This is a spoiler free zone.

PvZ is easily one of the best games I ever played. It's the first real gaming experience I had back when I was 4 years old (I know how cool is that) and I think it is the reason I had a "gamer" phase in the first place.
Every aspect of game creation, going from game design to soundtrack, is flawless.
Let me do a brief summary of why PvZ works so well ; starting with gameplay.

GAMEPLAY

This game is a tower defense on paper. You have a brain to protect from zombie waves and you got a garden between you and them. To win the game you must defeat each wave planting weird and mutant looking plants to make sure not a single zombie reaches your home.
As a tower defense, the gameplay is pretty repetitive: gain ressource (sun power), place your plants, kill zombies, and over again. And yet, the gaming sensation in this game is so thrilling, because each stage, each zombie, and each plant, adds an interesting twist to the meta!
PvZ also counts numerous challenges, mini games, and other secrets that make the experience so diverse that it hardly gets old.
The difficulty is also just perfect. It starts very easy, but knows how to challenge its player base without increasing the difficulty artificially, and instead giving new mechanics for the player to think about. And for the tryhards, the game offers some challenges that require some effort to put in.
The only thing I’d say about the latter point is that, even when it reaches its most challenging level, it remains relatively casual. It is not a hard game to 100%


The gameplay in a game is very important. It is the core concept that makes it different from a movie or music for instance. Having a good gameplay doesn't necessarily make your game a work of art, but at least a good GAME. Nevertheless I'd say that gaming has drifted from simply being a way to entertain back when it all started, to becoming a new way to tell compelling and passionate stories, rich experiences, and works of art. In that aspect, PvZ also wins.

You know where PvZ also wins ?

SOUNDTRACK

The soundtrack is perfect.
I have no degree in music theory, I just do some composing as a hobby, so I can’t do an in depth analysis on why the soundtrack is good and all.
However, I can tell you that the soundtrack makes the game so much more fun. Every song is so groovy it makes the level you play so much more organic. It also prevents you from falling asleep when the game is too easy. It also makes hard parts so much more dramatic !

It also is like I don’t know one of the best OSTs ever like what more do you need.
It was composed by Laura Shigihara and you should listen to it all and support her on bandcamp now. [laurashigihara.bandcamp.com]

Anyways. There is one last thing that makes this game a perfect game.

LOVE

I know it’s just me, but I love it when I can feel love and passion put in a project. You cannot explain it. Every aspect of the game screams dedication and brought a goofy concept to be one of the best games I ever played.

That’s also what makes me hate the newer entries of the franchise.
I hate PvZ 2
I hate this game so much.
I miss when PvZ was about a fun and original game, with huge attention to detail, and about making a magic experience.
Not about making money.
Not about making money.
Not about making money.

Not everyone may agree with me, and that’s okay. You might hate PvZ, you might love PvZ.
But never will you find another game like this one.

One may clone a game, but will never clone its essence.

[h1][b]Plants versus Zombies sets the standards for an amazing game. [/b][/h1] [i]This is a spoiler free zone. [/i] PvZ is easily one of the best games I ever played. It's the first real gaming experience I had back when I was 4 years old (I know how cool is that) and I think it is the reason I had a "gamer" phase in the first place. Every aspect of game creation, going from game design to soundtrack, is flawless. Let me do a brief summary of why PvZ works so well ; starting with gameplay. [b]GAMEPLAY [/b] This game is a tower defense on paper. You have a brain to protect from zombie waves and you got a garden between you and them. To win the game you must defeat each wave planting weird and mutant looking plants to make sure not a single zombie reaches your home. As a tower defense, the gameplay is pretty repetitive: gain ressource (sun power), place your plants, kill zombies, and over again. And yet, the gaming sensation in this game is so thrilling, because each stage, each zombie, and each plant, adds an interesting twist to the meta! PvZ also counts numerous challenges, mini games, and other secrets that make the experience so diverse that it hardly gets old. The difficulty is also just perfect. It starts very easy, but knows how to challenge its player base without increasing the difficulty artificially, and instead giving new mechanics for the player to think about. And for the tryhards, the game offers some challenges that require some effort to put in. The only thing I’d say about the latter point is that, even when it reaches its most challenging level, it remains relatively casual. It is not a hard game to 100% The gameplay in a game is very important. It is the core concept that makes it different from a movie or music for instance. Having a good gameplay doesn't necessarily make your game a work of art, but at least a good GAME. Nevertheless I'd say that gaming has drifted from simply being a way to entertain back when it all started, to becoming a new way to tell compelling and passionate stories, rich experiences, and works of art. In that aspect, PvZ also wins. You know where PvZ also wins ? [b]SOUNDTRACK [/b] The soundtrack is perfect. I have no degree in music theory, I just do some composing as a hobby, so I can’t do an in depth analysis on why the soundtrack is good and all. However, I can tell you that the soundtrack makes the game so much more fun. Every song is so groovy it makes the level you play so much more organic. It also prevents you from falling asleep when the game is too easy. It also makes hard parts so much more dramatic ! It also is like I don’t know one of the best OSTs ever like what more do you need. [url=https://laurashigihara.bandcamp.com/album/plants-vs-zombies-soundtrack] It was composed by Laura Shigihara and you should listen to it all and support her on bandcamp now. [/url] Anyways. There is one last thing that makes this game a perfect game. [b]LOVE [/b] I know it’s just me, but I love it when I can feel love and passion put in a project. You cannot explain it. Every aspect of the game screams dedication and brought a goofy concept to be one of the best games I ever played. That’s also what makes me hate the newer entries of the franchise. I hate PvZ 2 I hate this game so much. I miss when PvZ was about a fun and original game, with huge attention to detail, and about making a magic experience. Not about making money. Not about making money. Not about making money. Not everyone may agree with me, and that’s okay. You might hate PvZ, you might love PvZ. But never will you find another game like this one. One may clone a game, but will never clone its essence.