Angry Birds 2 Review

Developer: Rovio
Price: FREE
Version Reviewed: 2.0.1
App Reviewed on: iPhone 5

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It was inevitable that we’d see a true sequel to Angry Birds one day and, really, who could complain? There’s a reason why people love the franchise - it’s annoyingly compelling. There’s a lot of pressure on Angry Birds 2 to be just as great as the first time then and, well, it doesn’t quite do it. It’s still pretty great but some monetization decisions mean that you’re going to be quite frustrated at times.

The key theme of Angry Birds 2 remains the same. You’re still flinging birds at structures containing pigs. I’ve forgotten by this point why the two sides hate each other so much but who really cares? This time round, each level is made up of multiple sections and structures, meaning it’s a meatier affair, as well as looks positively gorgeous. Also, you won’t be able to look up guides to figure things out, as each time you hit ‘retry’, the layout changes around.

That’s all very Candy Crush Saga-esque and that’s a trend that continues with Angry Birds 2’s energy meter. Yes, you only get five lives at any one time. Once you run out, you have to wait 30 minutes for a new one to regenerate or you can pay up for a refill. That’s not that big a problem early on but Angry Birds 2 soon turns into a game full of trial and error when it comes to the harder stages. In the end, you’ll be waiting around a while to try again. There’s no way of paying $4-5 to skip this permanently either.

That’s unfortunate as Angry Birds 2 is a great game. It’s a worthy sequel if you look past those energy issues. The addition of the Arena, offering challenges and a leaderboard component is a sweet move, and new bird Silver is a fun one to learn. Multi stage levels are also pretty satisfying as well as boss battles, but that’s only ever going to be the case when you can actually play Angry Birds 2.

Be prepared to love Angry Birds 2 but it’s a tough kind of love. You’re really going to wish there was a premium option in there.