Trying to keep up with all of the downloadable games and content that's out there these days is enough to make a person cry. But cry no more, because Download Lowdown is here to help. I'll sift through the good, the bad, and the weird to help you get the most from your game system of choice without leaving your house.

Today I try to keep those damn zombies off my lawn in Plants vs. Zombies. Yes, I know I'm late to the proverbial party.Â

Game: Plants vs. Zombies
System: PC
Price: $9.99 via Steam (Free 1-hour demo available here.)

The Lowdown:
I first heard about Plants vs. Zombies' greatness during a recent Mobcast recording session; John Davison, Demian Linn, and Jason Wilson all thought the game was fantastic and mocked my naivety. 2K Games' Greg Kasavin appeared on the show a few weeks later and mentioned how much he had enjoyed it, and Giant Bomb's Brad Shoemaker agreed. Shortly after that, I was chatting with GameSpot's Kevin VanOrd about good, cheap PC games and Plants vs. Zombies came up yet again. It seemed that everybody in the industry had played and loved the game, so I figured I had to give it a shot.

I'm glad I did, because I love Plants vs. Zombies. The premise is simple enough: Zombies want to eat your brains, and you must defend your yard against their attack. To prevent your noodle from becoming a snack, you'll plant a variety of different plants, fungi, and plant-related weapons. Of course, the zombies also have some tricks up their sleeves; you'll encounter swimmers, pole-vaulters, football players, Michael Jackson look-alikes, and many more.

Sounds like a weird tower defense game, eh? It is. But the game's humor, gentle learning curve, and plethora of bonus modes are what make it special. I'm not the sort of person to play a game after I've finished the main mode, but I couldn't stop playing Plants vs. Zombies until I had filled my Zen garden and earned all of the trophies in the minigame, puzzle, and survival modes.

The game has been out for quite awhile now, so most of you have probably already played it. If you're one of the few who hasn't, however, be sure to at least try the free demo -- this is about as much fun as you can have for $10.

What the insightful YouTube comments say:

Mezcal1111 had better not be an English teacher: “I love this game, really addicted...and my wife too. I got it from a student at the school where I teach and now we are all addicted...playing like zombies the whole day! Who cares about education if? you can play PvsZ! Hahaha.”

MetroidCommando gets deep for second: “I wonder if the plants in this have brains too... they probably do, otherwise the zombies wouldn't bother to eat? them...”

Amaterasky doesn't seem to be a big fan of swimming mammals: “i so hate dolphins!!!!!!! hate them with passion? and vengeance!!!!!!grrrrrrrrr"

RubixCubePro doesn't seem to be on the same page as everyone else: “anyone play backyard soccer 2004 before??"