So with a string of new releases out soon and the much anticipated Brink having been released a few days ago it seems set to be an expensive period for the avid gamer. At £40 a pop without factoring in the odd gift card, trade in, discount etc we’re going to be pretty strapped for cash for a while. To help get you through this time of cutting down on unimportant things such as food and focus on what’s necessary I shall now render unto you a recent experience I have had which made me see the light, well a light anyway.
Since Portal 2 I have bought a few games, including the aforementioned Brink, and do you know what I’ve played far and away the most? A game that’s been around for a while and has become something of a phenomenon. A game that is now available on most formats. The most addicting game I’ve ever encountered. Welcome, to Plants VS Zombies.
Right time to put some context onto why I ended up with this gem. I was at the bottom end of an iTunes card, you know, the point where you’ve not got quite enough to buy another album and you don’t really want to buy individual songs. I decided I’d burn it away on a few app games for my phone, rather than do the sensible thing of just saving it for next time. A friend of mine pointed out that PvZ was currently an astonishing 59p, coupled with the fact that I’d heard of and sort of wanted to try it out for a while I was sold. That dear reader was the worst and best 59p I’ve ever spent. Best because it’s a brilliant little tower defence game that has you (or at least had me) constantly going ‘just one more round, then I’ll stop’. The worst because ever since my phone has been on perpetually low battery and a little part of my brain is telling me to be productive instead of shooting peas at zombies.
For anyone who hasn’t given it a go I heartily recommend it. It’s easy to pick up and will hook you very quickly with its charming visuals, smooth, simple gameplay and sheer number of unlockable plants. I don’t think I’ve ever played a game like this with such a number of defences at your disposal, before the game cruelly forces you to pick a handful to use for the next round. There are quite a variety of zombies too and every plant and zombie type has a humorous entry in your Almanac so I found myself spending 10 minutes or so just reading through the ones I have in there already before moving on to the next round. I do believe that this game should come with some kind of PEGI symbol, you know the ones I mean, the spider for horror elements, fist for violence and so on. Well an addicting one should be introduced for things like this, perhaps a Tetris block or something.
I think my point is, in a roundabout way, is to never forget that we don’t have to pay high prices to get great games. Every so often you’ll find a brilliant title for cheap in a pre-owned section of a store, or on eBay or other places on the web. This one just happened to be in my pocket all along and I just needed that small push of ‘It’s only 59p’ to get me over the edge and tap the download button. So keep your eyes peeled for bargains, they’re out there and just waiting to help tide us over until the next big title comes out and we’re down to bare essential rations because hell, video games rule!
