The Game

Plants vs. Zombies 2 is a free-to-play tower defense video game which is the sequel to Plants vs. Zombies. In this game, the player is a homeowner and has to decide on the type of plants to use to fight off waves of zombies so as to keep his garden alive. Each type of plant has its own unique role on the field, and zombies also differ in terms of health level. New and more powerful plants/zombies are unlocked or appear as the game progresses. This game requires the player to think and plan the strategy on the spot as the waves of zombies appear.

Official Website: http://www.popcap.com/plants-vs-zombies-2
YouTube Tutorial/Demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvYGXpPhv7Q

Analysis using Lenses

#1 – The Lens of Essential Experience

The main experience that players get is the trill of killing the zombies using different types of plants, which also requires some skills and tactics when planting the plants. The ultimate goal is to prevent the zombies from reaching the end point, hence players need to act fast. They need to think and plan carefully, or even change the type of plant halfway through the game when the zombies are too difficult to tackle.

However, in Plants vs. Zombies 2, a new way of killing the zombies is introduced, though at a cost (using the gold earned in the game). This new experience involves players using finger actions like pinching, swiping and flicking zombies away, and electrocuting the zombies by long pressing the screen. This makes the game more fun to players and brings more interactivity as players can directly “touch” and kill the zombies instead of just placing plants around the area and waiting for the plants to shoot the zombies down.

#2 – The Lens of Surprise

Several surprises are incorporated into the game, which adds an additional element of excitement for the players:

• Completing each level unlocks a new item: New plants, power ups, costume, gold, key to a new world, etc. The surprise involved here is that players cannot guess what they will be unlocking for the next level, which makes the game more interesting as the player is more motivated to want to complete the goal for the level and get rewarded with a surprise, which is something they can anticipate for but at the same time not knowing what they will get. The big boss will also randomly appear in some levels, adding on to the surprise as well, as players have to frantically fight it off.
• Graphics-wise, there is also an element of surprise when players use the new power ups or plants and watch how they are used to kill the zombies. The overall effects in the game (e.g. plants exploding zombies, burning zombies that suddenly appear, etc) are also pleasurable surprises to the player’s eyes, hence making the game more engaging to players.

#3 – The Lens of Goals

The ultimate goal of the game is to prevent the zombies from eating your brains, when they managed to walk to the end point. This goal is clear to the players, and is told to players at the very start of the game during the tutorial. The goal is generally achievable for the players, and if in any case the goal cannot be reached, the player is allowed to replay the level at no cost, hence there is no demotivation involved if a player loses the game.

Some small goals are introduced randomly throughout the game as well, which makes the game a little more challenging and different, such as using only a specific number of plants to complete the level, or to protect three plants from being destroyed by the zombies.

#4 – The Lens of Time

Each level in the game takes roughly 4 minutes to complete. It’s an adrenaline rush during the entire level as the waves of zombies appear, and the player has to fully concentrate during the game to defeat them. Although 4 minutes doesn’t seem very long, this is definitely one of the bad point for Plants vs. Zombies 2. In this version, it is specifically catered to the mobile platform hence the game play seems a bit too long especially for people who play this game when they travel. Looking away from the screen just for a while can be damaging, hence this is a game that requires absolute attention and should be played when you have ample alone time when nobody is there to disturb you. In this case, each level can be shorter or the waves of zombies can appear within a longer time interval, to give players more time to react.

#5 – The Lens of Beauty

The graphics definitely suits the image of the game that is being portrayed, not too cute and not too mature; it is a game for everyone. The maps, characters, zombies, plants, power-ups and upgrades are all nicely designed and serve their purpose well. Animations and in game effects are appropriate and not too cluttered, which makes the game a pleasure to play. The graphics certainly supplements the game play, which is the main pull factor (especially for me) to play the game, and make it more interesting and engaging for the players.