LTTP LTTP: PvZ1-2 iOS or how do y'all live like this f2pers?

[BassForever]

So the youtube algorythm recommending me some Plants vs Zombies speed run and tier list videos, and it suckered me into downloading the first game on ios. Now I saw there was a "remove ads option", but when I started up the game I couldn't find any store, and so I played with ads... a lot of ads. It felt like every level began and ended with a 30-60 second intrusive ad that would open the app store to try and get me to download some awful looking game. It nearly got me to drop the game, but in world 2 the in game shop opened up which also gave access to the premium store where I could remove ads.

Suddenly I was left with a high quality, tower defense game that I quickly understood why it won so many awards back in the day and why it still has such a devout following all these years later. The game is perfectly paced, constantly giving you new plants to play with, new zombies to fight, and new world gimmicks so the game never gets stale. Before I knew it I had finished the main adventure mode and threw real cash to get all the bonus modes and even wish listed the game on steam so that I could eventually try some of the mods that exist. If you take nothing from this thread, Plants vs Zombies is absolutely worth your time even in 2024, even if you aren't a big fan of tower defense games like me.

So naturally the next step was to download PvZ2... and at first this seemed more or less what I'd want/expect from a sequel. The gameplay was faster, there were a ton of new plants and zombies I could see, the story was buffed up while still being camp, and the tutorial seemed to have the same solid pacing of unlocks and difficulty. Then the game started trying to get me to buy its premium currency to upgrade my plants, and buy dlc plants, and buy in stage power ups, and watch ads to get free stuff. All of this was incredibly concerning, but I was still having fun with the game, and hey if the game is fun I don't mind throwing some money at it to get more content. Then the intrusive ads between levels started, and the pace of unlocks and new zombies slowed way down, and the levels ramped up in difficulty quickly trying to push the player towards all the pay 2 win mechanics the game had. I closed the game and decided to make this thread.

How do y'all live like this? Even when I was having fun the game was trying its hardest to suck all the fun out of it. I don't mind a challenge, and I don't mind paying money for a game I enjoy, but even if I wanted to engage with the pay 2 win mechanics... there's so many options I don't even know what makes sense to buy. Ultimately the intrusive ads are the worst, how this is allowed is beyond me, and I'd happily pay almost any price to remove them for good. Sadly there isn't even a steam option to just buy the game outright.

 

[oomoepoo]

You see, the game wasn't always an EA published title

 

[shoptroll]

PvZ 2 was hands down one of my biggest gaming disappointments of the 2010s. And that’s saying something when the Wii U and 3DS were in the same decade.

Just yet another example of EA absolutely sucking the soul out of good studios. And a bonus to happen in the same year as SimCity 2013.

 

[oldpuck]

PvZ is such a good game, but when I played it there wasn't even an option to play it with ads.

The point of PvZ2 isn't for it to be a good game. It doesn't want you to enjoy it. It wants you to play mindlessly, the same way people play slot machines. The problem is someone at PopCap kept accidentally putting a real game in there.

PopCap was very good at making a game there really isn't a market for in a non-ad-fucked version of. Which sucks

 

[PixelKnight]

I love PvZ, one of very few games I played on everything I had, I don’t think I ever even played a version with ads across iOS, PC and DS. I still play the original now.

PVZ2 was so disappointing with how predatory it is on microtransactions. I played for a few hours then uninstalled it as the constant whining at me over wanting money and dumbass currencies was annoying, it had no interest in being a fun game anymore, it just wanted me constantly paying to get around the game being made deliberately worse. Which to be fair is my issue with what mobile games became in a nutshell, it’s just that PVZ2 is where I first encountered it, shortly after EA bought PopCap.

 

[JazzyFuture]

The best way to play PvZ1 is not on mobile, it's on literally any other platform. Even the DSi version is worth it over the mobile release.

PvZ2 has some of the biggest potential of any game ever, and even with it's F2P nature it still shines through sometimes. Best way to play PvZ2 is some of the many, many fanmade overhaul mods that bring out the potential with their own ideas to varying degrees of success, but those sadly are not easily accessible on IOS. I wish it got a real PC release, but sadly, EA knew that a billion in app purchases would get them more money than a 20 dollar release on PC, and they were right.

PvZ3 is the ultimate culmination of a great series being consumed by the mobile gaming market. Stay far away.

 

[Dardan Sandiego]

PvZ is one of my most played games ever and I will always cherish my Steam copy. F2P PvZ on the other hand is a miserable experience, even more so when you know what it was like originally. You'd think a sequel would be an absolute slam dunk but nope.

 

[jirou]

Fun fact they made the Chinese version harder so players basically had to buy MTX from the first level

Edit: Of PvZ2 I meant, oops

 

[Individualised]

The original Plants vs. Zombies is probably one of my favourite games of all time and the EA mobile version does not do it any justice. It's free on mobile for a reason; it exists solely to generate revenue from ads and microtransactions. It's not a definitive version of Plants vs. Zombies in any way and I feel terrible that you spent money to play modes that come free with the original game.

Try the Xbox version, or at least the original PC version. Do be aware that the PC version was barely updated past release and as such you'll be stuck playing the game in 640x480 resolution - I personally recommend the 360 version, it's HD and has a lot of extra content including multiplayer modes. The second and third games are not worth playing; they are mobile-only sequels that I think had none of the original staff working on it.

The DS version is also worth checking out; the gameplay lends itself well to the DS's touchscreen, it also comes with a few extra modes and it's a fair bit more difficult than the PC version.

 

[BassForever]

The best way to play PvZ1 is not on mobile, it's on literally any other platform. Even the DSi version is worth it over the mobile release.

PvZ2 has some of the biggest potential of any game ever, and even with it's F2P nature it still shines through sometimes. Best way to play PvZ2 is some of the many, many fanmade overhaul mods that bring out the potential with their own ideas to varying degrees of success, but those sadly are not easily accessible on IOS. I wish it got a real PC release, but sadly, EA knew that a billion in app purchases would get them more money than a 20 dollar release on PC, and they were right.

PvZ3 is the ultimate culmination of a great series being consumed by the mobile gaming market. Stay far away.

I have a cheap android tablet lying around here, I guess I'll look into one of these mods for pvz2.

 

[shoptroll]

Another alternative I'll eagerly recommend is Monster Train which I think is on nearly every platform at this point. It's not quite the same as PvZ but it scratches some similar itches.