PopCap Games has just released their hotly anticipated premium title: Plants VS. Zombies. When I first heard about this one I was cautiously optimistic, and after spending some time repelling the hordes of the undead I’m happy to say that my optimism was definitely rewarded. If you’re anything like me, (and there’s a good chance that most of you are) you are more invested in this hobby than a ‘casual’ gamer but fall short of the fanaticism (read: fan-boyism) to consider yourself ‘hardcore’. Some of us just don’t have the time anymore. An unwillingness to hone my skills to super human levels is also a factor here. What does this have to do with Plants VS. Zombies? Well, to me, it’s the reason why it works.

This is the type of game that you can spend hours with if you want but also pick up and play for ten or fifteen minutes. The hybrid tower-defence/grid-based strategy formula used by PVZ is really quick and really fun. The gameplay is something that has to be experienced to be completely understood. The presentation is charming and sometimes hilarious. I’m not going to ruin anything here but some of the zombie designs are inspired.

Initially, $19.95 seems like a lot to pay for a PopCap game but this sucker is packed with replay. Fifty levels in adventure mode, twenty unlockable mini-games, puzzle mode (I, Zombie is especially amusing), and a survival mode. I haven’t had a chance to check out the zen garden yet but I’m sure it has it’s charms as well.

This one is definitely worth checking out. Do yourself a favour and grab the free trial here.