Not long ago, we published an in-depth preview of Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare for Xbox One and 360. Electronic Arts had invited us to play the game’s competitive Team Vanquish mode, which proved to be tons of fun. Somehow, the transition from tower defense to third-person shooter works really well with Plants vs. Zombies.
Of course, most decent shooters have more than one game type. Garden Warfare is no exception. This week, PopCap revealed a gameplay video and new details about the game’s “Gardens and Graveyards” game type. The capture and defense-based mode will require serious teamwork in order for one of the game’s rival factions to succeed. Check out the video and our impressions after the break.
Gardens versus graveyards
Garden Warfare’s competitive modes are team based affairs. “Gardens and Graveyards” supports two teams of 12-players, making for massive 24-person shoot-outs. Things would get cramped if the levels were too small. The video that PopCap released shows a gigantic map consisting of interconnected islands and multiple bases to capture and defend, so breathing room shouldn’t be much of a problem.
The Gardens and Graveyards game type puts the Plants in charge of defending their garden bases from the invading zombies. They’ll do so with guns and glory, plus some base fortifications. The defend-the-base aspect is quite similar to the mainline Plants vs. Zombies games, except with much more action this time.
The Zombie team starts out in the lair of the nefarious Dr. Zomboss – the final boss of the original Plants vs. Zombies. From there, the undead team will rush towards the first of the Plants’ bases. If the Zombies manage to take the base, it becomes a respawn point and puts them one step closer to capturing their final objective. The Plants can retake the base, but they’ll have to contend with the Zombies’ fortifications when they try it.
The Zombies’ final objective in the video’s Driftwood Shores map is the Plants’ Mega Flower Lighthouse. Will they succeed in capturing it? Not if the Plants team plays skillfully and pulls together when it counts.
More to come
Garden Warfare features two more game modes: Team Vanquish and Co-op (probably not the final name). In Team Vanquish, the goal is simply to help your team reach 50 kills (called Vanquishes here). Team deathmatch has been done to death in first- and third-person shooters, but Garden Warfare stands out thanks to its unique classes and the creative special abilities each class gets to wield. See our hands-on impressions for more details.
As for co-op, the online mode supports up to four Plants players. They’ll take on waves of AI zombies and bosses in their efforts to keep their gardens (and human creators) safe. The Xbox One version also allows 2 local players to team up in split-screen co-op. The 360 version is limited to online play.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare arrives both on the Xbox One and 360 on February 18 of next year. The Xbox One version will cost $39.99 while the Xbox 360 version will ring up for $29.99. Preorder either console version to receive two in-game card packs that will unlock various customization options.
