Angry Birds creator Rovio just launched Angry Birds: Isle of Pigs, an Apple exclusive take on its feather-flinging franchise that uses your iPhone or iPad’s AR tech to create mobile battlegrounds on real-world arenas, from kitchen surfaces to office desks.
And the most significant shift to this incredibly frequent flyer was only unveiled publicly today (March 19) at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. This is no less than the 24th game in the series in 10 years, and Digital Spy managed to get some hands-on time with it last week in London.
Angry Birds: Isle of Pigs, developed by Swedish mobile specialist Resolution Games, will be familiar to anyone who’s flirted with augmented-reality games before, be that on iPhone or going way back to Nintendo’s 3DS or PlayStation’s PS Vita.
But now coupled with a series as well-known as Angry Birds, the format's ability to impress remains somehow undimmed.
The bird-bites-pig series’ traditionally 2D fortresses are remade in 3D space, using your device’s camera trickery to throw the playing field down on nearby surfaces as fixed, increasingly complex dioramas that you walk around and ponder. It’s virtual Jenga, or if Steven Spielberg squeezed Boom Bloxx into Ready Player One, and it’s amazing they haven’t tried it before.
The perspective shift overhauls the way you play completely, changing it from a commuter quick fix to an elaborate strategic parlour game as you hold up your phone and lean round the game’s structures to assess pig locations to lob at, squat down to peek for hidden explosives, and raise your arm high to rain down birds from optimal angles into the screen. If it sounds a bit involved, it occasionally is, but if you go in gung ho, it’s beguiling, transformative stuff.
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There are a variety of fortresses and themes to three-star your way through, from Piggy Party Town to Frosty Hideout, the latter complete with in-living-room snowfall, while one desert level raises the stakes from mere cactus window dressing to glint sunshine off the virtual constructions, somehow reflecting back the items in your ACTUAL ROOM.
This dark magic has been in Apple’s ARKit for a while, most noticeably used by app-friendly retailer Shopify to place homeware and interiors products in realistic settings – "Look, that’s OUR rug in that mirror, I have to buy it!" – but seeing the advanced tech exercised in such a simple but effective way here really helps grounds the levels in the real world. We played Angry Birds: Isle of Pigs on iPhone XR for around half an hour and the performance was consistently impressive, but ARKit is inside Apple devices back to the iPhone 6S.
The only real mis-step is that sadly Angry Birds: Isle of Pigs in its current form is a strictly single-player game, the only way to enjoy it with friends being to take turns at trying to three-star the campaign levels, which for such an obviously co-operative experience feels like a missed opportunity.
Buy Now The Angry Birds Movie, £3.99, Amazon
While the campaign seems robust and extensive and should give hours of replay value, the AR nature of the game means you need a fair bit of space to move around and a willingness to stand up and mildly exert yourself while you play it.
The typical Angry Birds venue of a train or bus carriage while half-asleep is likely out of the picture, then, yet with no dedicated multiplayer modes, competitive or otherwise, to keep you committed, it could seem a slightly elaborate way to play with yourself for too long.
There are no doubt tech pressures for real-time multiplayer but introducing even a basic turn-based 'You go, I go' mode – like, dare we say it, Jenga – would elevate this from a very impressive tech showcase to a bonafide party starter. But if you’re selfish and indulgent with your mobile gaming time, you should definitely give this a throw.
Angry Birds: Isle of Pigs is available exclusively on iOS and if you have an ARKit-enabled iPhone (6S onwards) or iPad (Pro 2017 onwards), you can pre-order it now.
Best games of 2019: Your complete release schedule for PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and beyond
Release date: Out now (January 11)
New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe is a super fun game for anyone looking to get a dose of original Mario.
The Nintendo Switch has grown in popularity this year, and games like this, which are excellent for parties and in groups, is exactly the kind of fun we are looking for in 2019.
Capcom Resident Evil 2 / Biohazard RE: 2 Standard Edition
Release date: Out now (January 25)
You can get stuck into the terrifying update to the horror classic Resident Evil 2 on PC, Xbox One and PS4.
Upgraded with better graphics and spookier scares, this could be the perfect snatch for horror fans missing the terrors of Halloween.
Release date: Out now (January 29)
Sora is back, baby! Get back into the action in Kingdom Hearts III, 10 years after the release of the previous game.
Jump into the Disney world filled with Jack Sparrow, the Monsters Inc boys, Donald Duck, Goofy and the rest of the gang in this sprawling, epic narrative.
Release date: February 12 (Out now)
We have missed so much, which is why we're so damn excited to get stuck into this wheeler of a game.
