Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Lawn of Doom Review

Battle for Neighborville has a lot of things going on but last week’s update really brought the already busy game out of its shell with the addition of seasonal events as well as a whole new mode to play (which is actually better than I thought it would be). Daily and weekly challenges have also been included, which was a much-needed feature. The game really feels like it is shaping up and there have been some balancing tweaks though it isn’t perfect just yet…

Lawn of Doom

The Lawn of Doom mixes the battle pass system made famous in other games with the theme of the current season. (This season has got a Halloween theme.) The entirety of Giddy Park has been littered with spooky decorations and the sky has turned to night.

Everyone is getting their spooky pants on as hot air balloons shaped like pumpkins and ghosts adorn the night sky. It’s a lot of fun but what’s even more exciting is the free battle pass system. Unlike battle passes in other games, this one actually has different paths players can choose to gain different awards.

It’s a nifty feature that adds a more customisable spin on the system. There are some pretty interesting cosmetics though most of them are for characters I don’t really use. However, there are a ton of coins to be made so I’d be guiding myself through the paths that lead me to currency more than anything else.

To progress on the board, players need to use a new currency called bulbs. These can be earned via dailies and levelling up. The more players play, the more they get, as with any battle pass. The best thing of all is that it’s free! No buy-in required at all!

The Arena

This mode is a lot of fun. It is a 4v4 arena that takes place in what looks like an indoor paintball course. It is heavily-inspired by games like Overwatch and Paladins, especially since the game is class-based. Players are forced to choose a different character with each new round and knowing what your character’s role is the key to victory in this mode.

This would be a lot of fun with friends as communication is key; thankfully, the in-game contextual chat helps quite a bit too. This mode is good for quick fun in between a session of one of the other longer and more chaotic matches like Turf Takeover.

I’m interested to see what they do for the game’s launch on 18 October and what the in-game shop is going to sell (I know I’m not the only player that’s keeping their eye on that shop.) We’ll know soon enough though.