Week two’s content for Battle for Neighborville includes Team Vanquish Mode (a standard team deathmatch) as well as The Weirding Woods, a PvE region for the zombies. The Team Vanquish mode is a standard mode for any shooter while the PvE region provides some tough challenges for players.

Team Vanquish

A standard 8v8 team deathmatch is normal for these types of games. The Plants vs Zombies shooters have always made these modes fun and exciting, and they take place across beautiful maps. However, something feels off about this incarnation. It feels slow.

There has been many times where my team and I would just end up sitting somewhere looking around for something to shoot and then we’d see a lone player run by us, mow him down and then wait to do it again.

Initially, I thought it was the lack of players but upon looking at the scoreboard I realised each team had eight players. Then, it dawned on me, maybe the maps are too big for teams of eight?

The maps are gorgeous and really highlight the crazy world of Plants vs Zombies with a Gnome-inspired Temple Ruins map and a Cheese Pumping Factory in the middle of the desert but often times I’ve found myself aimlessly wandering around looking for action.

As a result, the matches feel slow. When action is found, this mode really highlights how the different classes complement each other. The Citron, for example, can drop his shield wall down to protect himself and any behind him while his allies throw down their abilities. It’s a lot of fun when one stays in the action. But upon respawning, players are thrown back into that aimless wander while they look for action.

Weirding Woods

The new PvE region for the zombies actually disappointed me initially. It looks very small. But after I spent some time in it, I quickly realised that it was full of things to do and it felt harder than the Plants’ Pv.E region from last week. The Zombies have their work cut out for them with giant trees that just burst out of the ground and worm-like roots that act as mini-bosses that jump players when they step into the swampy waters. The map may be compact but this makes it way more dangerous and exciting. It’s a battle to survive in Weirding Woods, which isn’t a bad thing.

The new additions to the game do need tweaks. I think the entire game needs some edits here and there, especially in the pacing of the Team Vanquish mode. Other than that, Week 2 has added some variety to the game and it’ll be interesting to see how Week 3 goes.