Battle through infuriating stages on your trusty dirt bike without seriously damaging your character.
A ton of fun to play, and set to be even more wild than previous iterations.
Release date: February 15 (Out now)
Who doesn't want to play as Terry Crews? Well we do, and we can, in the highly anticipated release of Crackdown 3.
Destruction is the aim of the game, literally, and you will be tasked with causing as much havoc as possible, with fully destructible environments.
Ubisoft Far Cry New Dawn Limited Edition (Exclusive to Amazon.co.uk) (PS4)
Release date: February 15 (Out now)
We got a chance to play Far Cry New Dawn and we had a blast with it.
Plenty of new activities and a brand new, engaging narrative will make this a must-buy for Far Cry fans.
With new RPG elements, an improved expedition mechanic and incredible graphics make this an excellent buy.
Deep Silver Metro Exodus Aurora Limited Edition + Spartan Survival Guide (Exclusive to Amazon.co.uk) (PS4)
Release date: February 15 (Out now)
We're big fans of the Metro series, and we're very excited to see what Deep Silver can do with the latest Russian disaster game.
A quarter-century after nuclear war devastated the earth, a few thousand survivors still cling to existence beneath the ruins of Moscow in the tunnels of the Metro.
Terrifying yet addictive at the same time.
Release date: February 22 (Out now)
Anthem plays a little like Destiny and The Division, but with major differences – ie you play as a giant, machine-gun-wielding robot that can fly. Awesome.
We got to play the VIP demo and had a blast with it – expect this one to be a big hit.
Release date: February 26 (Out now)
DiRT Rally 2.0 dares you to carve your way through a selection of iconic rally locations from across the globe, in the most iconic off-road vehicles ever made, knowing that the smallest mistake could end your stage.
You will need to rely on your instincts with the most immersive and truly focused off-road experience yet, including a new authentic handling model, tyre choice and surface degradation.
Release date: February 26 (Out now)
Little is known about Left Alive at this point, but that makes it all the more exciting and intriguing to us.
All we know is that it will be a third-person cover shooter a la Gears of War, but with more of a Metal Gear vibe in terms of design and story.
A tense, thriller shooter is just what we need, and we can't wait.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment The LEGO Movie 2 Video game Minifigure Edition (Amazon Exclusive) (Nintendo Switch)
Release date: February 26 (Out now)
The alien monster invaders have left Bricksburg in ruins. It's now up to Emmet and a host of heroic characters to go beyond their world and save their friends from the strange inhabitants of the Systar System.
You must journey into outer space, discover new worlds, and test your Master Building skills in the latest LEGO madness.
Release date: March 8 (Out now)
The 16 million unit selling series is back with original director Hideaki Itsuno at the helm of development.
Featuring three playable characters, each with a radically different stylish combat play style, Devil May Cry 5 is set to be another fantastic smash-'em-up game in the franchise..
We are surprisingly excited to get stuck into this one.
Ubisoft Tom Clancy's The Division 2 Limited Amazon Edition (Exclusive to Amazon.co.uk) (PS4)
Release date: March 15 (Out now)
In the wake of the virus, storms, flooding, and subsequent chaos have radically transformed Washington, D.C, The Division 2 brings players to a whole new location.
Explore a living open world full of diverse environments, from flooded urban areas to historic sites and landmarks, during one of the hottest summers in history
Play alone or with up to three friends in a 40-hour campaign in a torn and boiling Washington D.C. and prolong your Division 2 journey with a fresh, unique, and varied challenge.
Release date: March 15 (Out Now)
In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice you are the "one-armed wolf", a disgraced and disfigured warrior rescued from the brink of death.
Bound to protect a young lord who is the descendant of an ancient bloodline, you become the target of many vicious enemies, including the dangerous Ashina clan.
When the young lord is captured, nothing will stop you on a perilous quest to regain your honour, not even death itself.
This looks to scratch the Dark Souls itch that many fans have needed – read our full review here.
Release date: March 29
Top-down world-building games are back in fashion, baby.
Tropico 6 is a tonne of fun for what is essentially an administration and organisation game.
You can run several islands and nurture them as you would your children, building them to become mega nations to take over the world.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Mortal Kombat 11 Premium Collection (PS4)
Release date: April 23
Raiden and the gang are back, bigger, better and more bloody than ever in Mortal Kombat 11 for PC, PS4, Xbox One and the Nintendo Switch.
All new fatalities, characters and stages will make this fighting game a must-pick this year.
Release date: April 26
We all need an action-packed zombie survival game in our lives, and Days Gone might just be the game to scratch that itch.
