A ‘Freemium’ game that’s free only in name, Angry Birds 2 will make you pay, literally
A ‘Freemium’ game that’s free only in name, Angry Birds 2 will make you pay, literally
Angry Birds 2 showcases everything wrong with Free-to-play/freemium games on mobile devices. While the original, as well as the spin-offs, were properly priced games that also came with bonus levels at no extra cost, Angry Birds 2 is free just in name alone.
Also, there are a few changes to the core formula. All levels have multiple stages and you need to beat all two or three stages in one go. Upon causing massive destruction with a single bird, you receive bonus points that fill a meter, giving you an extra bird to be used for later levels. Unlike other games in the series, players are free to select the birds in any order, giving them more strategic freedom.
The whole idea of this franchise was based on trial and error, whether it was for completing the level, getting all three stars or getting that high score — nothing came in the way of the player and the game. Angry Birds 2 gives you a maximum of five lives that are depleted every time you fail to finish a level. Once all lives have been depleted, you can no longer play any part of the game. You gain one life every half-an-hour or you can pay real money to try again. With Angry Birds 2, players are expected to pay for a chance to beat the level, not to unlock rest of the levels. There is no more room for experimentation, you either get it on your first try or suffer the consequences. It’s also not possible to re-play older levels without risking these lives.
Angry Birds 2 completely redesigns the already beloved game to take advantage of a player’s failure. Not only does it continue the awful practice that has plagued freemium mobile games, but the multi-stage nature of the game is a deliberate attempt to make levels harder. The mechanics, the art design and destruction all look spectacular; but it brings up paywall after paywall, halting progression.
