Plants vs Zombies Heroes is a surprisingly deep game in a comic package

Plants vs Zombies Heroes just got a worldwide release after a limited soft launches in Brazil, Romania, New Zealand, Canada, Australia and Ireland. There are five games in the franchise so far, and the game is very different from the classic tower defense in Plants vs Zombies or Plants vs Zombies 2. Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare and its sequel, Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 were third person shooters in addition to the tower defense base game. Plants vs Zombies Heroes goes in a fresh new direction for the franchise and is a collectible card game, with tower defense mechanics.  The game plays out as a funny comic book. There are our favorite characters from the old games, including the Pea Shooter, Crazy Dave and Z-Mech from Garden Warfare. The game starts when Dr Zomboss in his giant mech Zombot equipped with the Hero-Tron 5000 ray gun starts zapping zombies and transforming them into heroes with superpowers. The Hero-Tron 5000 malfunctions, and converts plants into heroes as well. This event that has worldwide repercussions that gamers will find over the course of the game, sets the stage for another epic confrontation between plants and zombies. [caption id=“attachment_342146” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  familiar characters from previous titles are in PvZ Heroes, including Crazy Dave![/caption] There are five lanes, and the plant and zombie Heroes stand on either side deploying minions and executing special moves. There are two kinds of cards available. Fighter cards are deployed on a lane and persist till they lose health. Cards can be placed strategically in lanes to be more effective. For example, putting a burning plant in front of a pea shooting plant makes the peas burn. Trick cards have various special effects, including a tornado that randomly removes opponents or a flower that heals a hurt plant. [caption id=“attachment_342147” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  The Zombie Hero deploys troops and tricks from the top of the screen.[/caption] There are four stages for every turn of the game. First the AI plays their cards on a lane. The player then chooses cards depending on the amount of sun available. The sun is replenished in every turn, and does not carry over, so it is best to use as much of it as possible in that turn itself. After the player lays down cards, the zombies can perform tricks. This can mean dealing damage, making plants disappear or a zombie squashing the plant by coming down from a dangling rope. Finally, it is the combat phase, and the cards play out their moves according to the capacity. [caption id=“attachment_342148” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  The Plant Heroes have to make all their moves, including tricks in the first phase of a turn itself.[/caption] The gameplay feels like a living and breathing comic book. The animations are fast, edgy and cute. It is a polished title that draws you into the game, the more you play and explore. You can collect heroes, and each hero has its own deck. [caption id=“attachment_342154” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Heroes unlock as you play.[/caption] There are singleplayer campaigns and you can choose to play on the zombies side as well. There are daily quests available as well, to expand your roster of heroes. Plant Heroes include Green Shadow, Spudow and Chompzilla. Zombies Heroes include Super Brainz, Impfinity and Immorticia. [caption id=“attachment_342149” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Behold the Green Shadow. No pea pod has ever been so heroic in video gaming history.[/caption] Each of the heroes have their own unique abilities and powers, that are more or less effective depending on the opponent. Players have to carefully choose their decks, balancing the power against availability of sun. Less powerful cards may have to be thrown away to make room for more powerful ones. [caption id=“attachment_342155” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  The Deck for Green Shadow.[/caption] Both Plant and Zombie heroes have their own set of classes, which requires gamers to explore various playing styles. Additionally, the top and bottom lane have their own meta. The top lane is for plants that work better at a height, and the bottom lane is for amphibious plants. [caption id=“attachment_342150” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Cards affect nearby cards and are more effective in some lanes.[/caption] However, that is not all. Plants vs Zombies Heroes has a further trick up its sleeve that has the potential to make it a truly long lasting title. The multiplayer mode allows users to match their collected decks against other players. There is a casual multiplayer mode, and a ranked multiplayer mode. The fun here is in building the most powerful and streamlined deck of cards possible. The ranked league has seven stages, with increasing gem rewards in each tier. [caption id=“attachment_342153” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Two multiplayer modes for differing levels of involvement.[/caption] Plants vs Zombies Heroes is a free to play game with in app purchases available for iOS and Android. For those who prefer the classic tower defense title, just check for updates on the Plants vs Zombies 2. The title is still living, and getting regular content updates. [caption id=“attachment_342141” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Image: Plants Vs Zombies Heroes[/caption]