Summary
Plants vs. Zombies 3: Welcome to Zomburbia, a new mobile game in the series, has been revealed and is in the beginning stages of a soft launch in certain countries. The game’s soft launch announcement accompanies the release of an official trailer, teasing a return to the classic feel ofPlants vs. Zombies,orPvZ.The last installment in thePvZworld came in 2019 withThe Battle for Neighborville, and now fans are closer than ever to getting their hands on the latest wacky and colorful installment fromPlants vs. Zombies.
Plants vs. Zombieshas a long history of being a beloved classic, but not one without its fair share of issues. While the original game was massively successful, the transition of its sequel to a free-to-play model caused severe problems. Many fans and some previousdevelopers disagreed with microtransactions inPlants vs. Zombiesand claimed this model was not whatPvZwas made to be. Since then, fans ofPlants vs. Zombieshave enjoyed several spin-offs of the original game, such asThe Battle for Neighborville, Garden Warfare,and even a digital card game.
PopCap has released an official trailer for the upcomingPlants vs. Zombies 3: Welcome to Zomburbia,which marks the return of one of thebest base defense games, with the same combat style that fans loved in the first game. As of January 17, thegame has been soft-launched in select regions, including the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Australia, Philippines, and the Republic of Ireland. This enables some players to enjoy early access while developers continue to collect data and improve on the game before its official launch. This official launch is expected to be sometime later in 2024, andPlants vs. Zombies 3will be available to play on both iOS and Android.
Plants vs. Zombies 3will take players back to the classic lane-based tower defense combat from the original games but also feature an episodic and story-driven experience with elements of puzzle and adventure. As always, players must defend their neighborhood from the incoming hordes, but now they can rebuild and customize it as well as befriend familiar faces from previous games. Many fan-favorite plants will also make a comeback alongside new ones, hearkening back to the familiar days of pea shooters and sunflowers from the first and arguablythe bestPlants vs. Zombiesgame.
While a revisitation of the game’s original format is exciting, many fans are concerned that the lessons learned withPlants vs. Zombies 2have been forgotten. More than ever before, in-game purchases are an expensive and common nuisance for many players, with somespending more on microtransactions than on gamesthemselves. Especially in free-to-play titles, games are commonly riddled with microtransactions, and seeing asPvZ 3will be free-to-play, there is a chance that the mistakes of its predecessor will be seen again here. It is unclear as of now how monetization will work inPlants vs Zombies 3,but this aspect of the game could make or break it.
