, tower defense games require the player to use limited resources to secure a given location from repeating waves of attack. The Square-Enix and Namco collaboration "Crystal Defenders" is an example and part of the core gameplay of "Defense of the Ancients" was derived from tower defense. However, few games are used as the showcase example more than last year's breakout hit, "Plants vs. Zombies."

What this title brings to the genre that wasn't there before is sparse. The core of the gameplay is the same and, in many ways, the options and resources available should be familiar to veterans of the tower defense archetype in function. However, that doesn't mean the game refuses to break from the traditional mold of its genre. It has removed mazes and juggling, two common features to most games of this type, due to their perceived complexity. "Plants vs. Zombies" also adds customization options at certain points, which has the remarkable effect of increasing the number of options that a player has available without actually increasing the things he can deploy.

It seems that a good combination of simplicity and strategy was involved in the creation of the game, to good results. The gameplay is simplistic - grow a plant, place the plant in the zombie hordes' way, rinse and repeat. The various pieces that can be placed are either commonplace for the genre for what they do or are modifications and twists of them. However, the number of options available and the "cutesy" coating of the plants add a touch of something to them that can't quite be defined. There's a definite saccharine quality to the design, but also a grittiness to it that is remarkably satisfying when a common pea-shooting pea plant (there's a certain amount of poetry to that notion) takes down one of the brain-eating undead swarm.

The design of the plants can make people assume they're a large part of the appeal. That assumption would be largely correct. Each of the plants has its own particular "personality," shown by their design. That steely, adamant gaze of the Tall-nut plant and how it cries is a commonly cited example of this. Then there is the subtle humor of the Squash and its function - it is used as a blunt instrument, "squashing" zombies. The humor and personality of the game is a good addition.

"Plants vs. Zombies" is clearly a game designed for casual gamers, like most of the tower defense archetype. Yes, it has a lot more options, but more hardcore strategy players will want their hands on titles like "StarCraft II" or something. While the zombies are still zombies, their design leaves them just as "cutesy" as the plants, which is liable to turn off the people who like their undead horrifying, twisted mockeries of the living. In simple terms, the game isn't going to appeal to everyone - then again, since when has any game been able to appeal to everyone?

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