Plants vs Zombies 2: It's About Time

 iOS
  • Publisher: PopCap
  • Release Date: Aug 15, 2013
User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 296 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 129 out of 296
  2. Mixed: 68 out of 296
  3. Negative: 99 out of 296
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  1. Hydra2010
    Oct 19, 2013
    5
    Well, here we are. Plants vs Zombies 2. It's been an agonizing wait, but it's finally here! And our wait of 5+ years has been a disappointing, soulless trek of a game with micro-transactions like Tokyo has neon lights.
    I don't even know if we can call this Plants vs Zombies 2; Plants vs Zombies 1.5 seems like a more fitting title. All the charm and colour of the first game has been sucked    Well, here we are. Plants vs Zombies 2. It's been an agonizing wait, but it's finally here! And our wait of 5+ years has been a disappointing, soulless trek of a game with micro-transactions like Tokyo has neon lights.
    I don't even know if we can call this Plants vs Zombies 2; Plants vs Zombies 1.5 seems like a more fitting title. All the charm and colour of the first game has been sucked out and replaced with a cold, watery substance. It's still fun, but the first game was fun too. Why do I say that? Because this game feels more like a Ctrl C/Ctrl V project than a whole new game. There are some new powerups and plants, and there's a few new settings too but they do little to change the formula.
    Popcap and EA have been going around saying they've done things to 'give the plants some more personality,' but they seem to have failed miserably. It's not bad, per se, it just feels lifeless and cold. I can only recommend this to hardcore PvZ fans, and even then that's stretching it.    … Expand
  2. LevelsAndGear
    Mar 29, 2016
    7
    Boy do I wish they hadn't cancelled the PC version. Truthfully, I am enjoying this more than I thought I would - The freemium/ads/power ups that cost money and all that are annoying. When you ignore all of that, and just play it similar to how you'd play PVZ1, there's fun to be had for a casual phone game. I like the different worlds, and the interesting spins and twists, and the gameBoy do I wish they hadn't cancelled the PC version. Truthfully, I am enjoying this more than I thought I would - The freemium/ads/power ups that cost money and all that are annoying. When you ignore all of that, and just play it similar to how you'd play PVZ1, there's fun to be had for a casual phone game. I like the different worlds, and the interesting spins and twists, and the game encourages you to try and use the different plants. It has side modes (Endless/Jarbreaker) and goofy little promo games. It's a fun casual game with some flaws.
    I'd rather be playing this on a full screen with a mouse, but I enjoy wasting a little time occasionally with this guy.    … Expand
  3. Alex6719
    Oct 2, 2013
    5
    Over the years, I managed to beat the original PvZ on my PC, then Mac, then iPad. So, clearly I liked the game. It was a fun and addictive game.

    The problem with PvZ 2 is it's just not that fun. The grinding nature of the gameplay takes me back to the mid-90s RPGs where you would just fight battle after battle to advance (bear with me on this analogy). It was pretty fun for me, I was 7    Over the years, I managed to beat the original PvZ on my PC, then Mac, then iPad. So, clearly I liked the game. It was a fun and addictive game.

    The problem with PvZ 2 is it's just not that fun. The grinding nature of the gameplay takes me back to the mid-90s RPGs where you would just fight battle after battle to advance (bear with me on this analogy). It was pretty fun for me, I was 7 and I knew that's what I was getting into with the RPGs and at least it served a purpose to level up my guys and give me new attacks. The grinding in PvZ 2 is annoying because it serves no purpose other than to frustrate you and make you spend money to advance.

    Not letting you advance because you don't have enough stars really does hamper the fun. Games are supposed to be fun! Not frustrating exercises in repetition as this game is.

