Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 Review Roundup

Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 releases next week, but the reviews are already starting to come in. Critics have given their verdicts on the plant-and-zombie multiplayer romp, and you're in the right place to find out what they are.

We've compiled a list of scores down below, alongside small excerpts from each review. It'll give you a good spectrum of opinions and help you figure out if Garden Warfare 2 is the type of game you'd be interested in playing.

For a wider view on the game's critical reception, head to GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
• Developer: PopCap Games
• Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
• Release Date: February 23
• Price: $60/£44.99

GameSpot -- 7 out of 10

"With more generous pacing and worthwhile single-player content, Garden Warfare 2 would have been a truly outstanding game, but even without those things, it's a robust shooter with an astounding level of mechanical diversity that all but guarantees you'll encounter something new every round you play. And of course, its endearingly ridiculous presentation remains true to the series roots, further proving shooters don't have to be gray and gritty to offer a rewarding experience." -- Scott Butterworth [Full review]

GamesRadar -- 4 out of 5

"Of course, no amount of dressing, not even with PopCap's Pixar-esque sheen, can carry mediocre action. As admirable as it is to zig against the military shooters' zag, it's undeniable that replacing the precise sting of lead with broad cartoon splat of a pea or other comedy props just won't gel with some digital veterans. It actually has a similar flavour to Star Wars Battlefront: respawns are quick and most problems are solved by throwing a tidal wave of expendable bodies at it. GW2's clearly defined class roles and their sprinkling of upgrades arguably make it the deeper shooter, but if you're coming to it from Battlefield 4 or Siege, it can appear to be a dumb bunfight." -- Matthew Castle [Full review]

Arcade Sushi -- 6 out of 10

"Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 is essentially the first game with a fresh coat of paint on it. All of the unlockable characters from the first game are available from the start, and some the of multiplayer modes are just DLC modes from the first game as well. Garden Warfare 2 does nothing new outside of those new maps and the hub area, which really isn’t that much. This sequel feels like a "complete edition" of the first Garden Warfare only with different maps. The weak campaign and lackluster multiplayer modes outside of Gnome Bomb aren't doing it any favors either. If you were hoping Garden Warfare 2 would offer a different kind of multiplayer shooter experience, you won't find much here outside of a couple of hours of fun and whole lot of repetitive gameplay." -- Danny Saya [Full review]

US Gamer -- 4 out of 5

"Ultimately, Garden Warfare 2 suffers a little from what has plagued several other franchise sequels recently – a sense of familiarity, and new launch content that feels a little lean, but will be expanded over time via free downloadable updates. That's not to say Garden Warfare 2's overall launch content is insubstantial--it's just that a large chunk of it is a repeat of what was in the prior game. I guess I should have expected that – it's what games like Call of Duty have been doing for years. But I was just hoping for more.

Having said that, Garden Warfare 2's core gameplay, particularly the multiplayer side of the game, remains hugely fun to play and I love it. Its winning formula is still there for all to enjoy, and it's as polished as it's ever been. It's just that it's lost the sense of surprise it had the first time around." -- Jaz Ringall [Full review]

Examiner -- 4 out of 5

"Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 has a massive amount of rich, entertaining and wacky content for players to enjoy. I know I'll be spending another 30 hours on Garden Ops alone, but EA has managed to bring some interesting, new ingredients that help make this series as fun and addicting as it was the first time around." -- Steven Ruygrok [Full review]

EGM -- 7.5 out of 10

"It might be easy to write off Garden Warfare 2 as a kid-friendly alternative to the more violent shooters out there, but you'd be passing up a unique class-based shooter in the process. I don't see any Pop-Tart fires being caused by Garden Warfare 2, and I definitely won't be dipping out of work to play it, but I can see myself returning to the lands of Zomburbia in the future." -- Spencer Campbell [Full review]

Hardcore Gamer -- 4 out of 5

"PopCap Games paid close attention to the criticisms of the original game and ultimately crafted a worthy sequel. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 doesn't change much, instead building on the successful gameplay of the original. In many ways it feels like an expansion, but one that comes packed to the brim with new content. The six new characters are fun and the twelve new maps are well designed. PopCap's desire to appease the solo players is admirable, but there just isn't enough appeal or long-lasting content here. It also doesn't help that Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is online-only, which means you won't even be able to access the solo mode without logging into EA's servers. Still, it's the co-op and multiplayer you buy a Garden Warfare game for, and what Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 offers finally lives up to the promise of the original game. It is indeed bigger, badder, bigger." -- Kevin Dunsmore [Full review]