Ice Bird
This ice cube colored and shaped bird is
a brand new addition to the flock. Ice Bird is an extraterrestrial that seeks
the aid of the flock in order to capture an item called the Eggsteroid. Not much
else is said about this mysterious bird, and his background is kept a secret. Ice
Bird has the unique ability to smash into structures and freeze them solid.
There is not a lot of information regarding what this power will do, but a
combo attack with The Blues would make the most sense.
Fat Pig
Fat Pig is a brand new "weapon"
unleashed by the evil pigs. This gigantic and ravenous creature is nearly six
times the size of a normal pig and is a solid line of defense. It is said that
the Fat Pig combs the universe, looking for anything and everything to help sustain
its immense appetite. This is surely going to be a formidable foe for the
flock. Developers did not release if Fat Pig will have any special powers or if
he is as easy to "pop" as the other pigs. Judging by his size, I
think it's safe to say that this guy is going to be hard to take down.
Environments
Obviously, things are going to look much
different since you'll be playing outside of Earth. The environments in Angry
Birds Space are quite possibly the most impressive that we have seen Rovio
create. You'll go on a variety of missions that will take you across the
universe. Along the way you will get to see a multitude of "planets"
and "asteroids" each with their own unique style and artistic flair.
There are even creations like satellites and "asteroid fields."
Sometimes piggies won't even be positioned on a given planet or hard service, but
will simply be floating in space, encompassed in a little bubble.
There isn't much information pertaining
to what types of planets we will see and if there will be any specific elements
tied into these planets as Rovio is trying to keep things a secret. Judging by
the screenshots below though, this appears to be a really wide open adventure
that will span across all types of areas.
New Rules and Features
This is perhaps the most discussed
subject online right now. Will it be any different playing in space? What can
we expect to see in terms of gameplay?
Gravity
Well, for one, deep space means no gravity.
This means that birds will no longer launch upward only to come crashing back
down to the ground. A lack of gravity means that birds will launch straight into
the direction that they are launched and will continue to progress into the
void of space, much like real objects interact under anti-gravity. That doesn't
mean that it's all "straight launches" across the screen. Certain planets
and objects have their own individual gravitational pull. If a bird floats close
to this pull, it will circle around the object until it eventually crashes into
it.
Because of this unique new style of gameplay,
Rovio was able to craft some interesting levels that will provide a challenge
for even the most advanced of players. Some pigs are positioned on planets or
behind them, forcing the player to fling their birds so that gravity propels
them into their target. This is both incredibly intuitive and very imaginative.
It is obvious that Rovio spent a lot of time and resources to learn about how
objects interact in space, in order to give fans and players the most
"realistic" experience possible.
Interaction
There is a ramped up sense of
interaction here between the enemies and the player. Pigs will no longer just make
snorting noises and smile or frown. They now do things like sleep, taunt, act
concerned, and even squeal whenever they assume they are in danger of being
hurt. Rovio wanted to make the experience more personable and in-depth, and
they felt that giving the enemies more outward emotion was a good way to
achieve this goal. If anything, it definitely makes the game more immersive and
entertaining.
Better Launch Controls
In order to appeal to more and more casual
gamers, Rovio worked on creating a more intuitive control system. In the previous
games you simply pulled back on a bird in order to launch it into air. It was
your job to gauge and judge exactly how much force and angle to exert on the launcher
in order to get a bird to a specific target. Things are a lot easier to control
in Angry Birds Space. Developers added a "dotted line guide" that now
shows the angle and distance that a bird will travel prior to it actually being
launched. This opens up a whole new world of precise shooting and will appeal
to the younger crowd who has a hard time gauging where to launch a bird.
Harder Levels
A lot of diehard fans complained that
the first three games were far too "easy" to beat. Developers have
addressed this complaint in Angry Birds Space by offering a difficult area to
challenge seeking players. This area will be called the "Danger
Zone." This zone is full of some of the hardest and most frustrating levels
that Rovio has ever imagined. In fact, when discussions were made about how to
create these levels, department heads at Rovio simply gave "free range"
to their developers. You can be sure that these levels are both sinister and
vastly entertaining. If you're seeking a challenge, then Angry Birds Space is
going to give it to you.
Boss Battles
We weren't really introduced to boss battles
until the release of Angry Birds Rio. These battles were supremely entertaining
and provided a great challenge. Bosses were usually located at the end of a
specific chapter of levels, as a final stage. Angry Birds Space is bringing boss
battles back. Developers promise that you will fight bigger and smarter piggies
at the end of each chapter and even hinted at a mega-boss called the "Space
King." This massive pig comes equipped with a large flying saucer that
employs some powerful grabbing claws.
Bonus Levels
Developers have also included some "hidden
bonus levels." These can be unlocked and played from a special menu. While
Rovio hasn't released what the bonus levels will be about, they did say that
they will pay homage to classic gaming. That means that you will get to see the
birds and pigs in some retro-styled games that look like they've come straight
from the 1980s.
Angry Birds Space is gearing up to be
a seriously awesome universal adventure. Anyone who'd played the previous games
knows that Rovio has really hit it out of the park with this concept. We can expect
to see some crazy level designs, some interesting bonus content, and I'm sure
we will see slew up updates with new levels and probably some new flock
members. Angry Birds Space is available on Apple iOS, Android, PC, and Mac.