    And for those people that say they have had a blast grinding through level after level...I gotta say..it seems to me that you haven't played a lot of really fun games before. And if you're a casual gamer of the post-Wii generation...I'm sorry to say but you really don't know how to enjoy a game properly because chances are you've just been conditioned to play freemium games and think "all games are like this, hence it's fun". They're not all like that and freemium games are rarely fun and they're often little more than tedious cash grabs.    … Expand
  4. HappyHeavy
    Sep 28, 2013
    6
    After being such a huge fan of the first game, and seeing this one was free, it was a day one purchase for me. And after playing for a couple of hours, I could already see why this game is free. The biggest problem with this game is the the developers got greedy. To unlock most of the game, you need to either grind for keys, which takes hours just to get a few, or pay money for them. YouAfter being such a huge fan of the first game, and seeing this one was free, it was a day one purchase for me. And after playing for a couple of hours, I could already see why this game is free. The biggest problem with this game is the the developers got greedy. To unlock most of the game, you need to either grind for keys, which takes hours just to get a few, or pay money for them. You also pay money for coins, power ups, and getting the full game experience. So unless you want to play the same levels over and over again, you have to pay real money. And also, you have to play the same levels over again, just due to the fact you need stars. The challenges, whilst fun, are repetitive and can get boring. There's also not as much content as it might seem, the game just pads itself out for no reason. The game also doesn't have much creativity as the first, whilst the first all the mini games are unique, the challenges in this game are just the same challenges repeated with more difficulty. The game also really barley innovates. Most of the plants are just the old plants from the first, including the plants you have to pay for. The new plants are alright, welcome additions, but there is not enough new ones to make the game feel unique. The humor is also not as good as the first game, I only laughed once at this game, Dave's new partner is not funny and takes away from the charm of the original game.

    The game does have good parts. The game is still fun, if barley changed. The music is great, very catchy just like the first, though most songs are just remix's. The graphics are great, though I prefer the original games art style, it just feels more stylish and cartoony. Also, through the whole game, I used plants from all over the game, whether as in the first game a lot of plants were situational and I rarely used half of the plants.

    I recommend getting the game, but only because it is free. It is such a disappointment, but still worth it because of the 0 dollar price tag. Don't actually waste money on it though, it's really not worth it. Also, I would only just complete the main levels, the other levels take way to much grinding to get to. If you haven't played original, get it instead. Actually worth your time and money, unlike the sequel.    … Expand
  5. DemonSoul
    Nov 9, 2013
    7
    This game isn't bad, its just, the first one beats it in several ways. There's the better story with the evil doctor, there is a cool boss fight at the end. The night and day, along with the pool areas differences as well as the roof transitions from PART 1 seemed to have a more meaningful and emotional impact than the transitioning between different time periods in PART 2. Something isThis game isn't bad, its just, the first one beats it in several ways. There's the better story with the evil doctor, there is a cool boss fight at the end. The night and day, along with the pool areas differences as well as the roof transitions from PART 1 seemed to have a more meaningful and emotional impact than the transitioning between different time periods in PART 2. Something is lost from part 1 and I can't put my finger on it, but PART 2 is LESS fun, yet still fun because it retains the core element of the game. They should have done more "Yeti" type characters, but that was a tiny improvement in the game. The way they asked you to spend money in the first game made me want to but things more. I beat the game without spending any money, and it wasn't as fun. Cmon EA, find the original creator and put him back to work...you guys can do better than this.… Expand
  6. Medzhit
    Mar 23, 2014
    7
    This game is good but not excellent and it's rather sad. The point is that the first game offered you good and multifarious campaign as well as different additional puzzles that were really fun.

    PvZ 2 seems to be big and interesting game but after playing Egypt level and switching to another world you find the game quite repetitive. Tasks (quests) are similar to each other and also    This game is good but not excellent and it's rather sad. The point is that the first game offered you good and multifarious campaign as well as different additional puzzles that were really fun.

