Plants vs Zombies™ 2

The zombies are coming for your brains again — across all of history this time. Plants vs. Zombies 2 keeps the beloved lane defense of the original and sends it time-traveling with Crazy Dave: Ancient Egypt, the pirate seas, the Wild West, the Far Future, eleven worlds in all, each with its own zombies and gimmicks.

The core ritual is unchanged and still perfect: plant sunflowers to fund an economy, line the lanes with Peashooters and stranger artillery — Lava Guavas, Laser Beans — and hold the line wave after wave. Plant Food is the sequel's big red button, supercharging a single plant into a screen-clearing tantrum exactly when the horde gets rude.

Progression now runs on Seed Packets, earned as you play and spent leveling your plants' attacks and defenses, so your favorite Peashooter grows with you across the centuries. The zombie roster grew teeth, too: Jetpack Zombies fly the lanes, Mermaid Imps splash through beach worlds, and entire flocks of Zombie Chickens test whether your defenses can handle chaos at ankle height.

Arena mode lets you test your planting against other players. It's free to play, with optional purchases that include randomized items, and with more than 300 levels the campaign is a long war. The original defended one lawn; the sequel defends the timeline.