Plants vs. Zombies Odyssey is a tower defense game published by PopCap Games and released for iOS, Android, PC, Mac and the Nintendo Switch on December 7th, 2020. It is a follow-up game to the original installment, Plants vs. Zombies, and is set before the sequel. The game builds on the previous two installments, following gameplay similar to tower defense games where players plant plants using sun to fight off hordes of zombies. The game's plot centers around, Crazy Dave and his quest with the player to save Crazy Dave's rubber duck from Dr. Zomboss.
A key aspect that was included in the title was the Boost Bar mechanic, where players could fill up a bar by defeating zombies. When that bar is full, the player can use the power from that bar to upgrade a plant's stats for a short period of time. The player can also change these changes via the Sapling of Wisdom, allowing for example, a Sunflower to produce sun quicker rather than produce more sun overall.
The game takes its visual appearance from Plants vs. Zombies 2.
Plot[]
After the events of the first installment, the streets that had once stood waves of zombies have been abandoned and worn down, with the only two people living there being Crazy Dave and the player. Zombies once again attack the house, only to be thwarted by the player once again.
Dr. Zomboss then arrives, destroys Crazy Dave's house, and steals his most prized possession, a rubber bathtub duck that Dave calls Duckster. Outraged, Crazy Dave, the player, the Sapling of Wisdom and a Merchant Zombie all hop into an RV to rescue the duck. They travel across many wacky landmarks and places throughout the world, heading to Zomboss Central, a city built after the famed doctor.
Game icons[]
PC[]
Gameplay[]
Plants vs. Zombies Odyssey is, unlike its predecessor, being sold for $4.99 USD. The main goal of the game is the same as the original, which is to defend yourself from the zombie outbreak using various exotic plants found in the game. The new power-up to this game is the Boost Bar, allowing, when full, to give a plant boost in a player-chosen field. These can be changed at any time via the Sapling of Wisdom, and help aid the player in dire situations. As players go through levels, they unlock new plants each with advantages and unique boosts.
Controls[]
iOS/Android
- Tap: Select plant, Plant, Action, Collect sun
- Drag: Move Cursor
PC/Mac
- Click: Plant, Action, Collect sun
- 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/0: Select plant
- Mouse: Move Cursor
Dual Joy-Con/Pro Controller (Switch)
, 
////: Move Cursor- /: Select plant
- : Plant
- : Dig up plant
- /: Collect all sun
- , : Action (pressing buttons, smashing vases, Start onslaught)
Single Joy-Con (Switch)
- , : Move Cursor
- /: Select plant
- , : Plant
- , : Dig up plant
- /: Collect all sun
- /, /: Action (pressing buttons, smashing vases, Start onslaught)
Development[]
Plants vs. Zombies Odyssey was conceived on April of 2018, right after the Arena (formerly known as Battlez) game mode dropped. The original concept was to make the Plants vs. Zombies games return to their roots, but have some of the best parts of Plants vs. Zombies 2 added in. The first concept had them travelling around a town, stopping zombie invasions. Development was held in PopCap Seattle, where multiple changes were made, first being the scrapping of the town concept and making it wacky locations like a Broken Construction Site and a massive waterfall. EA, the publisher, wanted to change some things, like removing the cost of purchasing the game and adding in microtransactions, but PopCap Seattle managed to convince EA otherwise.
Odyssey was first mentioned during EA Play, held during E3 of 2019, alongside trailers for Anthem and Star Wars Battlefront 2. Very small amounts of gameplay were shown, as it was mainly showcasing the first cutscene of the game. It was properly announced that a Nintendo Switch port via a Nintendo Direct on September 4th, 2019, and a proper release date was shown off, being November 30th, 2020.
The game was launched on December 7th, 2020. PopCap Seattle had to delay it for a week to fix some bugs. It was later released on EA Play on the 18th of April, 2021.
Game information[]
This section of the page is dedicated to information about the game, ranging from the modes that the player can play to it's upcoming and scrapped content.
Adventure Mode[]
- « »
- I will find Duckster, and it will mean that you and me will have to go to the ends of the Earth to find it.