    PvZ 2 seems to be big and interesting game but after playing Egypt level and switching to another world you find the game quite repetitive. Tasks (quests) are similar to each other and also there are so many additional puzzles that after some time you can come to conclusion that first game was better. It doesn't mean that PvZ 2 is bad but you can easily be bored with it after finishing the first half of the second world.    … Expand
  7. MrBlue
    Jul 23, 2015
    5
    The waves are getting boring and the developers wants you to pay to buy some flower.Musics are not good as plants vs zombies 1 and some of the special zombies are so ridiculous.Unfortunately they ruined the mood of the plants vs zombies.
  8. EpicBlueSheep
    Jul 29, 2013
    6
    The game itself is a lot of fun. If you liked the first you will indefinitely like this one. The reason it should get the 6/10 score is the way that it conducts its business plan. With micro transactions. Even the ability of saying. Games too hard! I wanna finish and paying 30 dollars for the end. Sure. People will buy it. Sure its F2P but buying a single plant for 3 dollars is unheard of.The game itself is a lot of fun. If you liked the first you will indefinitely like this one. The reason it should get the 6/10 score is the way that it conducts its business plan. With micro transactions. Even the ability of saying. Games too hard! I wanna finish and paying 30 dollars for the end. Sure. People will buy it. Sure its F2P but buying a single plant for 3 dollars is unheard of. The first game had a plant garden and a stellar idea to it. This game definitely has the art-style that looks cutesy and a lot of frames then the original. If they would have kept the same business plan I would have rated it 9/10 for being a good game in general. Like the first but with a bunch more new plants. But you have to buy the plants from PVZ 1. Like the Snow Pea, Squash and Torch wood. Shame on you EA. Shame. It has a lot of new stuff including powers. But this is shameful.… Expand
  9. Raskull
    Aug 19, 2013
    5
    A good game that's ruined by some decisions revolving around micro transactions. First off, if you have an old device without a front facing camera, you can't play the game. Unless you have an iOS device, you can't play the game. The game is what you expect though with improved graphics and improved animations and it's free! As I played through the "Egyptian Campaing" I got a sense of theA good game that's ruined by some decisions revolving around micro transactions. First off, if you have an old device without a front facing camera, you can't play the game. Unless you have an iOS device, you can't play the game. The game is what you expect though with improved graphics and improved animations and it's free! As I played through the "Egyptian Campaing" I got a sense of the the gameplay. You collect keys which allow you to open gates to side-quests allowing you to unlock other plants, special power-ups, and so on.There are 3 campaigns but, upon beating the final level of Egypt, I was blocked from moving forward. Now the grinding begins. You have to beat each level by meeting certain parameters set, ie don’t let the zombies trample the flowers, only use x plants, don’t lose any more than y plants, don’t spend more than z sun, etc. That's good and all but (yes another but) EA has decided to help us out, only if you are willing to pay for “microtransactions” that aren’t so micro. Want to have an extra seed slot, $3.99. Want the Jalapeno, Snow Pea, Imitator and Torchwood.....$14. As one reviewer said, "At every turn there is an attempt to nickel and dime you out of some money in order to play the game". And speaking of keys and levels in the campaigns, half of them are behind locked doors, along with some plants and powerups, and if you want to collect keys to open them, you have to play and replay the levels to randomly find keys, or pay some money for them. The funny thing about all this is that EA has done this to other games and done it right. Take the Sims for example. You get the WHOLE game initially and then you can pay for additional content that UPGRADES the experience. Even the Simpsons Tapped Out, another EA game, is much more reasonable than this. Or they could take a cue from Angry Birds, another game that does this so much better. I think (now on my soapbox) we can all agree that EA does deserve to make money from this game but why not make it available on all devices and why not charge a reasonable price for the whole game like the original (I paid $9.99 to get it on my computer, $2.99 to get the HD Version on my iPad and $1.99 to get it on my iPhone). That's $15 from just me for the first one. To clarify this rant, the gameplay is fun, the graphics and animations ARE an improvement and enjoyable as they add to the experience and gameplay. The gaming experience though is tarnished as they have modeled the gameplay around pushing the microstransactions as you don't get to experience the WHOLE game unless you plan to drop approximately $20 $25.… Expand
  10. Usuray
    Aug 15, 2013
    5
    The game is similar to the previous PvZ but a greatly expanded world. It had become far more grindy to play though. This was likely added to incentivize the in-app purchases. Players are stuck grinding the same levels with additional challenges to gain access to new levels.
  11. gatts_77
    Jul 24, 2013
    5
    I have been playing the same since it was released on Australia a couple of weeks ago already, and sad to say it feels a bit flat and repetitive, the first one i just could not stop playing it, but this one start annoying you rubbing your face that you will have to pay for all the plants, then it comes repetitiveness once you complete the original course of any level, seeking for stupidI have been playing the same since it was released on Australia a couple of weeks ago already, and sad to say it feels a bit flat and repetitive, the first one i just could not stop playing it, but this one start annoying you rubbing your face that you will have to pay for all the plants, then it comes repetitiveness once you complete the original course of any level, seeking for stupid keys and stars to try to get more plants or pass to the next level.

