I have currently played five modified versions of PvZ: version 95, β6.25 (and the β6.30 test version), GHtr1.2.5.4 (I haven’t played the lowercase GHtr version), Nameless version 1.2.3, Original? version 1.25.50. Including the original version, that’s six in total. The following rankings are all my personal opinions and are based on the versions I have played (because many versions are still being updated). Updated evaluations for the following versions have been added: mixed version, E version branch, α version, Ghtr (which is a different version from GHtr), Xun version, DEN version, BT version, Tower Defence version, Trash version reset, Money version, Pit version. 2022.10.2, this may be the last update.
—————————Gameplay Comparison——————————
Statement: As the additional versions have not been fully experienced in all levels, no gameplay comparison is made. The difficulty varies greatly between versions, and the standards for evaluation cannot be unified. Therefore, the following only evaluates the first five versions I played. If you want to see other versions, please scroll down to the added evaluations. Main storyline difficulty: Original? version > Nameless version ≥ β (danger difficulty) > 95 version = GHtr (easy difficulty) ≥ β version (normal difficulty) >> Original version (I haven’t played the GHtr medium-hard nightmare difficulty much, so I cannot rank it; I think the β EX mode is harder than the β original mode, but the strategy is relatively special, so it is not included in the ranking). Mini-game difficulty: Hard to compare. Some mini-games are very difficult, some are very simple, and the difficulty often depends not only on skill and tactical adaptability but also on hand speed, such as hammering zombies. Gameplay variety: β version > Nameless version = GHtr > Original? version = 95 version, Original version is the original work, so it’s hard to compare here. Plant variety: GHtr version (including BLOOM plants) ≥ β version (including EX mode) > β version ≥ GHtr version > Nameless version 95 version = Original? version = Nameless version ≥ Original version (the β version’s plant variety does not include zombie cards and zombifiable zombie cards). Zombie variety: β version (including EX mode) > Nameless version ≥ Original? version ≥ GHtr version ≥ β version ≥ 95 version > Original version
—————————Recommendation level——————————
All the above versions are fun, but if I had to recommend one, I would suggest the beta version because it has many mini-games. Although the difficulty is much higher than the original, it is relatively ‘casual’ compared to the others (possibly because I play on ‘normal difficulty’, which is 25 small sunshine, 50 medium, and 75 large, almost double the usual amount). Mini-games can be mastered with a few tries, and the plants have been updated well, the types of zombies increased, and there is also an EX mode (EX mode is like another version; downloading one game is equivalent to having two modified versions). There are more original plants (items), more command codes, and more operational functions, like the developer mode I enjoy, custom-made levels, remembering the last selected card, random card selection (6.30), save & load (6.30), and so on, which are all unique to the beta version. The GHtr version is like a completely independent version, also not sharing saves with any of the previous versions, similar to the second generation on mobile. It includes many custom plants, levels, and zombies. The relationship is similar to the second generation on mobile and the first generation on PC, with rich gameplay, unique skills sections, endless mode, etc. It is said the author is a legendary player, and there are many elements of that included. For those who haven’t played it, it is worth trying (this version comes with a built-in modifier, so there is no need to worry about compatibility, although the downloaded mod packs also include some modifiers).
The Nameless version does not have many plant modifications, mainly increases the types of zombies, is quite challenging, and has a difficulty similar to the ‘dangerous difficulty’ beta version, requiring players with some understanding of the game and decent hand speed for easier completion (I couldn’t pass many levels in this adventure mode without looking up guides). The main challenge is the lack of sunshine, making development harder. As for the 95 version and the original? version, I don’t particularly like them. The 95 version was modified quite early, has fewer gameplay features, and while its difficulty is higher than the original, after playing other mods, it feels relatively simple. Its balance is not well-managed, and it’s not as enjoyable as the others. The original? version greatly strengthens the plants and increases the number of zombies so much that it becomes somewhat unbalanced. Although there are many adventure mode completion videos on Bilibili, it is clear they were done with repeated trial and error and can only be completed using specific strategies. If you are confident in your skill level and find other versions easy, then you can try this version (for those who have only played the original or second generation, 95 version, GHtr (easy mode), and beta (normal mode) are very challenging). Besides these versions, other excellent versions include GK, Z, Π, Lousy, E, Living Dead, TAT, θ Adventure Time, mixed, TS, Jian, and many others I haven’t had time to try. All of these are worth exploring, as they are great mods. By the way, the hardest version may be the Yandere version, with zombies filling the screen and an unsolvable challenge, whereas the simplest might be the Tsundere version, with no zombies at all, and you pass as soon as you enter. ..