After finishing the tutorial levels of the game, the player goes to the first area, Abandoned Avenue to defeat zombies. The player, once beating Abandoned Avenue can go to other areas like Danger Docks. The current 4 areas of this mode are:
- Abandoned Avenue
- Danger Docks
- Merry Mountain
- Firework Festival
A new plant is unlocked at the end of most levels, in other levels, player receive money bags, items or Market Stalls. In Adventure Mode, the player starts out with only a Peashooter. After beating Abandoned Avenue - 1 (Boosting Battle), the world map is unlocked, allowing you to access mini-games via the Arcade Palace, and allowing you to traverse through every other area in the game, as well as replay older levels.
Brain Busters[]
Brain Busters are levels in Odyssey which add different mechanics, conditions, or objectives to gameplay. They are marked on the map with red icons. Gameplay wise, they play out similarly to the mini-games and puzzles of the first game. Most Brain Busters from the second game return. There are 5 Brain Busters found currently in Plants vs. Zombies Odyssey.
- Special Delivery - In this Brain Buster, there is a conveyor belt which gives plants to the player. Being a conveyor belt level, no sun will fall from the sky and sun-producing plants will be given. This Brain Buster mainly features newer plants that the player hasn't unlocked yet. (Found in Abandoned Avenue, Merry Mountain and Firework Festival)
- Locked and Loaded - The player has to use plants pre-selected by Crazy Dave. Plants can be from places where the player hasn't unlocked yet. In this Brain Buster, the player is unable to choose their own plants. (Found in Abandoned Avenue)
- Last Stand - This Brain Buster is similar to the original Last Stand from Plants vs. Zombies. The player has to plan a defense to survive the incoming onslaught using a limited amount of sun. No sun-producing plants or free plants can be used. (Found in Abandoned Avenue, Merry Mountain and Firework Festival)
- Save our Seeds - In this Brain Buster, the player has to stop the zombies from eating/destroying the endangered plants on the yellow and black striped tiles. Each world usually has a certain plant, but some worlds have levels with various endangered plants. Some even contain 2-3 types of plants in the same level.
- Vasebreaker - In this Brain Buster, the player uses mallets to break open vases to obtain plants and kill zombies. The focus of this puzzle is to stimulate the player's ability to think critically and to formulate their own strategy, as randomly breaking vases will increase the chances of the player's brain being eaten. Each vase will either have a plant or zombie in it, except for the green vases with leaves printed on them, which will always contain plants. (Found in Abandoned Avenue and Merry Mountain)
Arcade Palace[]
- Main article: Arcade Palace (Odyssey)
Arcade Palace is a collection of levels that has the player choose, collect or be forced to use plants to complete a certain objective. There are 12 mini-games in most versions with various unique twists, such as bowling Wall-nuts and zombies with plants for heads. Some are closely related to PopCap's other games (e.g. Beghouled and Beghouled Twist being based on Bejeweled and Bejeweled Twist respectively) and most return from the first game. Each mini-game yields one trophy which is worth 1000 coins after the first completion, and a bag with 100 coins in subsequent plays.
Some mini-games are more difficult versions of the levels played in Adventure Mode, like Vasebreaker in Abandoned Avenue - A2 (Vasebreaker). There are currently 6 mini-games in Arcade Palace.
- ZomBotany: In this mini-game, the heads of all zombies are replaced with plants. Whatever plant happens to be there, the zombie will act both like the plant and a normal zombie. For example, a zombie with a Peashooter on its head will walk towards the player's plants, shooting peas on that lane as it goes and eating the plants once it reaches them. This mini-game has 3 levels.
- Slot Machine: The player must spend 25 sun to pull the lever in order to get plants, more sun, or coins, while at the same time they must defend their house from zombies. In order to complete this mini-game, the player must acquire 2000 sun.
- It's Raining Seeds: Seed packets fall from the sky in this mini-game, and they will disappear if the player does not plant their plants shortly after they fall.
- Portal Combat: A mini-game which in it, there are four portals (two of them are rectangular, while the other two are circular) around the lawn. When a zombie or projectile from a plant enters one of these, it exits through the other portal, in the same direction that it entered. Portals will randomly relocate places throughout the level.
- Unsodded: There are only three lanes that can be planted on. No zombies spawn on the two lanes you can’t plant on, and you only have a limited amount of plants to pick from. This is based off the unused mini-game Unsodded from the first game.
- Vasebreaker: In this mini-game, the lawn is filled with brown and green vases. To win, the player must smash all the vases on the lawn, which will give a plant's seed packet or a random zombie, and defeat all the zombies that comes out of said vases.
