- For other uses, see Dark Ages (disambiguation).
Dark Ages is the 7th world (5th to be chronologically released) in Plants vs. Zombies 2. It is the first world in Plants vs. Zombies 2 to be in a nighttime setting, similar to Night from Plants vs. Zombies. The mushrooms make their debut here. Sun does not fall from the sky in Dark Ages as it is set during the night.
As it namesake says, Dark Ages takes place during the tenth century where culture and economy slowly deteriorate mankind that follows the decline of the Roman Empire. Also, the use of black magic like necromancy became the center of usage for evil purposes.
Like in Ancient Egypt, tombstones appear in Dark Ages. However, they can now occasionally spawn by themselves and summon zombies through an ambush called "Necromancy!". Certain tombstones marked with a sun or Plant Food icon reward players with 100 sun and one Plant Food when destroyed respectively. If a grave spawns where there is a plant, that plant and all plants in front or behind it will move forward one column. All sun producing plants still do produce sun in these levels, but it is still recommended to use Sun-shrooms or Gold Blooms due to their lower costs.
Origins[]
The Necromancy ambush is a reference to the magic of communicating with the dead, coming from the Greek words nekros meaning "dead body," and manteia meaning "prophecy."
Dark Alchemy refers to how alchemy is often portrayed in media as a "dark magic".
Left to the zombies' castle, there is a sword that is stuck in a rock. It is a reference to Arthur's Challenge and Excalibur, a legendary sword with mystic powers. It would proclaim the only one who could remove the sword from the stone was the king of England.
The trailers references various famous legends and stories about this era:
- A Pea Pod shooting an apple off the head of an Imp Monk Zombie is a reference to "William Tell";
- Two Monk Imps trying to pull out a sword from a stone is a reference to "The Sword in the Stone";
- The Wizard Zombie who makes appear various zombies and a sheep, but is accidentally transformed into a Zombie Chicken is a reference to "Merlin".
- The Imp crashing coconuts together is a reference to "Monty Python and The Holy Grail".
The world description makes a pun on the word night with the phrase "in the dark of knight."
Penny states that a plague recently swept the area, a reference to the black plague, a life-threatening illness brought about by diseased fleas on rats during the era. The Wizard Zombie also alludes to the plague, since its legs are bandaged.
The moon in the background of the castle with a face is possibly referencing the moon from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.
Audio[]
Sound | Description |
---|---|
Intro | |
Choose your Seeds | |
First wave | |
Flag wave A start | |
Flag wave A | |
Flag wave B start | |
Flag wave B | |
Last flag start | |
Last flag | |
Ultimate Battle(Chinese version only/International version removed) | |
Mini-game(Chinese version only/International version removed) | |
Winning | |
Reward | |
Losing | |
Zombot Dark Dragon intro/Arena | |
First wave(unused) | |
Middle wave A(unused) | |
Middle wave B(unused) |
Game description[]
Bring out your undead to the year 948! Harvest mushrooms in the dark of knight and get medieval on zombies from the days of yore!
Order of events[]
The player requires the world's key, which is obtainable by completing Far Future - Day 25, giving them access to the Dark Ages.
When the player defeats Night 9's wave, a medieval scroll is shown, saying "By decree of Lord Zomboss: Please leave thoust brain on thine stoop". On the tenth night, Dr. Zomboss writes a note before the huge wave attacks. The wave with the Dark Ages Gargantuar is defeated.
On the twentieth night, Zomboss claims that Plant Food is made out of zombies before attacking the player in his Zombot Dark Dragon. When the Zombot is destroyed, Penny reveals that Plant Food contains no zombies or zombie byproducts. Zomboss then retreats.
Levels[]
There is a total of 19 levels and 1 boss battle to play as well as introducing five new plants (four which return from the first game) and eleven new zombies.
Difficulty[]
Dark Ages is a medium to a somewhat hard world. It contains seven somewhat hard nights (7, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, and 20), and four very hard nights (13, 17, 18, and 19). Thus, it is harder than the previous world, Far Future.