    I have no problem collecting stuff to progress in the game, but how it happens on PvZ2 is just boring, the same level with minor modification rules that dosent make the game more fun, just more annoying.

    The finish touch is the lack of all the extra fun stuff on the original game, starting from the fun mini games and extra challenges that were FUN to play, hooo the old days, i really give it a go before posting the review, but i just cant play it anymore.    … Expand
  12. Pickleman
    Sep 27, 2013
    6
    Pretty much the same game as the first, but now with more hassle to load up and start a game. The in app purchases feel out of place and uncalled for, though.
  13. ERB
    Aug 2, 2013
    6
    Just like any other plants vs zombies game it is too lame to be good.But I have to say this I had fun playing this game but If you look on the other side you will notice that it is a waste of time playing this.
  14. peaky2
    Aug 15, 2013
    6
    The game is has a lot of the original game's features in it but does have some plants that are not included unless paid for, some as much as $4. Despite the fact that there are pay-to-win features in it, it is still a very enjoyable game and most things can be done without the help of real life or in-game currency. Hearty recommendation even though it is a free-mium game.
  15. Tridus
    Aug 21, 2013
    7
    Well, the game itself is pretty good. It's PvZ again, with some new plants and zombies, and the interesting plant food mechanic. Nothing wrong with that. Had they just charged $5 for it, I'd have paid it, played happily, and this score would be an 8 or 9.

    Instead we get this weird "free" model where some plants are locked behind absurdly expensive fees. Getting enough keys to open    Well, the game itself is pretty good. It's PvZ again, with some new plants and zombies, and the interesting plant food mechanic. Nothing wrong with that. Had they just charged $5 for it, I'd have paid it, played happily, and this score would be an 8 or 9.

    Instead we get this weird "free" model where some plants are locked behind absurdly expensive fees. Getting enough keys to open everything up feels kind of grindy at times. But the worst thing is the coins.

    The coins are now used to buy power ups instead of unlocking things. The weakest power up is an extra plant food, which is pretty strong to get out of a jam or get a head start with a surge of sun. The other three are completely broken and amount to I Win buttons. So long as you use them sparingly (or not at all), you'll have plenty of coins and never have to spend a dime.

    If you start relying on them... well they totally break the game. You can pay to win in the most literal way there is. It's clear that they were added so that they could sell coins to players without the patience to learn how to play the game well enough to beat all the levels. and it weakens the entire game.

