Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2: Deluxe Edition Review
The Suburban Backyard Just Got Wilder
last updated Dec 12, 2023
In the grand greenhouse of gaming, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2: Deluxe Edition is a prize-winning pumpkin.
The Garden That Combats Boredom
Picture this: you've booted up Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2, ready to lob baby corn missiles and fling spiky spine shots - and let me tell you, the gameplay doesn't disappoint. At its core, this chaotic battlefield is meticulously manicured to balance nostalgia with fresh, innovative mechanics. The gameplay that shone in its predecessor has been buffed to a verdant gleam. Each match feels like it's been fertilized with the finest strategy, ensuring that every skirmish looks adorable yet has the competitive bite of a Venus flytrap. And while you're dodging ZPGs and chomping zombies like they're gluten-free brain snacks, you'll quickly realize this isn't your grandma's garden; it's a high-octane vegetative slaughterfest - and we're all living for it.
Sonic Fertilizer for the Soul
With a triumphant return to the speaker stack, the auditory delights in Garden Warfare 2 are akin to a symphony at the botanical gardens - if said symphony was composed of zombie groans and pea cannon whooshes. Who knew that an undead horde could carry a tune? Apparently, these guys can and do so with gusto. The soundtrack is to die, revive, and die again for, consistently setting the perfect tempo for the soil-and-sod showdowns. Lawn mowers meet rock operas in this game, and even when you're six feet under (menu screens), it's hard not to tap your petal to the beat.
A Feast for the Eyes, Not for the Bugs
This backyard brawl is painted with a palette that could make Bob Ross ditch his brushes for a controller. Vibrant, vivid, and just plain fun to look at, the graphics truly embody the game's zany charm. However, as with any great artworks, it's the finer points that can be a bit splotchy. While performance issues like random map ejections to the great beyond are reported, they're more like weeds - annoying but not enough to ruin the whole garden party. And given the age of the game, it's like looking at a well-preserved dinosaur, if the dinosaur was secretly a fun-loving unicorn in disguise.
Solo Sprouts and Multiplayer Mayhem
Whether you're a lone wolf-flower or a social sunflower, Garden Warfare 2 caters to all types. The solo experience is lush with content that can give multiplayer a run for its money. But of course, the real meat and potatoes lie in its online feast. The multiplayer is a well-tended plot brimming with character variety and inventive modes that provide a bountiful harvest of replayability. Just be wary of the occasional hacker-weed that seems to sprout up from time to time, a pesky reminder that no garden is ever truly free from pests.
STEAM RATING
Developer
PopCap
Publisher
Electronic Arts
Release Date
May 16, 2022
The Verdict
In the grand greenhouse of gaming, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2: Deluxe Edition is a prize-winning pumpkin. With splendidly crafted gameplay, sound that mechanically resonates with your chlorophyll, and graphics that are a visual tribute to nature's ridiculousness, this game remains a high-caliber romp through a suburban wonderland. Despite showing its age and harboring a few bugs in the mulch, the experience grows on you, vine-like, gripping you with boundless charm and a cornucopia of content. It's a hearty green thumbs up from this corner of the internet.
