If you’re unfamiliar with what this quirky title from PopCap Games entails, the game’s premise is simple. You’re stuck in your house, bang in the middle of a zombie invasion. They want to eat your brains, and you’re going to have to use those brains to defend your home from them. That’s easier said than done, however, as you only have a bunch of seeds from the Doom and Gloom Company to plant in your garden, each of which grows into a plant with a unique purpose.

"The game’s art style is a delight, as is the soundtrack and audio."

Your plants are your only defense against the zombies, but they’re up to the task. The Pea Shooter does exactly what its name suggests, firing off peas at the zombies to halt their advance. You earn Sun, the currency you need to put down more plants, either by waiting for it to drop at random or by planting Sunflowers. More plants with unique functions are made available to you at the end of every level, and new zombie types join the fray as you keep going.

It’s a tower defense title that continues to be quite addictive, despite being around for several years at this point. That’s largely due to how each level plays out, requiring you to plan out your defenses based on the enemies you’re going to encounter, and managing your resources to fend off each wave of zombies.

The game’s art style is a delight, as is the soundtrack and audio. The zombies are quite a funny bunch, leaving you with notes that showcase their lack of brains and probably justifying their relentless efforts to get their hands on yours. You do have an ally in the form of Crazy Dave, whose shop lets you purchase a few upgrades and tools that can give you an advantage when you next take on the zombies.

"It’s a tower defense title that continues to be quite addictive, despite being around for several years at this point."

As far as the updated HD visuals go, Replanted does a good job of preserving the original game’s excellent art direction while making its visuals and colors pop on a 4K display. Frame rates were smooth even when my screen was filled with plants, zombies, and flying melons and peas with no stutter at any point. On a base PS5, the game runs quite well aside from a few minor glitches that I’ll get to in a bit. I’d argue that, as a port, Replanted does a stellar job, but as a purported remaster, it could have done more to improve on the original game.

If I were to complain about something in Replanted, it would be that Dave’s prices are as astronomical as they were back in the day. He requires coins for his business, and they are doled out rather sparingly over the course of the game. With upgrades being as expensive as they are, a little bit of balancing might have eliminated the need to grind for coins and made things a lot more interesting as a result.

For instance, extra seed slots that allow you to take more plants to the fight cost a whopping 20,000 coins, a sum that I couldn’t get to even after completing the main campaign and diving into a fair bit of the minigames and survival modes.

"The zombies are quite a funny bunch, leaving you with notes that showcase their lack of brains,"

However, Dave also brings interesting twists on the game’s formula in the form of Puzzles and minigames. You get to mow down zombies with Wall-nuts in a very amusing take on bowling, for instance. Or use a slot machine to acquire random plants that you must use to fend off another attack on your property. Each minigame or puzzle is quite entertaining, and a nice diversion from the main gameplay loop.

That’s not to say that the main campaign is stagnant, far from it. The zombies soon start to attack at night, and you’re going to have to use an entirely different set of plants to account for the lack of sunlight needed to use plants that grow in the daylight. They then proceed to attack your backyard, where a range of aquatic plants are your only defense for those that take a dip into your swimming pool. They also launch offensives from your roof, where you’re going to want to use catapult plants to counter them.

While the game isn’t particularly difficult, there are levels where you find that the zombies get quite close to your door and manage to finally get their hands on your brains. There is a sense of challenge on those occasions, as all your hard-earned plants get wiped out by the undead horrors they were meant to defend against. The zombies bring ladders, drive trucks, and even resurrect other zombies in their efforts to overwhelm your defenses, making Plants Vs. Zombies a very entertaining game once it gets going.

"I’m a fan of how the experience is presented, and it’s among the more unique tower defense experiences on the market."

There were a few occasional glitches at a few places, such as me not being able to pick up plants in the Raining Seeds bonus level, but they are few and far between and could probably be fixed with a patch at some point.

Aside from the main campaign, puzzles, and minigames, you also get a survival mode that lets you take on multiple waves of zombies while switching up your loadouts between them. It’s a great chance to build a defensive lineup that’s quite fun to see in action. There’s also RIP mode, in which you take on the main campaign once again, with the added caveat that you start all the way back from the beginning if the zombies manage to eat your brains.

The Zen Garden mode is a nice touch, letting you cultivate plants that reward you with valuable coins from time to time. Once again, the prohibitive pricing of valuable items like fertilizers for my plants acted as an obstacle to my progress, leading me to ignore it altogether. It’s there for those of you who might want to kick back and relax after a bout with the zombies, though.

"The game’s art style is a delight, as is the soundtrack and audio."

