Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 224 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 155 out of 224
  2. Mixed: 39 out of 224
  3. Negative: 30 out of 224

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  1. versionpatch
    Aug 15, 2014
    9
    Great game :D , Totally Worth the 30$ , Problem is it has those Frostbite 3 bugs (texture pop in & sometimes models don't show etc...) But it doesn't affect the game math , the game is running fine on a GT 620 @720p Ultra Texture & AF & Other Low , And it Looks Very Good ,
  2. Iron_Salamander
    Jul 10, 2014
    9
    This is a fun and addictive game and I’d love to give it a 10. It’s close to that very high rating but a few issues hold it back. I’ll outline the good first and end with its flaws, most of which are correctable and hopefully addressed in the near future.

    The game has a style and charm that are immediately recognizable and enjoyable. The various buildings and characters all look like 3D    This is a fun and addictive game and I’d love to give it a 10. It’s close to that very high rating but a few issues hold it back. I’ll outline the good first and end with its flaws, most of which are correctable and hopefully addressed in the near future.

    The game has a style and charm that are immediately recognizable and enjoyable. The various buildings and characters all look like 3D realizations of the plants vs. zombies 2D games and the weapon effects are highly appropriate; the zombie foot soldier’s stink bombs leave lingering purple clouds, the chomper looks like the dangerous predator it is while still maintaining the comical look of the game universe, and such things as fake noses, snack tray hats, concrete glasses, and a host of other customization options all aptly display the game’s whimsical nature even while shooting the opposing team with gusto.

    The sounds are also well done and add even more magic to the atmosphere of the battles. These range from the various zombies cries of ‘brains’, the sunflower’s happy chirping vocalizations, the way the zombie engineer’s devices all sound like someone making machine sounds with their mouths, the pseudo-speech of both Dr. Zomboss and Crazy Dave as they declare various in-game events, and the zombies ‘rar rar raring’ the chorus for Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ when they win a round of Gnome Bomb.
    Game modes and maps are a bit limited but still enjoyable.

    The maps are really well done and so far I like them all. The game features one co-op mode; Garden Ops, the rest are all team vs. team and include; Team Vanquish (death match), Gardens & Graveyards (plants defend, zombies attack), and Gnome Bomb (hot potato to blow up 3 enemy gardens/graveyards without losing yours). The Vanquish Confirmed game mode is not on PC at the time of this writing. Gardens & Graveyards is my favorite and it seems to be many other players’ as well. It allows both teams to use the stickers they get from the shop to summon reinforcements and the attack/defend mechanic works very well in this game making these modes great fun as either side.

    Star challenges are how you level up your classes and are in-game tasks to unlock a star, once you unlock enough of these that class will level up. At first this is how you unlock your additional special ability slots but later you get class specific sticker packs you can open via the Sticker Stop.

    The sticker shop is quite fun and despite some rumors it does not require you to spend real money, although that option does exist. You get PvZ coins for playing the game and then spend them at the shop to open various packs of stickers as well as the aforementioned automatic class stickers. The better you perform in game, both on a personal level but also by helping your team, I want to stress how much the game encourages teamwork here, the more coins you get and the higher your placement in the scoreboard at the end of a round. Packs currently cost from 1,000to 40,000 coins depending on what you wish to buy.

    The stickers open up class variants, customizations, weapon upgrades, and reinforcements you can use in Garden Ops mode (plants only) and Gardens & Graveyards (both plants and zombies). You also get revivals and re-tries for Garden Ops mode and star challenge cards, these last cards will let you bypass challenges by using the stars to complete them immediately.

    With all that good comes the bad. The DRM has been brought up other reviewers and it requires Origin to buy and play since the game is always online. Also the lack of maps and map modes may be limiting its longevity but this is easily fixed in patches and they’ve already added maps and mods since its initial console launch. The game auto-connects to servers when we should have a server list that lets us pick as well as tagging servers as favorites or blacklisted. Team balance is overall good but you can get stuck on a team for round after round and if it’s bad, your only recourse is to get lucky as people join/leave or you leave the server. But if you do leave a bad server team, and join the same game mode again, it will often just put you right back where you were since you can’t pick servers.

