As I mentioned yesterday in my Super Senso preview, I’m super stoked by this new trend we’re seeing on the App Store of developers actually figuring out how to make what feels like compelling gameplay experiences with strategic mechanics that’ll interest actual gamers while still checking all the boxes that make for a good mobile game you can play on the go… While being approachable enough for mass market casual gamers to come onboard. Clash Royale (Free) knocked it out of the park when it came to all these things, and from my super-brief time with it, EA’s Plants vs Zombies Heroes appears to be doing the same.

The game takes many of the core principles of the Plants vs Zombies series, and a lot like Clash Royale did with Clash of Clans (Free), EA let the whole recipe simmer until they were left with a concentrated reduction of PvZ flavor. You’ve got the same lane-based combat, but this time you’re playing against actual real people, and you can play as either the plants or the zombies. Like PvZ proper, there’s a ton of different options for units, but you can only bring a select few into the game with you. This includes your actual hero unit, as well as supporting units which are all familiar plants and zombies from the other games. Your plants (or zombies) are all played through familiar mechanics where you’re taking turns drawing your various units as cards, then dragging them out on to the battlefield.

The Plants vs Zombies YouTube channel is absolutely jam packed with videos showing how the various hero units work, and it’s pretty impressive how different they all are, while still maintaining all that PvZ flavor. We’re anxious to spend more time with the game, but in the meantime we’ve got a thread in our forums which I’m sure will quickly be loaded with first impressions from our community.

If you’re interested in giving Plants vs Zombies Heroes a shot before it officially launches worldwide, follow our guide on how to download soft launched games then mash the link below.

New Zealand App Store Link: Plants vs Zombies Heroes, Free