—————————Additional review (update)——————————
Update: In the past few days, I played a mixed version with skills similar to the second generation mobile energy bean mechanism, as well as the DEN version, which, like the original ?, can only be completed using specific strategies, and a BT version with a special art style. I think the mixed version is also worth experiencing as it has many customizable features and is an excellent modification. The DEN version is similar to the original ?, somewhat punishing, but the mini-games are quite good and creative. The DEN version is also receiving rapid updates, so it is worth keeping an eye on. The BT version has a rather different art style and is more of a fan game, with the plants and zombies being mostly original, so it can no longer be considered a ‘modification’. Update 2: I tried the Weak version, the Ghtr version (different from GHtr), the E branch version, and the tower defence version. The Weak version feels like the DEN version, offering no highlights other than being punishing. However, I found it amusing that the phrase ‘last wave’ was changed to ‘ready for the feast’, along with the feast music. The Ghtr version is similar to the Weak version; clown explosions can crush Valudo plants, and dancing zombies turn into peppers, making it feel like you need a specific strategy to win, with low playability. The E branch version addresses the fear of insufficient firepower, with strong zombies and equally strong plants, though some levels are unsolvable. Its theme is World War II with planes, tanks, and cannons, which is innovative, but completing levels still relies on specific strategies. Finally, the tower defence version I played only has seven levels, somewhat similar to Defend Carrot, with zombies following a set route. It’s worth trying; when I first saw it, I thought it was a mini-game from another version. Update 3: Today is Labour Day. The β version shows a pop-up: ‘Labour is glorious.’ It also had a similar pop-up on March 12, Arbor Day. Update 4: Today is 5 May, and the β version popped up: ‘Happy Birthday, Plants vs Zombies!’ Update 5: Recently discovered that the Trash version reset (1.24) now allows sharing custom levels like the β version, still under research. Update 6: The Nameless version has updated to 1.2.3. I am increasingly fond of the Nameless version because elite enemies are relatively easy to defeat, and it supports a mod for zombies to drop cards upon death. The β version crashes and has not been updated for almost a year, making it somewhat tedious to play. However, Nameless version levels need to be created by the player (formation can be edited) and cannot be shared, which is limiting. It would be great if the Nameless version also allowed sharing. Update 7: This may be the last update. I wrote down whatever came to mind, so the sentence structure might not be very coherent. To conclude, I take back the preface; at least in my view, the E branch is not a good mod.
After experiencing the more difficult revisions like the money version and the pit version, I have a new perspective on the E version. The E version focuses on stacking plant output and control, while the zombies stack speed and traits, causing both sides to be overpowered. For example, the machine gun that can shoot three rows of bullets and has butter and ice melon, and the Corn Giant that launches missiles (which trigger clown explosions) are both ‘high attack, low health’. Either the Corn blows up the machine gun or the machine gun kills the giant, which is the imbalance caused by being overpowered. Balance is not achieved simply by boosting both sides at the same time, because each plant and zombie has multiple attributes, not just damage and health, and increasing only these would inevitably cause imbalance. To illustrate, Unnamed β95 has been destroyed by many YouTubers using IZ jars, but I’ve never seen it in the E version (though neither has the pit or money version). It’s not that no one attacks jars, but that the game experience is lacking. Previously, the original Endless version even had weird compositions in Plant Bar that ‘outsiders’ couldn’t understand. This shows a focus on balance, where different plants can be substituted for one another, whereas in the E version, only specific strategies can succeed, and mostly rely on Starfire machine guns, with others being minor contributors. Don’t even mention ice melon, big nut, and other plants; they really cannot match the three overpowered plants, they are just weaker. Looking back at what I wrote, I don’t really know what I wrote either, it feels like a rant about my dissatisfaction with the E version. No matter what the E version has done, I cannot deny its achievements; merits are merits, faults are faults, they cannot cancel each other out. However, at least in one aspect, the E version’s author released levels without testing whether they were solvable (although now all are), which is very irresponsible. In this regard, I feel it is somewhat similar to the authors who made the α5-10 levels.
————————Ending———————————
Let’s end here. I have previously studied some orbit readings from the Plants vs Zombies forum; although I didn’t understand them very well, I could grasp a little. In a 30,000-character post I once read, there was a sentence at the end that I really admired, so I’ll use it to conclude. The main idea is that after more than ten years, there are still people following PvZ, studying new theories. An elderly person was very moved, and we, the younger generation, can experience this precisely because we stand on the shoulders of those before us. So, the world is vast, and if fate allows, we shall meet again.[eos]