    The worst thing right now however is the microphone issue. I cannot stress enough how annoying this can be. The game has no way to set it and it defaults to auto-voice detect with no option to mute yourself or set push-to-talk like we really need. You will often join a server and be bombarded with coughing, static, background noise, etc. until you can tab out to the scoreboard and toggle mute all. This is a serious irritation and must be addressed ASAP.

    In conclusion this is a fun and addictive experience with a lot of charm and is a blast to play, but with a few flaws that need to be corrected, especially that microphone problem. I’m an older gamer (44) and I love this game and look forward to fixes and more content!    … Expand
  3. Farkran
    Jun 25, 2014
    8
    I am not a fan of shooters, although I am a fan of the PvZ series. For this reason, I have decided to buy Garden Warfare and I don't regret it. The game is very enjoyable, pretty well balanced and offers a large enough variety of play modes. It does have a few critical flaws though, the most prominent being the lack of a proper party system. With that, my vote would have been at least 1I am not a fan of shooters, although I am a fan of the PvZ series. For this reason, I have decided to buy Garden Warfare and I don't regret it. The game is very enjoyable, pretty well balanced and offers a large enough variety of play modes. It does have a few critical flaws though, the most prominent being the lack of a proper party system. With that, my vote would have been at least 1 point higher. The other major problem is the chat system: it needs a way to mute your own microphone and all other players in advance if you do not wish to use vocal chat.… Expand
  4. jammychen
    Jun 24, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not bad.A game can let U relax and still feel intresting.The worst thing is people conneted not so many as BF3,or BF4 cause player have to waste some time to wait .… Expand
  5. toanrealmadrid1
    Jul 8, 2014
    8
    This is the best third - person shooting I have ever played. This game has GREAT graphics, sounds, gameplay. The bad thing about this game is the connection is too weak although my connection is pretty strong. 8 out of 10.
  6. 0-LuftWaffle-0
    Jun 24, 2014
    8
    Conceptually, the game is solid. It's Battlefield-sized maps, with some game modes that work similarly to the Battlefield game modes, made with the Battlefield engine, but with TF2 styled gameplay and weapon arrangements. I currently don't see any class that is OP or UP.

    However, there are some hiccups. 1. No push-to-talk as of now. (Can be solved with a 3rd party program, but should    Conceptually, the game is solid. It's Battlefield-sized maps, with some game modes that work similarly to the Battlefield game modes, made with the Battlefield engine, but with TF2 styled gameplay and weapon arrangements. I currently don't see any class that is OP or UP.

    However, there are some hiccups.
    1. No push-to-talk as of now. (Can be solved with a 3rd party program, but should be in the game in the first place)
    2. Framerate Stuttering (EA said they'll fix it)
    3. No text chat.

    Other than that, the game is great, replayable, and addicting.    … Expand
  7. Nednada
    Jun 27, 2014
    10
    Amazing game! As a big fan of the PVZ franchise, I was very curious to see what were coming. And the result, at least for me, is an instant success. Graphics are simply amazing running on 1080p on ultra, even with antialiasing set to high (and I play on a laptop with a gt 555m!), gameplay is very addictive, as different plants and zombies play in a unique way, sounds are very nice, theAmazing game! As a big fan of the PVZ franchise, I was very curious to see what were coming. And the result, at least for me, is an instant success. Graphics are simply amazing running on 1080p on ultra, even with antialiasing set to high (and I play on a laptop with a gt 555m!), gameplay is very addictive, as different plants and zombies play in a unique way, sounds are very nice, the servers are working wonderfully (at least for now, while i'm writing this review). Overall a VERY polished game and for a little price for what it offers. There are several game modes, going from the classic deathmatch style, to garden ops (an up to 4 players coop where you can plant things to help you stop the zombies) and things like capture the gardens (like a capture the flag), and others. The replay value is incredible. Oh, and the game has a card store, that makes it freshier over time, as you unlock a LOT of things with it.

