Truth be told, my son actually knew more about PVZ than I did before I picked up Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted. It seemed like a pretty kid-friendly game that we had on Game Pass, so he loaded up various versions of it before I ever jumped into the franchise. When I told him I might be getting my hands on Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted ahead of its October 23rd launch, he—in appropriate 10-year-old fashion—shrugged it off. Cut to a bit over a week with the game, and who has been begging me to play VS., or has been sitting over my shoulder telling me what seeds are OP? Yep, that same kid.
This game is the remastered version of the original Plants vs. Zombies, which was released in 2009. Crazy Dave is back, and we are defending our homes, pools and roofs from zombies in a refresh of the game, but they added more than just HD graphics. Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted introduces two new game modes, couch co-op across all platforms, versus mode, mini-games, and even an archive where you can see sketches, etc., and look at the game’s history, which is great for longtime fans or those interested in how video games come to be.
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is one of the best family-friendly games we have brought into our household. After getting to play the game a bit at PAX West 2025, I was excited to dive into the full title ahead of its release, but I didn’t expect it to be such a hit with my kids, too. While it is rated E10+, my six-year-old was able to get in on the action, and with her sudden interest in games, I was happy to add something else I could play alongside her, rather than the mind-numbing games for smaller children.
“Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is one of the best family-friendly games we have brought into our household.”
There are three ways to play Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted in co-op. You can play the versus mode, the co-op mode, or someone can turn on a controller and pop it to help you with the regular adventure. It may sound similar, but the way you play each mode is very different and offers something new to the gameplay. There is also GameShare available on the Nintendo Switch 2, meaning that you are able to play with someone who doesn’t own the game on separate systems, but this is the only instance of non-traditional couch co-op.
The standard Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted co-op mode is a separate section of the game. Each player has their own set of seed cards and a personal sun pool, but both must share the sun that drops from sunflowers and the sky. You also can’t double up on cards, so in my case, I took all the “place them early” seeds and quickly realized I’d be very bored later on. I also kept stealing sun out of habit from my solo play, which meant we couldn’t place the other person’s seeds. It’s definitely all about teamwork and communication.
That being said, the co-op mode has its own screen with 11 levels, and only five are unlocked. I have beaten all five with trophies, but Walnut Bowling is still not showing a trophy, and the additional six have still not been unlocked. After looking up the original game, it seems it would be the “Hard” versions of Day, Night, Pool, Roof, Zomboss and Endless.
The levels aren’t named or have instructions to unlock, but online said I needed to beat the main adventure and get the Silver Sunflower trophy. I have beaten the adventure, I have even beaten a hidden level, which awarded me the Silver Sunflower trophy, but they are still locked. Walnut Bowling told me I unlocked a new mini-game twice, but no new mini-games were unlocked either, so I don’t know if it is a bug or something I haven’t found yet.
The second way to play co-op is during the Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted regular adventure. A second person can jump in, and you both have access to all the seed cards you chose, and you share a sun pool. This has been the best way to play with my daughter, who is younger. She can collect sun and feel like she is making an impact, where I am able to swoop in and save the day if things get too serious. This mode can make things easier or make them more challenging, depending on your teamwork abilities.
Versus is the last way to experience couch co-op. Here, you choose to play Plants or Zombies and face off to knock down all the Zombies’ targets if you’re a Plant, or make it to the house if you’re a Zombie. I had no idea there were even targets the first several times I played through the Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted Versus mode, so I feel that it might be slightly easier for Plants to win, as I kept coming out on top, however, this was the mode far preferred by mt 10-year-old, and he kept choosing Zombies, so he clearly loved something about it.
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted also features a new mode called Cloudy Day, where the sun appears intermittently and your sunflowers fall asleep when it’s cloudy. The goal is to manage your resources carefully: stockpile as much sun as you can and use only what’s necessary. When the clouds roll in, all your seed cards become much cheaper, allowing you to plant many more at a lower cost.
There are quite a few Bonus Levels in Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted, all of which bring something different to the table. There are art levels where you have to make a picture with certain seeds while fighting off enemies. One is called Air Raid, where there are more flying zombies. Can you dig it? is where you have to dig up walnuts before you can plant, but it only gives you pea shooters to fight with. This one is pretty boring, to be honest, but it would be great for coin farming.
The other new mode in Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is called Rest in Peace Mode. Once you complete the main adventure, this unlocks. RIP Mode is basically running the gauntlet. You play every level in order from the beginning, but there is no forgiveness. If you lose once, you go all the way back to the beginning.
“Bugs—and the lack of instruction—aside, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted has been a great experience.”
Like the level unlock issue mentioned above, there are a few other bugs and oversights that need attention. When shopping from the trunk of Crazy Dave’s car, he only identifies some of the items. If you’re not familiar with them from earlier games, you’re left guessing what you might be spending more than 10,000 coins on. The amount of money you have often disappears unless you flip to the next page of the trunk, and it vanishes again once the trunk reopens.
I’ve also run into problems with the Zen Garden in Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted. The two plants I started with won’t let me move my watering can over them, no matter what I try—it’s as if there’s an invisible wall. I’ve since obtained two new plants, and when I hold my watering can over those (which I can actually reach), what looks like flames appears.
I was able to repeat this several times to farm coins, and now there appears to be a fertilizer bag on top. It’s in the shop and marked “Coming soon,” but there’s no tutorial or explanation. I’m left wondering whether it’s broken, if I’m missing something, or if I just need to wait. I don’t love that.
Bugs—and the lack of instruction—aside, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted has been a great experience. I caught myself playing for six hours straight this weekend with my partner, son and daughter. I’ve even seen the kids playing together without fighting. It’s a wonderful game for families, full of content to unlock, coins to farm and items to buy. With updated graphics that bring the series into 2025, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is the perfect time sink—exactly the game I needed to kick back and unwind.
