This hub map is a nice little diversion in between online matches, and if you spend enough time out there mixing it up, the game will start spawning in more and more powerful units from both factions, which also lets you quickly grind out experience points and complete the quests you should be picking up at every opportunity.

There's a neverending skirmish between the two sides that takes place in the big courtyard between the two bases-complete with a sort of defend-the-high-ground minigame you can start at any time-and there are a ton of little collectibles, treasure chests, side quests, and other doohickeys to discover in the neighborhood, sewers, and docks near that central courtyard. This initially struck me as a needlessly busy way to obfuscate the game's basic functionality, but once you get out into the gigantic neutral territory between the two bases, this hub map starts making sense. This 'Backyard Battleground' is a single map that houses faction bases for both the plants and zombies, each of which contains roughly a zillion little kiosks you walk up to and use to access everything from matchmaking to stats to character customization.

The most immediately noticeable upgrade in this sequel is a full 3D hub area that replaces the sparse menus in the original game. More playable classes, maps, modes, unlocks, and plenty of other features combine in a followup that befits the surprising quality of Garden Warfare's core multiplayer action and reasonably justifies its full retail price. As a sort-of-budget-priced, bare-bones game wrapped around a goofy shooter that was better than it had any right to be, the first Garden Warfare deserved a little more attention around the edges, and that's exactly what this sequel brings. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is no more and no less than a vastly expanded version of its predecessor, and that's fine. There's a whole lot of new stuff in this sequel.

Plants vs zombies 2 forum