Plants vs. Zombies 2 preview: More plants, more zombies, more fun, some freemium crap

Plants vs. Zombies 2 is here! Well, sort of. It's in Australia and New Zealand only for right now, but I managed to get my hands on a copy from the Australian App Store. It may not be the finished product that Popcap unleashes on the world in general, but it's what they've given the land down-under so far, so it's fair game to take a look and see what just might be in store for the rest of us. And the answer is, more plants, more zombies, a lot more fun... and some annoying freemium crap as well. Here's the deal...

All your favorite PvZ characters are back in PvZ2, including Crazy Dave who plays a central role now as it is your quest to travel through time to find his lost taco (no, I'm not making that up) that drives the new story line (yes, there's a storyline). You travel through time to Egypt, the pirate seas, and even the shoot-em-up Wild West. Each level has its own special game play and specialized zombies to go with them.

PvZ2 is less linear than the original, as you can travel along the game and go to various levels whenever you want. Each level is re-playable, so you can, and will want to, go back again.

The game has also added some new features, such as plant food which you can find in each game. Using this plant food on your plants will give them super power them for a short amount of time. There are also special gestures you can spend coins on which will allow you to touch the screen to fling, zap or squish zombies. Personally, I find this feels like cheating and kind of find it ruins the game play.

Though plants vs zombies 2 has added in-app purchases (IAP), and they can be frustrating at times, there's still plenty in PvZ2 that remains free. All the levels are available to you and you can unlock special quests through playing the game - if you want to take the time. There are also a few special plants which are only available via IAP, though all of the levels are passable without them.

Bottom line, Plants vs. Zombies 2 is both better than, and slightly more flawed than, the original. But if you loved Plants vs. Zombies, PvZ2 is still a must-get.

Georgia

Senior Editor at iMore and a practicing therapist specializing in stress and anxiety. She speaks everywhere from conferences to corporations, co-host of Vector and Isometric podcasts, follow her on Twitter @Georgia_Dow and check out her series at anxiety-videos.com.