Angry Birds Go! Review

The latest in the series of games from Findland-based studio Rovio Mobile that took the world by storm with its creation of the Angry Birds franchise, Angry Birds Go! arrives as a casual racer that still has that unmistakable Rovio touch.

Starting out, players can choose to jump right into the race or visit "Toons.tv" - Rovio's animation service that aims to bring the Angry Birds characters to life in a 52-episode marathon. Jumping in will see one go through a short tutorial consisting of a single solo race, and later having those pesky pigs join in for the ride.

The game is set in a wonderfully rich environment that has Angry Birds written all over it. As levels progress players will get to play as their favorite characters from the original game as they step in to their cart to take on those who dare to race against them. As expected, the game uses most of the elements players will be familiar with from previous titles. The trusty slingshot seen in all previous titles is still prevalent in Angry Birds Go!, with its purpose remaining pretty much the same: sling the birds as far as possible. Only this time those birds are in karts!

Angry Birds Go! features two control methods that can be switched between with ease - either when prompted or from the settings menu. The first is tilt to steer, which requires players to guide their kart by physically tilting their iOS device from left to right. Alternatively, there's also the option to switch out this method for touch control should they feel more comfortable.

As they attempt to place first amongst their pig-faced rivals, players will want to collect as many coins as possible. Coins can be used later to purchase new carts and power-ups. Speaking of power-ups, each bird players takes the role of also carries a special ability. But they'll have to wait until they have collected enough coins in order to use their secret weapon for and advantage to get ahead in the race.

I did have one point to mention regarding in-app purchases, though. While Angry Birds Go! arrives free-to-play initially, some additional paid content is offered. It was not immediately clear that what I was tapping on screen was part of this “premium” content. In fact, I was only alerted to this fact when iOS requested I input my Apple ID password.Considering Angry Birds Go! presents itself as kid-friendly, I found this slightly concerning.

There's no doubt that those who enjoyed the original Angry Birds (and subsequent titles that have made their debut over the last several months) will also enjoy what they'll get out of Angry Birds Go! The racing element of the game is fresh, exciting, and adds a whole new dimension to the franchise.