It has been teased for several weeks, building up massive anticipation and excitement, but it’s finally here! Angry Birds Star Wars II has been unveiled, and surprisingly, that took place a day earlier than expected – September 18th instead of the 19th! Hence, every Bird enthusiast as well as every Pig hater (or that works reversely, too?) has something serious to cheer for! Currently available for iOS, Android and Windows 8, Angry Birds Star Wars 2 has a whole bunch of exhilarating perks to deliver. But what a better idea than presenting the most important of them right away?
A huge series of fascinating levels, available at launch, along with several other lovely add-ons, comprise a superb Angry Birds episode, but the true hoopla comes from a surprising move by Rovio: Now, for the first time ever, a player can link up with either the Birds’ or the Piggies’ side! In addition, a multitude of new characters – each and every of them touting its own unique ability – have been incorporated to both squads, hence the line-ups have now been established as follows:
Birds’ squad:
Qui-Gon Jinn (he uses his lightsaber to cut through pigs and structures), Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Jar Jar Binks (he can wrench on ceilings using his tongue), Anakin, R2-D2 and C-3PO (he can break up into pieces).
Piggies’ squad:
Darth Maul, Emperor Palpatine, Darth Sidious (he uses his force lightning), Jango Fett (launching deadly rockets), Battle Droid (carrying a triple-shot laser blaster), Mace Windu (tossing his laser), Yoda (he causes spinning moves, bouncing off surfaces after he breaks them), Count Dooku, General Grievous, Droideka (like Yoda, he bounces off surfaces and Birds after the initial hit) and many others.
Luckily, to prevent the player from being entangled by the chaotic situation that all those extra Birds and Pigs create, an “ability label” (i.e. an icon displaying a laser blaster) has been added next to each character, pinpointing the special power of that specific character.
Obviously, several other characters will soon follow, as part of upcoming updates. Another feature worth mentioning is that not all of the aforementioned folks are accessible without a prerequisite; for instance, some are available with an in-game “gold” currency, which is earned through unlocking achievements.
Another, innovative way of gaining access to different characters is via purchasing Angry Birds Star Wars Telepods, which are actual rubber figurines made by Hasbro, symbolizing the 30 new characters and carrying a QR code; thus, clicking on the appropriate telepod button in-game and using your camera to scan that code, you can get your character teleported right in your slingshot! (Yet, there are a couple of “constrainting measures” which hinder free utilization of these properties; therefore, the player can only import a character of one side whereas this character can be telepoded only once in a level.)
But that’s not all! You can also swap your characters for others in the slingshot at any time as you play with the “Character Swaps” (provided you actually have swaps available for the team you have chosen). Plus there are Bird Credits available, which can either be acquired through regular gameplay or be bought from the shop.
Rovio and Hasbro offer a wide variety of packs and bundles, with the prices varying significantly. In any case, all those toys aren’t by any means a requirement, hence enabling Angry Birds “purists” to play through the game without necessarily having to invest money in it; after all, all levels can be passed without the help of telepods or in-app purchases. Nevertheless, many Birds and Pigs devotees would, more than likely, spend a certain amount in order to experience gaming with as many figures of the range as possible!
Now, let’s get to some other important facts of the Angry Birds Star Wars II. These mainly include:
Firstly, two episodes (Naboo Invasion and Escape to Tatooine) of 20 levels each are available, each one with a double (Bird and Pig) version, thus reaching a total of 80 levels available at launch! Several levels are set in outer space, thus gravity plays no role there, provided that Bird, Pigs or items don’t meet the magnetic bubbles! As anticipated, the gameplay and the whole audio and visual enwrapment is of high quality, with enjoyable level design and genuine Star Wars music and effects; moreover, the integration of so many characters and special gimmicks makes every single level totally fulfilling!
You begin your quest as the commander of the Bird squad in Naboo Invasion, but after gathering 20 stars, you can switch to the Piggie squad and take part in a peculiar Naboo Invasion (after all, no one can be easily accustomed to flinging those nasty Pigs against the cool feathery friends, but it actually can be fun after some time!). As soon as the player finishes that episode, he / she is able to once more select the team he / she fancies in the Escape to Tatooine episode, before again the accumulation of 20 stars unlocks the porky version!
Further on, there are 8 Bird Side and Pork Side Levels with branching paths, which are opened once you locate a treasure map which is well concealed in each side of each episode!
A distinctive new peculiarity is the Reward Chapters; these are opened when each character reaches maximum points achievement, unlocking that specific character’s level! Still, it is impossible to unlock every single level of that chapter through normal gameplay at time of launch.
There are also tons of Achievements to unlock; every one you manage to grab rewards you with tokens and a number of free bonus birds or credits (apart from those which you can buy using real money).
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, Angry Birds Star Wars II is already available for iOS, Android via Google Play and Amazon Appstore as well as Windows 8 Phone. (Interestingly, Rovio hasn’t brought up any discussion regarding PC and Mac, but things haven’t been resolved yet, although the compatibility of telepods and desktop platforms is, naturally, questioned. Anyway, we ‘ll see how that matter unwraps.) More specifically:
For iOS users: The price tag, $0.99 for an app; it is suitable for all iPads, as well as iPhone 3GS+ and iPod Touch 3rd+ generations, provided you have iOS 4.3 or higher.
For Android users: You will also need an app of $0.99, with Android 2.3 or higher.
For Windows 8 Phone users: Unsurprisingly, the relevant app is priced at $0.99.
On the whole, Angry Birds Star Wars II was definitely worth the wait, being an ideal – and probably superior – follow-up to the initial version, while remaining loyal to the familiar Star Wars atmosphere. OK, it may not be revolutionary (many gamers have criticised the game as being just another Angry Birds Star Wars episode with a bunch of new characters), but this new version is another exceptional demonstration of Rovio’s undoubted skill to carry on delivering intriguing games that continue to draw a huge appeal to the majority of gamers. So, Angry Birds devotees, choose your side and get down to work, coz the challenge has begun!