With Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville has surprised Publisher Electronic Arts quite surprisingly and without first touching the big drum, conjured a third offshoot of the squeaky multiplayer shooter out of the hat. We have put the game through its paces and describe our impressions.
Disputes among neighbors
As in the two predecessors, meet in Plants. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville again two fronts on each other: The factions of plants and zombies carry out fierce fighting for the eponymous village Neighborville. The story comes again typical serientypical without a thread and is staged as usual charming and humorous.
To start, we'll start with a series of manageable tutorial missions to familiarize ourselves with Hub World and some game mechanics. This should also help newcomers to find their way around Neighborville – at first the world seems a bit crowded. At the headquarters alone, a lot of NPCs and activities are waiting for us. Here we find, among other things, the multiplayer lobby, various shops, a training center and the interfaces to the PvE areas. Unchangeable practice battles with AI opponents and real players, we can deliver directly in the adjacent Giddy Park between the two camps of plants and zombies. As usual, we can freely switch between the two factions and try out the versatile characters.
In Battle for Neighborville, the character choice with a total of 20 playable heroes is also more generous than in the two predecessors. Incidentally, the new additions are a real asset and are fun at first. Generally, it is worthwhile to play the different zombies and plants and ultimately to master them. All characters can be leveled and equipped with different perks. From level 10, we can move them, which will reset their level, but in return they will receive additional perks. There's also a huge amount of cosmetic items. Something disturbing is the variety of in-game currencies with which we unlock the items. You lose the overview quickly. Real money micro-transactions are not yet in play, but will come – as Publisher Electronic Arts has already announced. At a later date, not yet specified, Plants Vs. Zombies: Extended Battle for Neighborville with a premium currency that allows you to buy cosmetic items directly. Lootboxes in the traditional sense are therefore not considered.
Much familiar, not much new
After the brief introduction at the beginning, we are basically left open about how we want to pass the time. Fortunately, there is a lot to do. The game offers a sufficiently extensive campaign. In a total of four areas, we can do various quests solo or in co-op mode. Sometimes we fight off enemy waves, sometimes we fight crazy bosses, sometimes we defend an area – basically everything as usual. Overall, the missions seem pretty uninspired – which does not necessarily mean that they are not fun. Just do not put too high expectations in the campaign. Some quests can become quite frustrating in solo mode because they are hard to master without help from others. After all, they are just a nice pastime that will prepare us for battle with real players.
The real centerpiece is again the competitive multiplayer area: In Plants vs.. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville are waiting for us in various PvP modes. In the Battle Arena, two teams of four players each face each other, each with only one life. Things get a bit crappier in the "Turf Takeover" mode: Here, 24 players fight for control of the map, with one team attacking and defending the other and trying to hold the front lines. Then there's "Team Vanquish," which is basically an 8v8 Deathmatch variant, "Ranged Renegades," where we fight with set character classes, and the "Mixed Modes", which are made up of various 8v8 games. Koop fans will also get their money: In the "Garden & Graveyard Ops" players fight together against K.I.-controlled enemy waves. You should not expect a lot of playful depth from the third part of the series either – the battles are all the more entertaining and, above all, quite accessible, albeit a bit chaotic at times. If you had fun with your predecessors, you will feel in good hands here. Those who expect fundamental changes, could be disappointed.
Pixar aesthetics at its finest
When it comes to graphics, Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, by the way, significantly upgraded. The character models and backdrops are beautifully designed as usual, the textures, lighting effects, reflections and shaders first class. On the PlayStation 4 Pro provides a higher resolution for a crisp look. But what really pleases us is that the game supports High Dynamic Range (HDR). Owners of an HDR-enabled TV can therefore look forward to a picture with rich contrasts and strong colors. In such a colorful bag of tricks as Plants vs.. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville looks pretty impressive.