    My advice? Forget the three power buttons exist, and try to use the extra plant food one as rarely as you can. You'll have a lot of fun with the game if you do that. If you use those buttons frequently, there is no real challenge except paying the bill.    … Expand
  16. ddrussianinja
    Jan 4, 2014
    6
    As a game on its own terms, it's fine. It's an enjoyable experience and giving it anything lower than an average score would be disingenuous. But as a successor to PvZ, this game is a complete and total failure. Sequels should offer more than their predecessors, but PvZ2 offers far less than the original PvZ did. The Adventure mode only features three types of terrain and isn't evenAs a game on its own terms, it's fine. It's an enjoyable experience and giving it anything lower than an average score would be disingenuous. But as a successor to PvZ, this game is a complete and total failure. Sequels should offer more than their predecessors, but PvZ2 offers far less than the original PvZ did. The Adventure mode only features three types of terrain and isn't even complete yet, there are no achievements, there are no mini-games, there's no "I, Zombie" puzzle game, there are probably less than half as many plants as there were in the first game, and many of the familiar and helpful plants are now eternally trapped behind a paywall. I'm not against free-to-play as a concept, but it has to be implemented correctly. The items you can purchase should always be unlockable within the game, even if doing so is incredibly difficult or tedious. If in-game coins could be used to purchase the plants that are trapped behind the paywall, I'd be far less upset about this, but that is not the case. Yes, I don't need those plants to beat the game, but it's still a part of the game I can't access for arbitrary reasons. I'd much rather have just paid $10 for the game rather than have to pay over $20 to access all of the plants in the game. So now that we know what the game is missing, what did it add to the mix? Well, some of the new plants are rather cool and the plant food boosters are pretty sweet. I was rather fond of the pirate world, though the other two worlds weren't quite as fun. Some of the new zombies proved to be rather challenging and forced me to rethink a lot of my strategies. Survival mode is still around, though you have to recreate your entire defense every round, which is less fun in my opinion, though it is a bit more challenging, I suppose. And... that's about it. It's not a terrible game, but it's so shallow and dull when compared to the original that it hardly deserves to be considered a sequel.… Expand
  17. Skyrus
    Mar 24, 2022
    7
    I don't get why people hate this game. Plants Vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time is a solid mobilr title. The main reasons why this game is completely criticized is the IAP (In-App-Purchases) and the international delay (with the exception of New Zealand, Australia, and China), which are both completely stupid reason to hate on a game and give it low scores. Delays happen people and sometimesI don't get why people hate this game. Plants Vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time is a solid mobilr title. The main reasons why this game is completely criticized is the IAP (In-App-Purchases) and the international delay (with the exception of New Zealand, Australia, and China), which are both completely stupid reason to hate on a game and give it low scores. Delays happen people and sometimes for the greater good of the game. As for the IAP, I've gotten all stars on Ancient Egypt and Pirate Seas without purchasing any coin packs and without constantly using the Premium Plants that I bought (I have the US version incase you were curious). Yet people still say that it is "Impossible to obtain stars". This just baffles me to think that people will let something as stupid as IAP ruin a game. It might be because our generation is impatience but I enjoyed replaying levels to obtain stars. In my opinion it worked well for Plants Vs. Zombies and for its the replay value. Anyway enough about "other people's opinion" let's talk about mine a little more. Plants Vs. Zombies 2 is just as good as the original in its gameplay despite missing features like the Zen Garden and the Mini-games which will probably be added in future updates. There are a couple of new plants that stand out including the Bonk Choy, the Bloomerang, the Chili Bean, Pea Pod, the Lightning Reed, and the Snapdragon. There are also new gameplay mechanics like Plant Food and Power Ups. Plant Food is fun and a perfect idea for a Plants Vs. Zombies sequel. Plant Food allows plants to use Overpowered Attacks on Zombies, it can be obtain by buying it with the coins you earn in-game or dropped by green-glowing zombies (which are in every level presiding the introduction of Plant Food). Power-Ups are not my favorite of the bunch, you can buy power-ups with coins earned in game. These Power-ups allow you to use super-overpowered touch attacks on Zombies which doesn't work as well as Plant Food does because it takes away the element of the Tower-Defense in the game. IAP are completely optional but some like the Snow Pea, Jalapeno, and Torchwood are hard to resist. I've bought so far the Snow Pea, The Jalapeno, The Torchwood, and the Power Lily and that is all I've bought so far (I plant on getting all the Premium Plants just to have them and use them). I will never buy any coin packs because it is not worth it. I don't necessarily like the whole free-to-play thing slapped on to Plants Vs. Zombies 2 but I will not let something optional and that stupid ruin a wonderful gaming franchise for me. If anything I thing they do well with the free-to-play thing. Trust me I've played worst free-to-play games than this.… Expand
  18. ITZZZPERRY
    Jun 29, 2016
    6
    Plants vs Zombies 2: It's About Time was a letdown for me. I never really enjoyed it, as it became way too complex. It lost the appeal that the original had.
  19. mishabridun
    Jan 13, 2014
    7
    Entertaining strategy, free to play, and has a pretty good story line. Just about everything needed for a successful iOS game. This keeps me entertained for hours at a time!
  20. Skitte
    Jul 7, 2014
    7
    I played the first three worlds and I loved it, so much. Addictive, at that time. But, at the moment, as new worlds come out, I am starting to lose interest in the game, maybe because there are not really something changed and I have to wait a lot to play a new world...
  21. DaEpikDude
    May 28, 2016
    6
    So I've actually lightened up a bit to this game, but I still don't like it as much as the first one.
    Here are some of my issues:
    1: Lag. This game lags so much compared to the first game. I can play the first fine on my iPhone 4, but it lags so much on the second one. 2: Premiums. Eleven dollars for a plant. Really. Eleven. At least you have some gem plants, but why not make them    So I've actually lightened up a bit to this game, but I still don't like it as much as the first one.
    Here are some of my issues:
    1: Lag. This game lags so much compared to the first game. I can play the first fine on my iPhone 4, but it lags so much on the second one.
    2: Premiums. Eleven dollars for a plant.
    Really.
    Eleven.
    At least you have some gem plants, but why not make them all gem plants?
    3: Powerups and plant food boosts. They literally break the game. It's essentially 1200 coins for "kill everything but Gargantuars". Really.
    (Also why did they get rid of Power Pinch for a snow version of Power Zap?)