This game has drummed up a lot of hype over the years, with hordes of zombies – *cough* gamers *cough* – desperate to get their hands on it.
Exclusively for the PS4, this could just be one of the best games of the year. Read our full review here.
Release date: May 14
A Mad Max-style video game full of death, destruction and frankly ludicrous weaponry? We are in 100%.
Rage 2 is the next big wild shooter from Bethesda Studios, and it looks like it's going to be a wild ride.
This gameplay trailer looks simply ridiculous and we can't wait to get stuck in.
Release date: May 21 (Out Now)
Sonic fans, get ready... Sonic and co are about to get much faster, inexplicably in a car, rather than on their famously fast feet.
Team Sonic Racing is following on the success of hit games like Mario Kart and Crash Team Racing, and might just be what Sega fans need.
Release date: June 21
You might have had enough of Team Sonic Racing by this point, so why not transition smoothly into Crash Team Racing when you're done?
Exactly the same thing as above but with a large roster of Crash Bandicoot characters instead – yeah we are definitely buying this.
Release date: June 28
Have you ever been playing Super Mario Bros and wondered to yourself: "Man, I wish I could create my own, punishingly difficult level which I will never complete?"
Enter Super Mario Maker 2, which lets you build pretty much whatever you want and throw it into a Mario level.
Create your own courses and then play them out with friends (up to four), or you can try playing other peoples' creations online. Expect more chaos.
Release Date: July 2
Yet another release in the long, long Final Fantasy series, ShadowBringers offers a bunch of new activities and options for you to rattle through, including an increased level-cap (from 70 to 80), a new playable race (Viera) and a new job (Gunbreaker).
Release Date: July 26
Ready to take on some more Nazis? Team up with a friend and battle through this modern shooter with some quite frankly ridiculous weaponry.
From giant gatling guns and devastating shotguns, to massive grenades and an electrifying Tesla canon, take down the Nazi regime one enemy at a time.
YoungBlood has much more tactical decision-making involved, build your base of operations and then plan your next move, either on your own or with a buddy.
Release date: August 27
A game we didn't know we needed until Sony announced it as a crowdfunded project at E3, Shenmue 3 is now a thing that is coming to PC and PS4 this year.
Still a long way off, but if you are a fan of the first two games, then you are going to have a blast with this one.
Little is really known about it at this point, but fans clearly wanted it, as they put down millions of their own dollars to fund it.
Release Date: September 10
Long have we waited for another entry to the Gears of War series and we finally have one with Gears 5.
It might not look or feel like a Gears game, with new characters (RIP Marcus Phoenix) and a fresh new look at Horde Mode (called Escape, where you must plant the bomb and get the heck out of Dodge), but this is very much a spiritual successor to the hit cover-shooter.
You must now take control of Kait Diaz, a new hero, to battle through the main campaign and defeat the Hive.
Gearbox Software Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe Edition - with GAME Exclusive Psycho Bandit mask
Release Date: September 13
Are you ready, Vault Hunters? We are finally getting a sequel, and Borderlands 3 looks like its going to be as crazy as ever.
The Calypso Twins are out on the prowl, uniting the clans to gain the galaxy's ultimate power.
There will be LOTS AND LOTS of guns for you to play with, and you can play the whole thing on your own, or with a friend to dominate the enemy.
Release Date: September 20
Hyrule is about to get a whole lot cuter, as the classic Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is coming to the Nintendo Switch this year.
Link has been washed up on a desert island full of danger and wonder, and you must figure out a way to escape.
With a massive graphical upgrade to the original game, Link's Awakening is sure to transport you back to your childhood instantly.
Release Date: October 25
2019 appears to be the year for nostalgia-filled gaming, as a Medievil remake is coming to the PS4 this year.
Take on the role of a sword-wielding, wisecracking skeleton who needs to get out of the haunted cemetary alive. Well... as alive as a skeleton can be.
Release Date: October 25
We got a bit more information about this new space adventure at the E3 conference, and now we can't wait to play it.
This game looks like BioShock in space, with an awesome 1950s style with futuristic guns and battles.
Build your own character and fight your way to save the Halcyon colony in this huge RPG.
Release Date: November 15
We're super excited for another Pokemon adventure, and it's looking like both Sword and Shield will scratch that itch – and then some.
Coming to the Nintendo Switch, Sword and Shield is a massive open-world adventure full of pocket monsters to catch.
We also get Dynamax battles, which lets you pick one Pokemon to go beast mode and transform into a giant, super-powered machine.
Check out everything you need to know about Pokemon Sword and Shield here.
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