- Easiest level: Dark Ages - Night 1
- Hardest level: Dark Ages - Night 18
Main levels[]
Night | Plants | Zombies | Flags | Notes | Prize* |
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1 | Choice with ![]() |
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One | ![]() | |
2 | Choice with ![]() ![]() |
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One | ![]() | |
3 | Choice | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
One | Money bag | |
4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Two | Special Delivery level | ![]() |
5 | Choice | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Two | Money bag | |
6 | Choice without sun producing or free plants | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
One | Last Stand level | ![]() |
7 | Choice | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Two | Money bag | |
8 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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One | Locked and Loaded level | Dark Ages Piñata |
9 | Choice | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Two | Dark Alchemy level | Note |
10 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Two | Gargantuar Battle | Dark Ages Piñata |
11 | Choice | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Two | Dark Ages Piñata | |
12 | Choice Endangered plants: Five ![]() |
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Two | Save Our Seeds level | Arthur's Challenge |
13 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Two | Special Delivery level | Dark Ages Piñata |
14 | ![]() ![]() |
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Two | Objective: Produce at least 5000 sun |
Money bag |
15 | Choice without sun producing or free plants | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
One | Last Stand level | ![]() |
16 | Choice | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Two | Money bag | |
17 | Choice | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Two | Dark Alchemy level | Money Bag |
18 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Two | Locked and Loaded level | Dark Ages Piñata |
19 | Choice Endangered plants: Three ![]() |
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Two | Save Our Seeds level | Money bag |
20 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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None | Boss battle | Dark Ages Trophy, Neon Mixtape Tour key |
+ The plant next to it is boosted, even if the player does not have it boosted.
Brain Busters[]
- Main article: Brain Busters
Dark Alchemy[]
- Main article: Dark Alchemy
Dark Alchemy is Dark Ages' exclusive Brain Buster. These levels' layouts are exactly the same as the normal levels, but potions will rise from the ground over time and boost zombies if they are stepped on. The potions will bring different effects to the zombies such as increasing their health and speed. While they are being vested by speed and strength boost, the zombies also grow big.
Special Delivery[]
- Main article: Special Delivery
Special Delivery is a Brain Buster that is a conveyor-belt level with the plants given via said conveyor-belt. Being a conveyor-belt level, no sun and sun-producing plants will be given. Starting from Big Wave Beach, most of its levels are featuring new plants.
It is playable on Nights 4 and 13.
Locked and Loaded[]
- Main article: Locked and Loaded
Locked and Loaded is a regular Brain Buster with the plants chosen, and the player has to use them to defeat the zombies. Starting from Dark Ages, its levels will always feature a premium plant.
It is playable on Nights 8 and 18.
Last Stand[]
- Main article: Last Stand (PvZ2)
Last Stand is a Brain Buster that gives the player a huge a amount of sun and some Plant Food before starting the level. However, the player cannot choose plants that do not cost sun (except Hot Potato and Stallia), sun-producing plants and some other certain plants (However, this rarely happens). After choosing, the player will be able to plant plants with instant recharge to set up his or her defense before starting the battle.
It is playable on Nights 6 and 15.
Save Our Seeds[]
- Main article: Save Our Seeds
In the Save Our Seeds levels, the player has to protect the endangered plants marked by a striped tile and his or her house too. If the player lets one of them be eaten by the zombies or disappear in some way, he or she will lose. Otherwise, it is a regular level, which the player can choose the plants to protect the endangered ones.
It is playable on
- Night 12, with five endangered Puff-shrooms;
- Night 19, with three endangered Magnet-shrooms.
Arthur's Challenge[]
- Main article: Arthur's Challenge
Arthur's Challenge is Dark Ages' Endless Zone. Grave Buster is exclusive to this and Pyramid of Doom. This Endless Zone is very difficult as Winter Melons and other strong plants will be useless against Gargantuars because of Jester Zombies. The former combined with Zombie Kings, Knight Zombies, and Wizard Zombies further add to this Endless Zone's difficulty.
Zombot Dark Dragon[]
- Main article: Zombot Dark Dragon
Zombot Dark Dragon is the boss of Dark Ages and is encountered at the final level. It can shoot fireballs that can hatch Imp Dragon Zombies and those fireballs can also damage plants and zombies. The fireballs also create scorched tiles that cannot be planted on. Fortunately, they only last for a few seconds.
Related achievements[]
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Gallery[]
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Walkthrough[]
In other languages[]
Please note that only official translations are used.
Language | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
Dark Ages | ||
黑暗时代 | ||
L'Âge des ténèbres | ||
Mittelalter | ||
Secoli bui | ||
Idade das Trevas | ||
Edad Oscura |
Trivia[]
- The player's house in this world has a weather vane with a Peashooter's head.
- Dark Ages' music is inspired by both baroque and medieval music. The harp is also used as a main instrument, likely due to its prominence in fantastical depictions of medieval music.
- The kazoo is used in the world's music, despite not being invented until the mid-1980's. When asked about this, Peter McConnell responded that it sounds very similar to the shawm, a medieval instrument which is the ancestor of the modern-day oboe, an instrument also used in the songs.
- The Minigame theme of Dark Ages is later used as a base for Frostbite Caves, Lost City and Modern Day's versions.
