Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville - Cultivating Fun in Familiar Soil
A refreshing mix of chlorophyll and gunpowder, but does it flourish or wilt?
last updated Jan 18, 2024
Neighborville can be a lush and creative playground, though the weeds of a smaller player base and technical issues may need some attention.
Trowels and Controllers - The Gameplay Gardening Guide
Stepping into the leafy arena of Battle for Neighborville, veteran gardeners of the series might feel a bit mulch-y with déjà vu. The underlying soil — a cutesy, fast-paced third-person shooter where horticulture meets horror — remains fertile, with an array of new shoots sprouting up promisingly. The absence of variants has fertilized a hotbed of dissatisfaction among some series purists, but in truth, this pruning has cultivated a streamlined experience. Balancing issues can sprout up like weeds, especially when you're a fresh seedling facing off against ancient oaks with hundreds of hours logged. The addition of a story mode offers a verdant retreat from the competitive mulch, though it's admittedly not the bushiest hedge in the garden — a touch repetitive, akin to mowing the same patch of lawn several times over.
A Symphony of Squeals and Squawks
Strap on your ear buds, fellow green thumbs, because the auditory experience in Neighborville is akin to serenading your succulents — quirky, peppy, and vital for growth. The sound design's got enough quirks to keep your ears perked, with a cacophony of plant cries and zombie groans forming a harmonious backdrop to the botanical bloodbath. And lest we forget that catchy soundtrack! It’s like photosynthesis for your soul, fueling your gameplay with energy through its upbeat tempo. However, this compost isn't without its rotten bits; the in-game sound balance sometimes feels as though someone's planted their foot on the volume control, resulting in occasional audio mayhem.
Through the Greenhouse Glass - Graphics and Performance
As for the greenhouse aesthetics, Neighborville's graphical sprouts boast vibrant colors and a charming art style that's bound to put a chlorophyll-filled smile on your face. The performance, on the other hooded cloak of a Scarecrow, sometimes withers under pressure. Reports of game crashes are like gnats at a picnic — irksome and unfortunately, not that rare. It seems that the game, much like a delicate Venus Flytrap, has an appetite for more processing power and isn't afraid to show it with less-than-optimal optimization. The aesthetic departure from the Garden Warfare series is divisive, with my personal jury still out farming for an opinion on whether the redesigns were a step in the right botanical direction.
The Environment Beyond the Hedge
Before slapping on our sun hats, we have to acknowledge the local climate of Neighborville’s community ecosystem. The multiplayer garden is facing an ecological crisis: a playerbase drought. Finding a game can sometimes feel more difficult than convincing a cactus to cuddle. And just like introducing an invasive species to an ecosystem, the introduction of the EA Launcher seems to have inhibited growth rather than nurtured it. The multiplayer landscape is a teeming jungle of both blossoming fun and gnarled frustrations, flourishing one moment and barren the next. However, when the conditions are just right and the sun of matchmaking shines upon you, the gameplay in full bloom is indeed a treat.
STEAM RATING
Developer
PopCap
Publisher
Electronic Arts
Release Date
June 04, 2020
Verdict and Summary
Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville is a curiously fun shooter that, despite sometimes tripping over its own roots, manages to capture some of the magic of its predecessors. Its straightforward gameplay, paired with a whimsical, engaging aesthetic, makes it a title worth considering — especially if you can snag it during a sale. While it may not fully satiate the hunger for those craving the rich biodiversity of Garden Warfare’s past, it offers enough joyous chaos to keep you anchored in its world, albeit with an eye on untamed balancing and technical brambles. At the heart of it, Neighborville can be a lush and creative playground, though the weeds of a smaller player base and technical issues may need some attention from the gardening team at EA.