    I highly recommend it to anyone. Been a while since I had this fun playing an online shooter.    … Expand
  8. boshi
    Aug 8, 2014
    9
    a really good tps with great gameplay and variety. there are various characters to play as, as well as different variants, and each character gets unique weapons and abilities which keep the game fresh. in addition, you can also unlock weapon upgrades, accessories, hats, and consumables from the sticker shop to use in game. the only problem is the lack of a push to talk option for mics.a really good tps with great gameplay and variety. there are various characters to play as, as well as different variants, and each character gets unique weapons and abilities which keep the game fresh. in addition, you can also unlock weapon upgrades, accessories, hats, and consumables from the sticker shop to use in game. the only problem is the lack of a push to talk option for mics. which makes the game lobbies pretty annoying and i usually just end up muting everyone. other than that a really great game with a unique idea.… Expand
  9. Motherball
    Jun 25, 2014
    9
    My mother in law bought the xbox 360 version of this game for my son last month. I had a free month of live gold so I used that profile to play the game and was very pleasantly surprised. My son and I both really enjoy the game. Sometimes I think I like it more than him. However I really really do not like to play shooter games with a controller, so when I heard this was coming to PC, IMy mother in law bought the xbox 360 version of this game for my son last month. I had a free month of live gold so I used that profile to play the game and was very pleasantly surprised. My son and I both really enjoy the game. Sometimes I think I like it more than him. However I really really do not like to play shooter games with a controller, so when I heard this was coming to PC, I was very excited. I have to admit that I was apprehensive about dealing with EA and Origin, but I liked the game enough to give it a shot. While I was waiting for the game day to launch, Origin offered Titanfall for free for 48 hours. The game would not launch correctly and I never got to play. So, that definitely added to my paranoia about preordering which I never do out of principal. The launch of this game was surpirsingly smooth as were the servers for the past few days. I am very pleasantly surprised with EA with regards to this title.

    The only negatives that I have to comment on are the microphones. Thankfully my keyboard has a mute button that I can push before going into a match where I can then mute everyone manually and still play with sound. Also waiting between matches is kind of a downer. Its only one minute, but then you have to wait for the game to load. Just seems like extra waiting that could be eliminated, in my opinion.

    My favorite thing about the game is that it is easy to pick up but hard to master. It reminds me of TF2 a lot, but is different enough that it doesn't feel too familiar. There are always little tricks and hiding spots to find and use to get the edge and I really admire that in a game.    … Expand
  10. jamesbaron
    Jun 25, 2014
    10
    A fantastically fun First-Person Shooter. If you love quirky colourful FPS games such as TF2 or Loadout like I do, you'll love this game.

    Gameplay is primarily asymmetrical competitive multi-player in the form of classic PvZ action; the Plants team squaring off against the Zombie horde. Each team offers 4 class, each unique to that team with three abilities, also unique to each class,    A fantastically fun First-Person Shooter. If you love quirky colourful FPS games such as TF2 or Loadout like I do, you'll love this game.

    Gameplay is primarily asymmetrical competitive multi-player in the form of classic PvZ action; the Plants team squaring off against the Zombie horde. Each team offers 4 class, each unique to that team with three abilities, also unique to each class, new abilities can also be unlocked through gameplay.

    Gamemodes consist of classic Team Deathmatch, called Team Vanquish in this, Gardens & Graveyards, where Plants are tasked with defending points on a map while Zombies attack, and lastly Gnome Bomb, in which each team has three points that must be defended from the enemy team planting an explosive gnome which spawns randomly on the map and can be picked up by players.

    If you're more into solo/co-op non-competitive action there's also Garden Ops mode, where you and up to 3 other players play as the Plants team defending your Garden from the hordes of AI Zombie attackers.

    Only problems I have with the game are minor nit-picks that other reviews have pointed out as well, like the microphone problem and no text chat, but I imagine these will be resolved fairly quickly.

