Day 296, Game 296 - Angry Birds Star Wars 2

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When Angry Birds Star Wars came out, it was well received by all. It was a brilliant mash-up of the Angry Birds game we've all come to love and the timeless classic Star Wars series. In the game, they covered the full original trilogy of Star Wars, and it was done with love and respect for the cannon of Star Wars, for the most part. The thing is, there was a lot more Star Wars stories to tell, and that had to change. 

Sure, they could have just added the prequel trilogy episodes to the game everyone already bought anyway, but instead, they created Angry Birds Star Wars 2, a brand new game that would cover Star Wars Episodes 1-3. Aside from the obvious business decision to create a new game and cash on in it, the developers actually had some new ideas to bring to the Angry Birds blueprint that they wanted to try out in this game.

I'm glad they did, too, because once again they were able to capitalize on the tried and true formula everyone is accustomed to and add some new elements to make the game feel fresh, feel new. They essentially said to themselves: "The first game was great, but we can make it a lot better with a few new additions, and really capture the essence of Star Wars."

For starters, they put two different games into one. You can play as the heroes, the good guys, the birds - just as you normally would - and advance through the levels just like before. Or you can choose the Pork Side, and play as a bad guys from the get-go and follow that path. Every time you start up the game, from the home screen, you can choose whichever side to play as, and can go back and forth, working on your progression through the games as you see fit. Brilliant. 

Also, you have the ability to summon different characters throughout the game, all with slightly different abilities and physics, as the game boasts over 30 playable characters. For the first time ever in Angry Birds, you can essentially create your own line-up of characters for the levels, allowing you to pick the best characters to get the best scores. This element finally raised the skill level involved with being good at Angry Birds. Strategy is key in this game. 

Overall, it is an awesome step up from the previous Angry Birds Star Wars game, and a fantastic addition to both the Angry Birds universe and the Star Wars franchise. On top of that, despite my reservations going into it, it's been an enjoyable full week of Angry Birds, and it only cost me a total of seven dollars, give or take a couple of pennies. Not bad for seven full games, right? 

Although I think I should be the one to get paid for having to endure another experience with Jar-Jar Binks. 

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