The option to bring a friend along to the party is also there, with local co-op or versus modes available for you to try out. While I doubt that most of you are going to need help repelling the zombies, getting to play against your buddies in versus mode can be a fun way to spend your evening. You play as either the plants or the zombies in a gameplay loop that keeps things quite interesting indeed!

The presence of so many options, each of which puts a unique twist on the core gameplay loop, makes Plants Vs. Zombies Replanted a very entertaining option for those of you looking for a bit of casual fun from your consoles. I’m a fan of how the experience is presented, and it’s among the more unique tower defense experiences on the market.

It’s quite easy to recommend this one, considering how its pacing and various game modes keep things interesting right off the bat, and manage to sustain that engagement long after you beat the final boss and roll the credits that are accompanied by a very catchy song. Whether you’re a newcomer to the game or a long-term fan looking to take a nostalgic trip back to its early days, Plants Vs. Zombies Replanted is going to keep you entertained for many fun-filled hours.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

“While we find it super exciting to see fans on the Lawn already, we hadn’t quite finished getting the lawn ready yet for our 10/23 launch date. In fact, you will continue to see the game updated as the team is hard at work putting the final touches on the Lawn leading up to our global release.”

It also noted that some concept art was created after the game’s original launch. “Plants vs. Zombies is a beloved IP that has seen hundreds of passionate artists and developers contribute to it over the past 16 years, and as we work to bring that all together in PVZ: Replanted, we want to make sure we are giving you the best experience possible.

“That means showing you original concept art and work that, in some cases, was created after Plants vs Zombies 1 launched in 2009. We did this to not only showcase Plants vs Zombies 1, but also the many more great Plants vs Zombies games it inspired. This legacy continues with our passionate team of artists, who continue to bring Plants vs. Zombies to life across the franchise.”

Considering the various gameplay changes, intentional or otherwise, PopCap said it can be a “delicate balance between making sure it feels like the original from 16 years ago while also making sure it operates in a modern context. We hear your feedback here and are already hard at work to deliver the game we all know and love, specifically when it comes to the audio, and the more nuanced actions of our characters (looking at you, Dr Z!).” It also denied the use of generative AI.

Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted will be available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 for $19.99. Aside from 4K resolution support, it includes Cloudy Day Mode, a more challenging option due to less sun, and Rest in Peace Mode, an Ironman take on Adventure Mode.

Players can also go hands-on with lost levels, earn new Achievements, and either team up in co-op or engage in PvP. Check out our feature for more details.

It’s PvZ, but HD

Even though there’s enough appetite for a new entry, Plants vs. Zombies is instead returning to its roots – this time, in glorious HD. Proving that good game design is timeless, the original garden themed tower defence is back, now with a freshly mowed lawn and re-painted fence. This is an HD port of the original game – same source code, upscaled and widescreened in 4K. Some graphics are being imported from the iPad HD port, with the remainder being retraced. While mechanically unchanged, Plants Vs. Zombies: Replanted’s sharp edges aren’t just for beauty’s sake but ensure obscured elements from earlier versions – seed packet sprites, item price fonts, particles – are more clearly visible.

New Content

Replanted’s Steam page confirms the remaster is “packed with new secrets and content to uncover.” We know Adventure Mode will feature, followed by Mini-Games, Puzzle, and Survival Modes once the campaign has been completed. As for new content, well, it’s not entirely new: Bonus Levels! is a mode exclusive to Replanted – packaging the majority of the Limbo page mini-games from the original PC version, including them as newly playable levels whereas earlier versions required a Cheat Engine to access.

Mini-Games Will Feature

Plants Vs. Zombies and Mini-Games are peas in a pod. Of the series’ storied Mini-Game catalogue, most are returning in Replanted – HD polished like the rest of the game. Confirmed as included are fan-favourite detours Wall-nut Bowling, Slot Machine, ZomBotany, and more, with the remaster promising even more chaotic fun than their earlier versions.

Some Platform-Exclusive Mini-Games Excluded

There are a couple of reasons why certain Mini-Games that appeared on specific platforms are set to be excluded in Replanted. First, certain platforms relied on extra apparatus – the Nintendo DS and its stylus, for instance – meaning we’re unlikely to see Homerun Derby or Air Raid in Replanted. Secondly, Replanted’s cross-platform launch suggests some Mini-Games wouldn’t be compatible, meaning iPad and Android-exclusive Buttered Popcorn could miss out.

New Multi-Player Modes

Something new Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted brings to the table is two multi-player modes: Team Up is a co-op mode with two players defending the yard together, and PvP where two will battle head-to-head to take control of the zombies. Both of these modes are local only, and currently there is no word on whether online multi-player will become available.

