Star Hanabi: Plant Vs Zombies 2 Has Arrived!

When Plants Vs Zombies was released in 2009, it was an instant and long-running hit. As games go, this is what’s categorised as in the Tower Defence genre where enemies relentlessly attack your home, castle or tower.

So finally – FINALLY – the sequel appeared on the iPhone and iPad App Stores a few days ago. Echoing the thoughts of many gamers, the subtitle to Plants Vs Zombies 2 is “It’s About Time”. Unlike the first title, this one is free, but PopCap’s coffers will likely be replenished thanks to the numerous in-app purchases available.

After more than four long years, the sequel to the Plants vs Zombies is finally released.

The plot meaning of “It’s About Time” is that Crazy Dave, the frankly nutso neighbour from the first game is transported back in time to find his missing taco by a time-travelling camper van. I think I’ve got that right. Anyway, it means that the modern day lawn is replaced in turn by stones outside a pharaoh’s tomb, the deck of a pirate ship and the Wild West.

Each location has its own special zombies – a walking sarcophagus with a mummified creature inside, a honky-tonk player who causes the zombies to swap lanes, and a pirate who is carried aloft by a seagull, for instance.

And there’s more variety thanks to levels where the game assigns which plants you can use, or sets challenges such as not having more than 10 plants at a time or keeping the zombies from trampling the flowers.

Sometimes the challenge is too great but the joy is you can play each level until you make it through, or resort to those special powers if you really can’t.

A futuristic world is in the offing, which will be handy when you’ve exhausted the current ones but there are plenty of these. And repeat playing of individual levels can be satisfying. For instance, a yeti (wearing a fez) occasionally materialises somewhere in the game and if you defeat him, there’s a prize.

But it’s the core gaming which is the most compelling and it’s absolutely as addictive as ever. It looks great, is finely tuned to keep you from giving up and has enough novelty features to delight players for a long time.

Here's the official trailer :