    Now, some fixes from when I first reviewed the game.
    1: Many more levels. The new levels are really the only reason I play this much.
    2: Gem plants. I can get stuff for free now!
    3: Travel Log and Vasebreaker. More stuff, basically.
    4: Shadow plants are pretty cool I guess.

    But still, I'm only giving this game a 6/10, up by 2.
    Just make the premiums all gem plants, or make us pay something like, maybe, $10 for a bundle that has 10 plants in it or something.    … Expand
  22. MaxCarnage99
    Oct 23, 2014
    6
    Plants vs Zombeis 2 is a good game, but is very inferior to the first one. The idea of time travel is great and leads us to excelent levels and zombies. However, there isn't much innovations in gameplay and most of the plants and some zombies come from the previous game. The plant food mechanic is good and the power ups as well, but these are obviously made to be sold by microtransations.Plants vs Zombeis 2 is a good game, but is very inferior to the first one. The idea of time travel is great and leads us to excelent levels and zombies. However, there isn't much innovations in gameplay and most of the plants and some zombies come from the previous game. The plant food mechanic is good and the power ups as well, but these are obviously made to be sold by microtransations.
    But, the worst thing in this game are the MICROTRANSATIONS. They took off plants like Jalapeño and Hypnoshroom that WERE IN THE PREVIOUS GAME and are selling them a part, And many features like the water, fog, roof and night levels weren't used (but they were recently released as a free update, at least).
    So, it's a interesting app and it's free, so, if you liked the previous game - which is excellent -, the gameplays you saw and don't care about the negative points raised here, go there and download it. It worth a try.    … Expand
  23. tsakiym
    May 12, 2015
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I do not have to say anything more. But i need to write one hundred and fifty characters. i think my score can describe it............................… Expand
  24. ThisIsPaul
    Jun 8, 2015
    6
    Could you add up the old Plants from plant vs Zombies 1 to The new Plants Vs Zombies 2 and also add more new worlds like from china version of the plant vs zombies 2 they have new zombies and Plants that are new
  25. DanBurrito
    Dec 6, 2015
    7
    After all that hype, we finally got PVS 2. And it's, well-it's not BAD or anything but it's a bit disappointing. It takes FOREVER to load and apart from the time-travel twist, it's a bit too similar to the First one. It just feels a bit like a cash grab. Still, it's not an awful game. It is fun to play. Don't expect the brilliance of the first one but don't expect it to be terrible either.
  26. CrispCicada
    Jun 1, 2020
    7
    Plants Vs Zombies 2 is a good sequel to the beloved Plants Vs Zombies. Despite the microtransactions, there is still a fine experience to be had if you follow a small set of principles.

