Angry Birds Epic Review
- Publisher: Rovio Entertainment Oyj
- Genre: Adventure
- Released: 12 Jun, 2014
- Size: 628.3 MB
- Price: FREE!
PROS
- Approachable turn-based strategy combat
- Wonderful presentation
- IAPs give you an edge but are not required
CONS
- A little lite on tactics
- Not much to involve genre fans
- Speeding up crafting with IAPs changes the difficult curve
VERDICT
As a strategy RPG Angry Birds Epic feels a little light, but as an RPG gateway for Angry Birds fans it'll probably do the trick.
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At this point the Angry Birds are more than just feathery projectiles in a physics puzzler. They have become icons that can leap into any medium they choose. Like Mario before them, their first step was into the world of kart racing, and now they have progressed to a strategy RPG with the turn-based Angry Birds Epic.
To keep things easy for genre first-timers, Epic does away with exploration of similar titles. Instead it adopts a map that will be familiar to free-to-play fans, with fights separated into stages on a set path. Unfortunately, while this does increase the pace, it washes out much of the story motivation that drives many RPG players.
Dropped into a medieval world, the birds have undergone a redesign for Epic. The presentation is beautiful, and a perfect fit for the new locale. The Red Bird, for example, is now suited in armour that allows him to fulfill his hard hitting melee role, while the yellow bird sports a natty wizard's hat and staff.
Battles are turn based. To attack, you simply trace a line from your bird to the nasty piggie when its your turn to attack. However, once you free the Yellow Bird things start to get interesting.
The magical Yellow Bird can use its turn to zap groups of enemy pigs with lightning, or, with a quick tap of the desired team member, use its powers to provide a shield that will shock attackers. Similar aggressive and defensive options are provided for each of your avian compadres, and learning how your three-bird squad's abilities work in tandem can completely change the flow of combat.
Rovio has provided several upgrades systems to mix things up. Plans for different hats and weapons can be found in the world. Crafting this equipment from items collected in-game, or bought through in-app purchases, lets you completely alter your birds fighting style.
Despite these additions though, the combat feel a little barebones once the novelty and presentation start to wear off. The fun is also undercut by an free-to-play model that seeks to claw cash from your purse by offering potions and perks to make the game easier. Refuse to pay, and your progress will be hampered, forcing you to fight the same fights over and over.
It is tough to judge Angry Birds Epic as an RPG fan. Like Pokemon it could prove the perfect gateway into a larger experience, but is in itself its a little light for genre enthusiasts. It a mechanically solid combat-RPG, but unfortunately, but a very not a deep one.
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