    All in all this game is my favourite game of 2014 thus far, and right up there with TF2 in my favourite FPS book.    … Expand
  11. Mudget
    Jul 29, 2014
    9
    This is a good FPS. Actually a really good FPS, more along the lines of Team Fortress rather than Call of Duty. The action is nonstop, the graphics are lush and full of color and the many battlegrounds full of life. But I think what sets PvZGW apart are the characters themselves - each can be customized to the point of creating a truly crazy, unique character - and each of theThis is a good FPS. Actually a really good FPS, more along the lines of Team Fortress rather than Call of Duty. The action is nonstop, the graphics are lush and full of color and the many battlegrounds full of life. But I think what sets PvZGW apart are the characters themselves - each can be customized to the point of creating a truly crazy, unique character - and each of the 'classes' of both zombies and plants have interesting roles that are useful, as well as fun to explore and improve. The entire game just oozes over with character and personality, and if you were in any way a fan of the original PvP, you'll feel oddly at home here. For the record I've been playing since release and I've never been one-shot-killed yet. And I play regularly. In fact I haven't really seen any instance of cheating. I deduct one star because the game can occasionally be wonky, with game-ending bugs popping up from time-to-time (such as falling into the landscape or getting stuck in a black screen you can only Cntrl-Alt-Del to get out of). But overall it's mostly quite stable, and very fun. Do I wish EA didn't own this franchise? Of course. I don't think they improve anything they own. But I'm not going to let that stop me from giving the game the score it deserves.… Expand
  12. SenshudoTV
    Oct 9, 2014
    8
    In conclusion, this game has an amazing design with sharp colours and beautiful shadows. Although there are loads of character customisations with thousands of unlocks to achieve, gameplay sometimes feels tedious and repetitive but is easily overcome by trying a new gamemode. This game is completely different to anything I’ve ever played before; it feels brand new and energizing. If you’veIn conclusion, this game has an amazing design with sharp colours and beautiful shadows. Although there are loads of character customisations with thousands of unlocks to achieve, gameplay sometimes feels tedious and repetitive but is easily overcome by trying a new gamemode. This game is completely different to anything I’ve ever played before; it feels brand new and energizing. If you’ve never looked at this game in detail, I heavily recommend you check it out!… Expand
  13. cleverboy
    Apr 24, 2015
    9
    There is a lot to like here. The game looks amazing on 1080p with everything turned to highest setting. The models are cartoony, animate beautifully, and the textures/shaders are oh-so-gorgeous.

    Underlying this shiny exterior is this delicious core of solid team-based gameplay. The co-op mode can get pretty intense and hectic, as waves of zombies come at your garden from every which    There is a lot to like here. The game looks amazing on 1080p with everything turned to highest setting. The models are cartoony, animate beautifully, and the textures/shaders are oh-so-gorgeous.

    Underlying this shiny exterior is this delicious core of solid team-based gameplay. The co-op mode can get pretty intense and hectic, as waves of zombies come at your garden from every which way. The team deathmatch definitely awards the team that plays and coordinates together.

    The only thing i wish this game had was a split-screen and/or a LAN option or at least bots to play against. I'm sure at some point in the future the servers will go down, and this being a multiplayer-only title, it will be unplayable without the servers. A split-screen mode would have ensured that this game would still be playable - and some consumers may be hesitant to buy a game that won't be playable at an unknown date in the future.

    About the sticker pack system. Hey i understand - it's a business, and you don't have to pay a dime for the stickers if you don't want to. And if having it in the game keeps the light on (or the servers online), then I'm all for it. Plus, there are plenty of servers that run the game mode where unlocks aren't used, so you don't have to feel like it's a pay-to-win type of a game.    … Expand
  14. Bladefury
    Jun 28, 2014
    9
    What an awesome game. Possibly one of the best shooters I've played, and I've played most of them, the fun in the game is simply incredible, gameplay is simple yet hillarious, you don't have to worry about locking a million different weopons, you get a few different classes for each side and play with that.

    Cosmetics upgrades and the rest come and help you look different, which is a    What an awesome game. Possibly one of the best shooters I've played, and I've played most of them, the fun in the game is simply incredible, gameplay is simple yet hillarious, you don't have to worry about locking a million different weopons, you get a few different classes for each side and play with that.

    Cosmetics upgrades and the rest come and help you look different, which is a cool feature.
    I am having a lot of fun with this one, definitely a game i ill be playing a long time to come.

    The voice chats I assume will be sorted and a few party options are missing, but as others said i am sure these will be sorted out soon enough.    … Expand
  15. Skitte
    Feb 22, 2015
    9
    I have played enougj of this game to think overally about it.

    Pros: - The humour that the series is keeping from the first till the last. - Many maps, ways to play. - Balanced abilities for each plant. - Customizables - Easy earning money Cons: - Iimited split screen - no melee attack - no single play - no story - requires huge resources and internet All in all, is a    I have played enougj of this game to think overally about it.

