Plants vs. Zombies 3 has started shuffling out to select iOS devices in certain countries.
The long-in-gestation sequel to one of the most popular casual strategy games of recent decades is now available to download on iPhone and iPad as part of EA’s soft launch process. We in the UK are among the lucky few to get the game early, alongside the Netherlands, Australia, Philippines, and the Republic of Ireland. More countries are apparently coming at a later date.
EA, which announced this threequel back in 2019, promises the same classic lane-based tower defence gameplay as before, with a “cast of new and returning characters” and an overall “story-driven, episodic experience”.
The gameplay looks familiar: drop plant-based defensive towers on a multi-lane lawn while zombie hordes shuffle in from the right.
Plants vs. Zombies 3: Welcome to Zomburbia (to give the game its full title) is free to download on the App Store. And yes, that does indeed mean that there are micro-transactions.
A quick look at the top three in-app purchases in the app listing reveals the disheartening sight of a ‘Flash sale 14’ IAP costing £99.99 at the number two spot, and ‘Flash sale 13’ for £69.99 at number three.
It didn’t always used to be like this, of course. Indeed, the original Plants vs. Zombies didn’t launch on mobile at all, but was rather a PC and Mac game back in 2009. It then launched on iOS as a paid game later that year, before making its way to Android and all of the major consoles of the time over the following years.
The launch of Plants vs. Zombies 2 in 2013 heralded the introduction of a free-to-play structure to PopCap’s beloved series. Suddenly, real money could unlock power-ups, though the core gameplay loop remained solid.
It remains to be seen if Plants vs. Zombies 3’s free-to-play mechanics are problematic, of course, and the whole point of a soft launch is to receive and adjust for major complaints from players. References to a return to the “classic combat of the first game” would appear to be a good sign, so fingers crossed.
