Review: Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs – PS4/PSVR

Ah. Angry Birds. The game that hooked players of every age and gender with its simplicity. I still remember playing the first Angry Birds game on an old iPhone and being completely absorbed by it. Whenever I had the chance I would pull out my phone and play a round or two. It got to the point that I’d find reasons to whip out my mobile and start throwing birds at pigs. Alas, those days are far behind me now and I have a new addition: Crack.
The Angry Birds games have stuck around thanks to constant updates, new releases, and even a bloody movie about those moody flying rats. Yet I don’t really care for it anymore and neither does the general public. When was the last time you saw somebody playing Angry Birds on the bus?

Angry Birds VR, then, is something of a comeback for the franchise. Angry Birds VR is stripped of all the bloat that infests the modern mobile releases, and it’s all the better for it. You won’t find any lootboxes or free-to-play crap here (it’s a paid console game, after all.)
Instead you’ve got a very simple game that shouts back to the series’ roots, though you will need a pricey VR headset to play. There is no flat version of the game. A PSVR headset is a must, as are two PS Move wand controllers. If you’ve got the kit, you’re in for a good time.
The game is set out exactly as you would imagine it to be, albeit in proper 3D. You have various levels that award a star rating depending on how efficient your swine killing skills are. With one hand you’ll hold your bird-flinging slingshot, and with the other you’ll pull back and release to fire your feathered friends into the structures that the pigs are chilling out on. Simple. So simple, in fact, that in this edition of the game you’ve only got the four most basic birds to use. The OGs of the Angry Birds world, if you will. And that’s fine. No complaints there – one problem I had with later games was trying to keep track of what all the bloody birds do. My limit seems to be four but I think there’s definitely room for a bit more variety to broaden the game’s mechanics.

You goal is to fling the birds into the structures to take out every pig in a level. You start in a fixed position but you can move to other vantage points by pointing in the direction of the marker and teleporting to that spot. It’s essential that you try out each vantage point as some levels are tricky as hell and will require you to move around a bit to get the best angles on TNT boxes and other weak points. That being said, I managed to get by through trial and error. Classic Angry Birds tactics.
There’s not really much to complain about with this cheap and cheerful release. You’ve got a decent amount of levels to work through, as well as a whole bunch of trophies to aim for, not that I’m anywhere near getting them all. Honestly, I get through puzzle games thanks to sheer luck most of the time. And maybe the occasional online guide…

If you’re a fan of Angry Birds and you’re looking to get a bigger fix, you can’t do any wrong. It’s a brilliant little game and there are worse ways to waste an evening or two. Or three. Plus, it makes for a decent pass-the-headset game if you’re inclined to pull out your PSVR headset among friends.
It’s pure Angry Birds and that’s all that needs to be said. If you like Angry Birds, go ahead and fill your boots with this one. If you’ve never bothered with the Bird vs Pig war, maybe playing in virtual reality will make you a believer?

Angry Birds VR PSVR Review

• 8/10
  Overall - Fantastic - 8/10

8/10

Summary

Angry Birds VR is everything you would expect from an Angry Birds VR game. It’s delightfully simple, charmingly colourful and, of course, it has that addictive ‘one-more-go’ quality that brought those moody little birdies to the forefront of gaming for a short while.