    Pros:
    - The humour that the series is keeping from the first till the last.
    - Many maps, ways to play.
    - Balanced abilities for each plant.
    - Customizables
    - Easy earning money

    Cons:
    - Iimited split screen
    - no melee attack
    - no single play
    - no story
    - requires huge resources and internet

    All in all, is a great shooter which puts violence on the lower position and ephasizes the fun and addiction.    … Expand
  16. EconomicPlane78
    Jul 17, 2014
    9
    Hello GAMERS! I´m a FPS fan I had played all the possible games on the market. since DOOM which was my first shooter, I remember back to those days at the Univ., until today with my last and lovely Battlefield 4 and 3 with more than 500 hrs on the records and COD and all the possible titles of the franchise and TITAN FALL. WELL...PLANTS vs ZOMBIES you should think WTF that´s for kids!!! itHello GAMERS! I´m a FPS fan I had played all the possible games on the market. since DOOM which was my first shooter, I remember back to those days at the Univ., until today with my last and lovely Battlefield 4 and 3 with more than 500 hrs on the records and COD and all the possible titles of the franchise and TITAN FALL. WELL...PLANTS vs ZOMBIES you should think WTF that´s for kids!!! it might be right but the developers did a really cool game, with nice graphics, well sound and the servers are so smooth with the connection that I give a 9 ...not a 10 because I did not like much the aiming response of each character but don´t take this seriously. For 18dlls at ORIGIN hey this is worthy I have 3 hrs and I just bought it a few hours ago....this is addiction.......DAMMNN!!!!!!… Expand
  17. aceiscool
    Jul 19, 2014
    9
    I waited four months for this game to come on pc after its early release on xbox. I'm happy with the pc version being a strong port and all but it still isn't as addictive as i wish it would be. A great game yes but it would be cool if there was a text chat feature and more gameplay modes and even more maps as the maps easily get repetitive in garden ops mode. Other than that its an amazing game.
  18. TikiDarkesHour
    Nov 16, 2014
    9
    Absolutly love it. Graphics are ok, gameplay is fun and addicting,you and your friends will love it. Now im speaking from the pc point of view and my only complaint is...you guessed it EA's stupid servers now if you have played the battlefield games on pc then you know what i mean its soooo hard to find a non-laggy game it takes a bit but once you get into a good game of garden ops you canAbsolutly love it. Graphics are ok, gameplay is fun and addicting,you and your friends will love it. Now im speaking from the pc point of view and my only complaint is...you guessed it EA's stupid servers now if you have played the battlefield games on pc then you know what i mean its soooo hard to find a non-laggy game it takes a bit but once you get into a good game of garden ops you can forgive them immidiatly. Great game for the price and i hope to see popcap comeout with even more awesome games like this… Expand
  19. Zajonc
    Nov 24, 2014
    9
    Horrible game... unbalanced (lvl1 vs lvl 300, 6 player vs 12), horrible PC port, constant mic abuse, spawn camp, OP classes and a lots of stuff that i cant stand. I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!
  20. Slipper
    Nov 30, 2015
    9
    After 700 hours of game play it is time for my review. This is one of games that i do not regret buying. Little cheaters, btw i report anyone who use some way of hacking in game. Graphic of the game is very good, plants and zombies are good designed, maps are nice. This is just one of those games that suck you in and don't let go for a long time. Why 9 score then? Game is not perfect that is why.
  21. ramssC
    Oct 12, 2022
    10
    Este mundo del Third Person Shooter le queda muy bien a PVZ, ¡súper divertido!
  22. Sumogus
    Jan 3, 2023
    10
    The game awesome, but in the origin version you can't play online multiplayer. (only events)

Awards & Rankings

93
#93 Best PC Game of 2014
100
#100 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
92
#92 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Riot Pixels
    Aug 4, 2014
    65
    Garden Warfare gives out a weird vibe. It has solid gameplay, cool look and almost no game-breaking bugs, but it doesn’t have a heart. As if even its creators did not care about their project and made it only because the higher management told them to.
    Read full review
  2. Digitally Downloaded
    Jul 21, 2014
    80
    While this game might have the look and feel of a "family friendly" shooter, the reality is that the people playing it are of a standard to make it one for the shooter veterans who want a change of scenery from the brown wasteland battlegrounds.
    Read full review
  3. SpazioGames
    Jul 18, 2014
    75
    If you are looking for a fun third-person shooter, well-crafted, rich in content and sold at a honest price, there's really no reason not to install Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare on your PC.
    Read full review
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