Free - to - bid game often depend appealing , but it ’s hard to fuck at a glance whether the business manikin is insidious and playfulness ruining , or sane and deserving pumping a few bucks into . With Freemium Field Test , we ’ll take a late detached - to - play iOS game , put it through its tempo , and countenance you know if it ’s really deserving your time ( and money ) .
plant vs. Zombiesis one of the all - prison term neat iOS and Mac game , putting a coloured and approachable whirl on the oft - hardcore tug defence reaction scheme literary genre — and while the free - to - shimmer shift puddle the shock of sequelPlants vs. Zombies 2just a bit , it remained a reasonably essential fluid pick .
All of the familiar plants are back , along with some fresh expression as well .
The series ’ third wandering introduction go on the freemium sharpness , but changes quite a turn else about the experience : the charming plant and zombie units are still here inPlants vs. Zombies : Heroes , but now you ’ll conflict with a deck of digital lineup in turn - based showdown . Card combat games are passing hot right now , especially withHearthstone ’s continued success , so this might be seen as a cynical cash - in . Play for a while , however , and you ’ll find that PopCap has developed something surprisingly alone and habit-forming here .
The pitch
While the engagement between adorable foliage and the silly undead continue on unabated , the tactics have alter for Plants vs. Zombies : Heroes . Here , you ’ll playact as both forces along the way , and instead of actively dropping in units to defend your root word from an onset of enemies , you ’ll have to try and outsmart your opponent by play dysphemistic and defensive card in the head - to - promontory , turn - based skirmish .
You ’ll also control zombie heroes , and they ’ve perplex some trick up their decaying arm …
control either side , you ’ll pick a plant or zombi spirit torpedo and then build a deck of 40 cards using whichever one you ’ve unlocked or purchased so far , and then startle into either individual - musician or competitive online encounter . The five - lane plot screen door is a callback to the earlier entry , albeit now with your hoagie at the bottom and the opponent along the top . You ’ll take turns playing card on the cover and using power , and the first to erase the other ’s hit points is the victor .
Momentum builds in each couple through resource peak , which comes via sunshine for plants or mind for zombies . Each round sees you jump with one more point than you were given the previous round , which means your dearly-won , eminent - powered poster are n’t going to do you much good until late in the biz — when they can be absolutely devastating . It also means that if you pack your deck withonlybig , expensive cards , you might get ping out before you’re able to even utilize them . That play into deck of cards scheme , of course .
Both the plants and zombies have individual - player mission , plus you could use either side in both stratified and casual live multiplayer fight .
An interesting format shift comes with the summation of Zombie Tricks , essentially a bonus twist for the undead goofballs to make some kind of variety on the board with special board , whether it ’s an extra attack , crystalise a plant unit , or something else advantageous . It totally fits within the biz universe , but that extra perk does n’t seem like it damages the competitive balance between sides . It might throw you for a closed circuit at first , but it ’s a welcome shift by from a more distinctive head - to - head battle format .
The catch
The catch , of course , is that this is a monetise private-enterprise game . That ’s never ideal , because it think that money hassomesway when matching up genuine players … but it ’s increasingly the way of the humans when it comes to mobile games . And after seeing how wellClash Royalepulled it off in the first place this yr , I ’m lean to believe that you may buy into that illusion that it’smostlyfair and still have fun .
Building a successful deck requires a lot of experimentation and consideration … or just bug a button and rent the secret plan polish off it .
gratefully , that ’s the case with Plants vs. Zombies : Heroes , as well . It earns point upfront by not having any form of energy meter or even Clash Royale - like restrictions on rewards , which intend you’re able to play and play to your heart ’s content without go into an stilted barrier or paywall . That ’s fantastic word , and it yield Heroes a better chance of attracting enough role player to have a red-blooded community and a farsighted lifespan ahead .
However , the purchase prompting are here , and they can be a act incessant . You ’ll see pop - up ads for special bundle and promotions on a regular ground , with offers to spend $ 5 or $ 15 to grab limited add-in gang or starter bundles . you could also buy the premium gem currency in package from $ 2 ( 200 gem ) to $ 100 ( 15,000 gems ) , although you ’ll earn some step by step via gambol alongside the more plebeian earned coin .
I bought in . I spent $ 15 to get the Legendary Bundle , which dumped a load of new scorecard into my collection , include three top - level Legendary cards and many uncommon picks , as well . And then I dropped another $ 5 on gems , and used the bulk of those to get the time - limited Trick or Treat pack before Halloween , which earned me some seasonal fillip cards to augment my deck .
Heroes dangle a lot of promotional bundles in your aspect , along with gem mob .
Seeing the hoarded wealth trove of new cards , I imagined some immediate wallop to my plot — but I had n’t realized initially that each hero has its own panache of play , and that many of your industrial plant or zombi spirit cards wo n’t be usable by a hero . And you ’ll only have one or two heroes on each side early on , with more line up by buying gang or premium bundles . In short , I chop-chop found that I could n’t currently use about half of the A-one - particular cards I ’d just shelled out for .
That ’s a bummer . With further play , I may eventually unlock Heroes that can utilize those card and then build fresh decks around them , but I was n’t really thinking about the long game when I coldcock in $ 20 on paid perk . The quick upshot was admittedly disappointing .
The verdict
Spending $ 5 on a starter pack might be a good way to advance your early play , but I do n’t recommend pumping in a great deal of money right away . You ’ll earn a bit of both currency types with continued play , and while you might not get the top - shelf calling card regularly without paying , you’re able to credibly conglomerate a broad mix of heroes and card without open up your wallet .
With century of cards , there ’s enough potpourri that you could build a potent deck using only what you realise , although outlay can be a quicker path to bring some power or extra ability into an otherwise lackluster deck . Any free-enterprise game that lets you bear for more and in effect cards is sure to have some kind of imbalance , but so far in my play , Plants vs. Zombies : Heroes is n’t have those result obvious . It ’s a lot of a play , and a much - savvier - than - wait extension of PopCap ’s fantastic series .
