Plants vs. Zombies 2 is one of the most anticipated new mobile games to come out this year, especially after the game was delayed for release by several weeks in the United States and other countries.
However, the game was still released on schedule in Australia and New Zealand, and Eurogamer was able to get their hands on this soft release version of the game and try out the early build of "Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time."
The game is free to play. However, several bonus items are available to buy in the in-game store. Additionally, impatient players who do not feel like grinding through levels to find keys and complete special star objectives to advance through the game. However, the early preview notes that the main focus of the microtransactions in the game are for new plants and powerups:
"...the game's main concessions to free-to-play mechanics don't lie with the fact that a handful of specific plant types are kept behind a micro-transaction paywall - although it's a shame that treats like the Squash, the Snow Pea and the Jalapeno are hived off like this - but with the addition of a series of boosts and one-shot power-ups, and in a new progression structure."
The game is reportedly more challenging than the original, with players tasked with unique missions to unlock stars to advance through the game. These range from using a restricted amount of plants to using only certain types of plants. New powerups, activated by the iPhone and iPad's touch screen, are overpowered game changers at this point, capable of clearing away the field very quickly. This may be changed in the worldwide release of the game. These power-ups are bought with in-game money dropped by enemies.
It will be interesting to see how developer Popcap changes up the structure of the game, if at all, for the wider release. Look out for more Plants vs. Zombies 2 news, including it's release date, very soon.