Angry Birds Star Wars Review

Just when you thought that the franchise couldn’t get any better, Rovio launched the Star Wars addition of its uber popular Angry Birds game. This isn’t the first time the mobile game maker extraordinaire has tied up with a movie; you’ll all remember the very colourful version, Angry Birds Rio. What Rovio has brought to this latest addition is so much more innovative that anything before this could be just a geeky fan’s take, but you have to play it to believe it.

Special weapons and Jedi powers available

In a galaxy that seems really really far away, an empire of green pigs is tormenting the bird-kind. Naturally, this made them awfully ‘angry’ and a small but determined resistance group of rebels has been formed to take on the Empire’s evil Pigtroopers. The band of intrepid feathery rebels now have the ‘Force’ on their side with the help of Jedi Knight birds and their Padawans from the planet of Tatooine, wielding deadly light sabers and controlling the force to wreck havoc against the galactic menace. The Pig Star, the Empire’s secret weapon, has been infiltrated by the small rebel unit and with the help of a swashbuckling, Blaster firing hero type bird and his oversized furry bird friend, the team take on the evil Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Pigs.  

If you were starting to get a little bored with the whole crash and bash system of the game, Angry Birds Star Wars brings in a whole new set of elements and characters like a breath of fresh air. The backgrounds for each level are reminiscent of Lucas’ famous sci-fi drama, and fans will delight in the character creations matching the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Chewbacca. 

The recruits

Gameplay is pretty much the same as any of the Angry Birds series. This new addition, however, has quite a few ‘space battles’ that feature Angry Birds Space style gravity tricks. The birds are so much cooler than before because of the special attributes to each one. 

The one we like to call – Obi-Bird Kenobi, uses the force to fling objects in every direction, divesting the Pigtroopers and raining down havoc in the form of glass, wood and metal. The one we’re calling Luke Birdwalker wields a deadly Blue light saber and can slice through almost any obstacle in his path to beat on the unsuspecting troops. The Light Sabre can also be used to deflect enemy laser canon fire back to the source. Hans Solo Bird (and he has fantastic hair here too) is equipped with a Blaster gun that you can aim wherever it has the most effect. The lasers will clear the way while he head butts into the midst of the enemy. The Chewbacca bird simply rams into all obstacles to clear a path. There’s no stopping this one. As the game progresses, newer characters will join the rebel ranks, each bringing with them new powers and weapons.  

Lord Vader and his mind tricks!

Together you must fly through space beating the Empire’s forces and taking on the dreaded Pig Star and Lord Vader. If you’re ever stuck in a rut, you can always call on the Mighty Falcon – in this case, the truly awesome Millennium Falcon. Fire the transceiver into the heart of the Pigtrooper forces and watch the fastest cruiser in the fleet wipe out the pigs in a barrage of laser canon fire. It’s one of the better parts of the game. 

It’s quite entertaining to play this new version simply because of the adaptation that has so much of nostalgia attached to it. It’s the same game at the end of the day, but with a story line that most of us can relate to. Add to that the graphics, the back ground score and sound board and you’ve got yourself quite a few hours of unadulterated entertainment. 

Well-designed levels using Star Wars location backgrounds for effect

The Bottom Line

If you thought the original was awesome back when it first launched, then the Star Wars addition takes it to a whole new level. The game is free for Android users on the Google Play Store and is priced at Rs. 55 on iTunes. In-app purchases like Path of the Jedi and the variety of sizes for the Mighty Falcon are what you'd need to actually spend on. Irrespective of that, the game is a must have for the mobile gamer, especially the traditional Star Wars fans. Could we see an Indiana Jones Angry Bird game next? You never know. One things for sure, Rovio is not going to stop surprising us with this franchise. 

May the Birds be with you!