What little bird do you like the most .....
It has been 6 years since Angry Birds broke into the world of mobile games, shattering all existing records and becoming a global phenomenon. The game was everywhere, the kids loved it and the Rovio executives were swimming in money… the bubble burst and after 10 iterations, the sequel came out.
The market for mobile titles is very different from the one that saw these angry birds arrive and the developers did not ignore the situation, so Angry Birds 2 includes fantastic graphics and animations on a basic game mechanic, but enriched with elements that We saw in previous installments of the franchise. However, that is nothing compared to the overwhelming implementation of a freemium system with all the formulas and mechanisms that force the player to pay more than $0.99 if he wants to enjoy the experience.
The most addictive game I have ever played
If you woke up from a 5-year coma today, you may not be familiar with the Angry Birds game system. Let me explain: the purpose is to hit green pigs that are in flimsy two-dimensional structures. To achieve this you must use a slingshot to launch the birds and here force, angle and type of bird play an important role; In addition to gravity, other factors such as elements in the environment or some gadgets that pigs use to escape, such as balloons and umbrellas, can influence.
This first version includes 240 levels arranged in 9 zones, each one with a different theme that incorporates elements that affect the trajectory of the birds. Here are 7 birds with different abilities ranging from multiplying to exploding; to these old acquaintances is added Silver, whose ability is to launch in a straight line vertically with great force and it is easier for him to destroy the gray elements.
In this installment the structures of each level are predetermined and appear randomly, which adds difficulty to the experience. The birds you control are arranged as cards: on each level you have 3 visible and to access the rest you must get rid of at least 1 of those 3; that basically forces you to discard any strategy, because if you don't have the right birds for the correct structure, you may spend a lot of lives at that level. That's right, now there are lives; you have 5 and each attempt is worth 1. These are recharged in a couple of hours or by watching advertising or of course, paying.
As is often the case in free-to-play, the game is tied to a huge variety of factors, each designed to make you spend money. We are used to that, many titles implement it, only this time Rovio crossed the line, since advancing in the game requires not only skill, but also luck or money. Factors that were essential before like physics, are put in the background and added empty characteristics like magic cards to destroy the pigs on stage, but not all and yes, you guessed it: they are cards that are bought with the in-game currency, It shows that in the initial levels it gushes out but in higher levels it is scarce as golden amiibos.
My conclusion
I can tell you frankly that I consider myself a casual Angry Birds gamer, if there is one. Like many, I was hooked on the first one and acquired some like the ones from Star Wars, so it in no way offends me that the game has been monetized in such an unfair way. However, these last few days have been a patient struggle against frustration: it took a whole day for one of the bosses to pass. The game has already been downloaded millions of times and surely a good amount of these players invest money in it, not me ... not like that, Rovio.