- The instruments used to represent Dark Ages in Modern Day's music are the kazoo, the oboe (though it only appears in Mid Wave A) and most percussive elements for the minigame themes, such as the tambourine and the rattle.
- Dark Ages zombies' growls have Ancient Egypt and Pirate Seas mashed up growls.
- Like Weapon Stands from Kongfu World, tombstones grow from the ground at times, even on squares occupied by plants. If this happens, the plant will be tossed away or forward one square, but unlike the Weapon Stands, they cannot make the plants fly off-screen upon doing so. Sometimes, when a tombstone rises, the plant will disappear.
- Before Part 2 was released, the Imps on the logs over Night 11 seemed to be loafing, slacking, and playing around. One of them is eating a brain sandwich while the other holds a wrench.
- The same Imps appeared for all worlds following Dark Ages before their respective second parts were released.
- It is currently the shortest world in the game with only 20 levels.
- After Dark Ages - Night 10, the map changes to a castle design, but the lawn does not. All worlds after Dark Ages share the trait of changing the map design to something different.
- The torch near the castle started burning after the 2.7.1 update.
- In the preview screen, the player can see the Zombot Dark Dragon coming out of the castle door. This is the only time when a player can see an extended part of its body that is not usually visible during the fight.
- This is the only world to introduce a new zombie (Imp Dragon Zombie) solely in a boss level and Endless Zone.
- Before the 5.3.1 version, it was the fifth world on the world map order.
- After the Zomboss podium is remodeled, the new Zomboss podium looks very similar to the old Gargantuar podium. The only difference is there is no bridge and the Gargantuar statue and the level icon is located to where the Gargantuar statue is.
- The tiles shown in the Almanac are less saturated than the ones in-game.
- When the 6.1 update was released, there were three empty zombie slots in the Almanac. They appear right after the Flag Peasant Zombie, Buckethead Peasant, and Wizard Zombie's slots, teasing an expansion. However, when the 6.2 update was released, they were removed.
- Dark Ages is the first world:
- To be released in 2 "halves" (probably because Far Future took way too long to be released altogether)
- Notably, the sprites for the cut Veteran zombies were re-added to the game's files in the upcoming 10.4 update, meaning that the expansion may get implemented properly in the future.
- Pirate Seas, Jurassic Marsh, and Wild West's expansions were teased in the same way, but they got released shortly thereafter.
- To have Zombot used 3 tiles from right for its movement rather than used 2 tiles from right.
- To be released in 2 "halves" (probably because Far Future took way too long to be released altogether)
- All plants obtained in this world are mushrooms, with the exception of Sun Bean.
- Coincidentally, the aforementioned plants are all obtainable in Plants vs. Zombies.
- The moving fire in the background resembles the fire of Explorer Zombie, Torchlight Zombie, and Torch Kongfu Zombie's torch.
- This world's Boss Intro is reused for the arena.
- The world's basic theme is also used for the arena.
- Mid Wave A is used when there is 30 seconds left.
- The world's basic theme is also used for the arena.
- Dark Ages can be considered Plants vs. Zombies 2's equivalent of Night in Plants vs. Zombies. Both are the first areas in their respective games where mushrooms appear, with all but one plant obtained in both areas being said mushrooms. Both are also the first areas where sun does not fall.
V · T · E |
Player's House | Day · Night · Pool · Fog · Roof (Night Roof) |
Other | Zen Garden (Mushroom Garden · Aquarium Garden · Tree of Wisdom) · Crazy Dave's Twiddydinkies |
Adventure Mode | The Zombies Are Coming · Nightfall · Backyard Emergency · Fog · Roof Battle (Night Roof) | ||||
Journey to the West |
|
Adventure Mode | Day · Night · Pool · Fog · Roof (Night Roof) |
Survival | The Great Wall (Night) · Rural Backyard |
Journey to the West | War of the Spider Woman · Three Fights With Skeleton Demon · Subdue the Yellow-Browed Monster · Outsmart the Fire Child · Battle of the Ox-Demon |
Adventure Mode | Ancient Egypt · Pirate Seas · Wild West · Frostbite Caves · Lost City · Far Future · Dark Ages · Neon Mixtape Tour · Jurassic Marsh · Big Wave Beach · Modern Day |
Thymed Events | Player's House · Backyard Big Top · The Zombosseum · ZCorp Takeover |
Other | Penny's Pursuit · Arena · Zen Garden |
Worlds | Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum · Ancient Egypt · Pirate Seas · Far Future · East Sea Dragon Palace |
Main | Neighborville · Lost Keys Lake · Mt. Quesogrande | ||
Pre-2021 |
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