Angry Birds Star Wars: Part 2

Although the birds have been given new powers the game still has the same functions as in the previous versions. The birds are mad at the green piggies and have decided to destroy them. Using a slingshot the player must aim and fire birds at the pigs. If the player kills all the pigs he/she completes the level. Depending on their score they either complete the level with one, two or three stars. A player must pass one level in order to move onto the next one. While a player can “win” each level there is no end to the overall game as Rovio Entertainment just continually add new content. This isn’t different from most other mobile games that also just feature a never-ending narrative and gameplay.

Some may argue that Angry Birds requires certain skills and that not all players are equally gifted at playing it. I’m one of those players that just fling my birds everywhere hoping that I’ll hit what I need to hit and that if I get a good high score that just a bonus. And perhaps that’s why I have never been a big fan of the game. I play games with the objective of winning. Whether I win a FIFA game with one goal or three goals doesn’t really matter to me, as long as I win. So when I play Angry Birds I don’t try to go for the highest high score and get 3 stars, instead I just go for the minimum required and I’m satisfied if I pass the level. While I’m probably not in the Angry Birds’ target group because of my game mentality I still believe this is poor design on Rovio’s part. What exactly is the point of getting 3 stars when you can pass the level with 1 star? The only real reason at the moment is the possibility of unlocking a new planet called The Path of the Jedi, which takes place on Dagobah. But other than unlocking one planet the star system seems to be unnecessary and is ultimately just there to satisfy players that play for the sake of beating their own highscore.

As seen by the sheer number of people who have bought Angry Birds Star Wars the game is a success on many fronts. It serves as an actual sequel to the original Angry Birds game instead of being just another “expansion” version that just featured new maps and levels. The incorporation of the Star Wars movies works surprisingly well even with the characters being played by Angry Birds. The narrative makes sense with the heroes and rebels trying to fight against the Stormtrooper pigs and Darth Vader. But ultimately if you are not a fan of the original Angry Birds game you won’t be a fan of this version. I was hooked for a week when I first downloaded it but I haven’t played it since.