Random Room[]
- Main article: Random Room (Odyssey)
Random Room is an endless survival mode, with a twist that each wave you defeat has a different gimmick. There are a total to 17 gimmicks to find in the Random Room gamemode. For every 25 waves you survive in this mode, one of 4 plants will be unlocked. These being: Infi-nut, Imitater, Metamorchid and Geneedle. Every 5 waves, a brand new zombie will also be introduced. Player can repick plants every second wave. Waves will progress in difficulty depending on how far you have survived in them.
Practice Mode[]
Practice Mode is a way to test your skills. By clicking or tapping the archery icon on the main menu, you will be able to practice your defenses in a brain-free environment. You are able to choose up to 10 plants to bring into Practice Mode, as well as ten zombies you want to play against.
In Practice Mode, players can change plant's sun costs in a variety of ways, from doubling the cost or just simply making it free. The same can happen with the recharge, zombie health and zombie speed. Players can also add their own modifiers, such as mold colonies and flowers, or make it so a specific level from the Adventure Mode is being played. Lawn Mowers will respawn if a zombie steps on one.
Piñata Party[]
Every day, a Piñata Party will appear. Piñata Parties usually take place on the front yard, and feature zombies and plants from all areas. They are normally conveyor-belt levels, but some special parties will be Locked and Loaded levels. Sometimes, Piñata Parties can take place in event worlds like Firework Festival as well.
After the player wins, they will smash three party piñatas, which will always contain sets of coins (in quantities of 250, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, or 2500). When the player completes five consecutive levels of Piñata Party in a row, Señor Piñata appears after the player opens the three regular piñatas. It always contains a plant costume or large amount of coins (4000). Missing a day will reset the counter, however losing a Piñata Party won't result in a lost to the streak.
It is exclusive to the PC, Mac, Android and iOS versions of the game.
Multiplayer Mayhem[]
In the Multiplayer Mayhem game mode, players can play with a friend online if a player sets up their own room. Up to three players can join at once. Unlike the main Adventure, players only have 2 lanes to control, with an expanded zombie load. If one player has their brain eaten, the other two players keep going, now dealing with 4 lanes instead of 2. If there is only one player left, they are forced to control all 6 lanes. Dead players can still help the players still standing by increasing their sun rates, or boosting a plant on the board. The Adventure Mode is also shorter, containing 5 levels in each world instead of the usual 12. Stall Quests are still available to purchase more levels.
At the end of each world, the player who defeated the most zombies is awarded a crown and a random bonus when entering the next world. This ranges from having an extra 25 sun when starting a level, to making zombies slower.
It is exclusive to the PC, Mac and Nintendo Switch versions of the game. Online functionality is available on the Nintendo Switch version if players have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
Achievements[]
- Main article: Plants vs. Zombies Odyssey/Achievements
Like in the previous two games, there is an achievement system. These are extra optional tasks that rewards the player with coins and extra plants.
Update history[]
- Main article: Plants vs. Zombies Odyssey/Update history
Since it was first released, this game has been updated with new content and other tweaks. Check this article to see the update history of this game.
Concepts and upcoming content[]
- Main article: Plants vs. Zombies Odyssey/Concepts
- Main article: Plants vs. Zombies Odyssey/Upcoming content
Check these articles to see the original concepts of the game and upcoming content that is going to be added in the future new updates. However, beware, as there are spoilers ahead.
Order of events[]
TBA
Areas[]
The game features a large world map, consisting of 3 areas that advance the order of events, 2 event areas and 1 bonus gamemode. Players follow a simple path through these paths. Each area features a set of levels as well as Blockades and a Market Stall, which is unlocked usually halfway through a world.
Levels have a similar design to the levels in Plants vs. Zombies 2, being a button on the ground. A grey button means that the level is not unlocked yet and is unplayable. If the button is green, it is a level you haven't beaten yet but are able to play. And, if the button is golden, then the level is fully complete. Levels can have objectives that will result in failure if not beaten.
Market Stalls are sometimes unlocked, and they contain items like Garden Rakes and Stall Quests, which unlock a path that allows the player to unlock more plants and zombies. These quests split from the main path and are not required for being the game.
Plants[]
- Main article: Plants vs. Zombies Odyssey/Plants
Returning plants[]
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New plants[]
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Zombies[]
- Main article: Plants vs. Zombies Odyssey/Zombies
Returning zombies[]
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New zombies[]
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Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This game reuses Plants vs. Zombies 2's UI and art style.