Plants vs. Zombies 3 has a soft launch, shows off some new gameplay.

I think everyone remembers their first time playing Plants vs. Zombies. For me, I was still in primary school, watching a friend play it on his crappy home computer we had to ask his mother permission to use; she was a tough woman. The sequel released onto mobile quite a few years later and unfortunately fell victim to the plague that was the mobile gaming industry at the time: Filled with poor monetisation and irritating idle elements. It was a disappointing follow up to an excellent game that deserved a truly fantastic sequel. Plants vs Zombies 3 is looking at rekindling that love everyone felt for the original as it softly launches on mobile platforms in a few countries around the world.

Confirmed in a blog post Q&A hosted by EA, PvZ 3 will follow the formula of the original more closely, featuring the signature lane-based tower defence combat that was both exceptionally simple and addictive. While it has stuck with these roots, certain elements have been switched up slightly. Sunflowers are no longer needed to generate sun, the game’s main resource and the lawnmowers that provided a last line of defence against the horde have been removed entirely. The weirdest change, although not necessarily a bad one, is the switch to a 3D art style and portrait mode being used as the primary screen orientation when playing.

“We love the 2D art from the original games, but wanted to provide our brand with more flexibility and artistic opportunities for the future (we’ve got plans, folks!)” said Bruce Maclean, executive producer of PvZ 3.

We recognise that many people play mobile games on the go or while multitasking on their phone. Displaying the game in portrait mode allows you to more easily play with one hand and provides smoother transitions between the game and other applications.

Fair enough, I’m more likely to play something in portrait mode, I guess.

Yet the biggest question regarding PvZ 3 is the monetisation, the downfall of the game that preceded it. “Yes, PVZ 3 is free to play. Mobile games are now more accessible than ever, and we want to make sure that everyone is able to play – and that they can have fun and be successful without having to pay,” Maclean explained.

While this game is definitely a labour of love here at PopCap, our families still gotta eat. So, we’ve added optional microtransactions that can help you speed up progression.

Which doesn’t sound amazing given that was exactly how they worked in PvZ 2. Maybe I’m jumping the gun here, but I for one hope that history does not repeat itself with PvZ 3. Currently the game has only been launched on Android and iOS in Ireland, Romania and the Philippines.

Last Updated: February 27, 2020