No Microtransactions

Here’s some welcome news – it has been confirmed that Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted will not feature microtransactions. All skins, cosmetics, and upgrades are attainable in-game; everything is included in the price. Furthermore, there are currently no DLCs planned. Whether that changes in the future likely depends on how commercially successful this remaster is.

New Solo-Challenge Mode: Cloudy Day

Cloudy Day is a gloomy new feature, where dark clouds block sunlight and sunflowers take an adorably animated snooze. Appearing in ten non-linear Adventure Mode levels, Cloudy Day tasks players with managing their sun production, using sunny periods to plant as many sun-producing plants as possible and stockpiling their produce before the storm rolls in. Under cloud cover, players will need to rely on their existing defences until the sunshine returns. During cloudy spells, seed packet costs are halved and they’ll reload faster. Cloudy Day presents new layers of strategy, with players having to think strategically about their defences in preparation for a rainy day.

Another New Solo-Challenge Mode: Rest in Peace

Or R.I.P., for short – Rest in Peace is a hardcore permadeath mode set to test the mettle of experienced PvZ players. This optional toggle for Adventure Mode transforms the campaign into a one-life gauntlet, where losing a level forces players all the way back to the start. There’s a rogue-like twist to R.I.P. Mode too, with Crazy Dave pre-selecting three seeds to use exclusively on each level. With difficulty set to ramp up quickly, Rest in Peace promises the tensest PvZ experience to date.

Tree of Wisdom Returns

The original Tree of Wisdom revealed hints the more it grew, with “cheat codes” rewarded as its hefty trunk reached certain milestones. It’s likely the Tree of Wisdom will function similarly in Replanted, however there is an innovation tied to the tree unique to the remaster. Now, players can customise visual options via the Tree of Wisdom’s toggle buttons, with one confirmed option being to switch to a pixellated Browncoat Zombie skin. There’s a pre-order bonus item that can be toggled on or off here too – we’ll outline this item later.

PvZ 2’s Speed-Up Button Appears

A welcome quality of life addition makes it way over to Replanted – the ability to speed up time. While not available in the 2009 original, now Plants vs. Zombie players will be able to turbo boost the action up to 2.5x faster. Levels can take a minute to get going, so the speed-up function is a nice addition. It can make gathering sunlight a little trickier though.

There’s an All-New Art and Concept Library

Placed in a new section within the Almanac, the all-new Art and Concept Library charts all the development and pre-production art and sketches of the game. On the one hand, this is a nice nod to the game’s legacy, and should provide an interesting browse for new and veteran players alike. On the other hand, there’re legitimate question marks over the Library given the game’s original artists are not affiliated with the remaster.

Pre-Order Bonus

We mentioned it a minute ago – pre-ordering Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted gives a delightfully retro peashooter skin, drawn in the same pixellated style of the already-mentioned Browncoat Zombie. It’d be nice if more retro skins are available in-game as one-or-two pixellated characters might look out of place in Replanted’s high-res garden. Also worth pointing out here is that Replanted is a digital only release. No physical release has been revealed so far.

Release Date, Platforms, and Price

Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted releases worldwide on October 23rd. The game is available on pretty much every major platform, both past and current generation hardware. PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, or the EA app. Reasonably priced too, retailing at $19.99 / £17.99.

PC Requirements

Playing PvZ: Replanted won’t require too demanding a setup: 3rd gen Intel i3 or AMD FX-6300 processor, Intel Integrated Graphics and 4GB RAM are your minimum requirements. An Intel i5 or equivalent CPU, Radeon HD 7730, GeForce GT 640 or better GPU, and 8GB RAM are recommended specs. 4GB storage space is required. Controller support is available on PC, which is especially useful for those local co-op and PvP sessions.

No Mod Support

Replanted will not ship with official mod support. Despite this being a heavily requested feature, modding continues to be sidelined. Reportedly, the original 2009 game code was tough to modify, and without Steam Workshop Support, the modding community surrounding PvZ wasn’t as plentiful as it arguably could have been. It’d be nice if this changed, but players should be prepared for official mod support to not arrive.

As detailed by GabrielOflTM’s review, Replanted has missing levels and some that are outright broken, poorly upscaled art, and numerous bugs. There are loading screens when transitioning from menus to intros, menus from the mobile version, and other strange choices. None of the levels have the correct soundtrack and if you try speeding up the game, the music speeds up as well.

Overall, it’s not an ideal experience for either long-time fans or those jumping into the franchise for the first time. Electronic Arts hasn’t said anything about the game’s current state ahead of launch, so stay tuned for updates and potential fixes.

Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted launches on October 23rd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 for $19.99.