User blog:Tecku/Tecku Talks: PvZ3 Beta Impressions

Well, I said I would have more to say if another game came out, and it looks like PvZ3 is on the way... sorta. If Popcap has taught me anything, it's that their strategy is to wait and wait and wait on a game until long after all the hype for it has died down, then release it and act surprised when nobody shows up. But I'm going off on a tangent. Let's talk about the PvZ3 Beta. I didn't get a chance to play, but honestly? What I see makes me feel sad more than anything. Not because I think it's all bad, oh no, I think there's a lot of good, but because that good is bogged down by trash that makes the game seem unplayable.

Alright, let's get a little less gloomy and talk about the good. The basic gameplay looks close the original two games, and a lot more fun than the other beta from a year and a half ago. They've got some cool new zombies and mechanics, and... uhh... if they bring in the plants and zombies from the other beta, that would be cool.

Alright, look. I tried to go back and play PvZ2, and it was a nightmare. Loading up the game was like stepping onto a casino floor. Popups and promises everywhere trying to promote daily habits and engage in skinner-box manipulation. The game was bloated and ran like crud. Waiting for pinata animations after every level was a nightmare. I couldn't even get the music to load properly. And there's a great game underneath all that. I wanted to replay the levels, and mix and match all the plants I've earned. I wanted to rotate in unique plants like Apple Mortar and Escape Root and Bowling Bulb. But PvZ2 is a chore now. And from the look of it, PvZ3 is going to be worse.

From what I've seen in the beta- and hey, I could be wrong. I could be absolutely wrong about all of this, and if you like what you saw in the videos, good for you. Don't let me take that away- but from what I've seen, PvZ3 is no longer about casual play. Levels are now one-time experiences like Candy Crush. They are specifically designed to NOT be beaten unless you break and get micro transactions. The zombies are designed to come at a manipulated pace that lets you feel like you're doing well, then breaks through RIGHT at the very end- "I'm almost there, I can't quit now. I'll just break down and buy a Cherry Bomb so I can complete this level." That is what this game looks like to me, and I won't stand for it. Not for all the fun Buttercups and Hydrangeas in the world.

And you know what? I do hope I'm wrong. I do. I would love nothing more than to have this game be big and beautiful and calming and fun to play over and over again. But I doubt it.

Well, that was depressing. How about I make a few posts about my ideas for new plants/zombies?