Variables like nighttime and swimming pools force you to drastically alter your tactics. No sunlight means you’ll rely on slower solar accruement, and be forced to fight with weak fungi, while pools demand fighting briefly untouchable snorkelers or speedy swimmers. Such a wide spectrum of plants and zombies ultimately ends up feeling like a rock/paper/scissors battle.

The game is incredibly easy, and while some stages become mildly stressful, it’s rare that you’ll actually let a zombie into your home to fail. But you simply won’t care. This lends well to the ease of entry and casual nature of the developer’s games without feeling so trite as to be boring. It’s just so much fun to work with various ass-kicking perennials that can complete levels in any number of ways. The bonus mini-games and unlockable puzzles only add to the mountainous pile of great things you can do in Plants vs. Zombies.

The extra game modes are far from tacked on. You’ll enjoy bowling with nuts and defending against plant-faced, attacking zombies as much as you will playing the zombies. And like the unending horde, the game really doesn’t seem to end. Survival modes and the equivalent of a New Game Plus will force you to come back for an increased challenge and, well, more PvZ.

Some will find the lack of any score or stat tracking a bit unnerving, especially after PopCap’s history of score-based games. This is a new direction, however. Everything in has been absolutely drenched in adorable art and brilliant humor. Crazy Dave, a maniacal shopkeeper that gives you goodies and upgrades for cash you’ve collected is just one example. Garbled dialogue and nonsensical musings emphasizes the cheery approach to everything in this game. In this case it happens to be psychological trauma. From the enemy biographies (take special note of the zomboni) to what is probably the best help screen in the history of games, Plants vs. Zombies is brimming with clever details that will vigorously pull laughter from your lungs.

It’s this light-heartedness that makes it so gosh darn likable. Plants vs. Zombies is an immensely fun and wonderfully imaginative strategy game that makes for one of the most enjoyable experiences of the year.

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