    1: Turn off your connection. You won't receive any advertisements. 2: Don't play Big Wave Beach or Modern Day. Their bloated difficulties make them unfun to play on. 3: Don't use power-ups.    Plants Vs Zombies 2 is a good sequel to the beloved Plants Vs Zombies. Despite the microtransactions, there is still a fine experience to be had if you follow a small set of principles.

    1: Turn off your connection. You won't receive any advertisements.

    2: Don't play Big Wave Beach or Modern Day. Their bloated difficulties make them unfun to play on.

    3: Don't use power-ups. Levelling up your plants will be a lot more helpful in the long run.

    Gameplay-wise, this game is a lot like the original. The game is less revolutionary and more evolutionary. There's a good amount of enemy variety in this game. There's a load of exciting new zombies to keep you on your toes. There's also a handful of new plants. There are loads of neat concepts, but most of the new plants sorta fall flat in my opinion.

    This game feels a bit soulless compared to the first one. Advertisements and microtransactions are thrown at your face as soon as you boot the game out. There is some alright music, but most of the soundtrack feels pretty stale compared to the original's. I still can't get over the fact that EA fired the original developer of the game because he didn't approve of stuffing the game with microtransactions.

    Artistically, this game's great. It takes the cartoony vibes of the original and adds some polish to it. The animations are solid and the shading looks awesome.

    In conclusion, PVZ2 is an enjoyable experience if you follow my principles. If not, it feels like an inferior cash-grab to the original. Have a lovely day/night, folks!    … Expand
  27. flowerfun
    Dec 5, 2021
    6
    The gameplay is basically the same as the first game with some new stuff like victory requirements where you have to do stuff like protect plants or produce X amount of sun which are really fun. And the game provides lots of new situations that make the game feel less monotonous to play. There are also boss fights in the game which was something PvZ 1 was sorely lacking, and despite mostThe gameplay is basically the same as the first game with some new stuff like victory requirements where you have to do stuff like protect plants or produce X amount of sun which are really fun. And the game provides lots of new situations that make the game feel less monotonous to play. There are also boss fights in the game which was something PvZ 1 was sorely lacking, and despite most of them being copy-pasted from each other, they are pretty fun. So in theory this should be a 10/10 game right? Well no. My main problem with the game is the constant difficulty spikes in the adventure mode. Worlds 1 to 4 are pretty good and are really fun worlds, worlds 5-6 were mildly frustrating but still passable. But worlds 7 to 11 are just downright unfair, this is the point in the game where it goes from mildly frustrating to unfun and p2w. The difficulty in these worlds is so hard to the point where you have to either grind, use power-ups or buy premium plants that are overpowered as hell. That is another problem with this game, the leveling system. OH MY GOD, I HATE THE LEVELING SYSTEM, the leveling system is just there because MONEY!!!!! It makes plants stupidly overpowered and the game becomes significantly easier because of it. Plant food is implemented well but I feel it could have been nerfed a bit more but it's fine, power-ups on the hand.......well what can I say, they all feel out of place and are practically a requirement in order to beat the later levels in the game. Despite all of this, PvZ 2 is a fine game, if you ignore all the microtransactions and awful leveling system then you could have a good time.… Expand
  28. Blitzscream
    Mar 11, 2022
    6
    I think the game is ok i hate how the game is p2w and how plants from the original game are need to be pay with real money and really dislike the difficulty how is very unfair sometime but i must say tho the music is great like neon mixtape tour and dark age and i also like how the sunflower now give you 50 sun unlike the original game that give you 25 sun and I don’t really like how theI think the game is ok i hate how the game is p2w and how plants from the original game are need to be pay with real money and really dislike the difficulty how is very unfair sometime but i must say tho the music is great like neon mixtape tour and dark age and i also like how the sunflower now give you 50 sun unlike the original game that give you 25 sun and I don’t really like how the puff shroom are temporary what they should have done is they should have make the plant stay permanently on night world and make the puff shroom temporary when is use in day time with the upgrading system tho what they should have done is give your plants xp whenever they’re use in a game with the premium plants that are p2w they like make you watch like 10 ads to unlock them cause you are giving them money just by watching ads… Expand
  29. Arey100
    Jun 16, 2023
    7
    I feel like most of the low scores come from people who barely give this game a chance. Yes, the microtransactions are annoying, but that shouldn't define the entire experience. With all the new plants, levels, and mechanics, Plants vs. Zombies 2 is a fine addition to the series. Also, the art style is straight up eye candy. I used BlueStacks to play this game, and to be honest I probablyI feel like most of the low scores come from people who barely give this game a chance. Yes, the microtransactions are annoying, but that shouldn't define the entire experience. With all the new plants, levels, and mechanics, Plants vs. Zombies 2 is a fine addition to the series. Also, the art style is straight up eye candy. I used BlueStacks to play this game, and to be honest I probably wouldn't have liked it as much if I actually played it on a phone or otherwise.… Expand
  30. oneofjw
    Nov 24, 2022
    6
    some people its a perfect sequel. I think its lack luster and boring. also **** the micro transaction
  31. therandomone766
    Apr 11, 2023
    7
    Initially the game was good, then, in a future update when they got rid of the world map the game was solid, afterwards, the game got all worlds and it was good, but since then, it felt like the devs didn't know what to do with it. Nowadays, from 2020-ish onwards the game just serves as Popcap's way of getting an extra buck every time they release a new plant.

    The gameplay of the    Initially the game was good, then, in a future update when they got rid of the world map the game was solid, afterwards, the game got all worlds and it was good, but since then, it felt like the devs didn't know what to do with it. Nowadays, from 2020-ish onwards the game just serves as Popcap's way of getting an extra buck every time they release a new plant.

    The gameplay of the adventure mode is great, every single world has their own plants, zombies and stage which bring a new wave of gameplay variety. On top of that, the game has top notch music and sound effects, creative designs, good boss fights, smooth animations (for the most part) and some nice minigames in some worlds.

    Penny'r persuit is fun, but kinda repetitive after some tries, and because the plant that gets boosted every event is random you may get seed packets for plants you may never even get to play with. Arena is not a bad game mode, but it's kinda pointless after beating adventure mode.

    The micro-transactions are not as bad assome people would lead you to believe, but they are a big annoyance in places like Penny's Persuit. The other problem with these is the insane amount of premium plants they keep releasing, and they show no sign of stopping anytime soon. At this rate, more than half the plants in this game will be premium one way or another.

    The game is solid, but these little annoyances hinder it so much. Whether you blame Popcap or EA for this doesn't matter, because the game feels incomplete. I'd preffer a version of the game available on more platforms and everything unlockable via in-game progress but with a reasonable prize tag than an incomplete game with the other half being sold to you separately.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Best iOS Game of 2013
1
#1 Most Discussed iOS Game of 2013
16
#16 Most Shared iOS Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. Games Master UK
    Sep 18, 2013
    93
    A fantastic sequel, unhindered by its free to play model. Plant this on your device now! [Nov 2013, p.78]
  2. InsideGamer.nl
    Sep 10, 2013
    93
    Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time just works well in every way. The game makes good use of the Free to Play-model, with which you'll only pay for something to make it a bit easier for yourself. The game is just as enjoyable without spending a dime though.
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  3. Hyper Magazine
    Sep 4, 2013
    80
    A big improvement on the first game, albeit one hampered by the free to play model. [Oct 2013, p.77]
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