Angry Birds 2

Angry Birds 2 is a puzzle video game developed and released by Rovio Entertainment for the Angry Birds series. The game was soft launched in Canada on March 5, 2015 as Angry Birds: Under Pigstruction, and officially released worldwide on July 30, 2015.

History
Initially Rovio Entertainment Corporation stated that they won't make a sequel. However, they started to develop a game involving time travel, that game would be Angry Birds 2 at the time called "Angry Birds Big Adventure (ABBA)". The game was originally about time travel and one of the developers Måns Wilde said that the game was very story driven in early development. These time periods in the game would include a prehistoric level set in the Mezozoic period and a level inside the King's Diner set in the 70s. [View the Gallery for more images]

The game was soft launched in Canada on March 5, 2015 as Angry Birds Under Pigstruction. The game was launched worldwide on July 30, 2015.

Plot
At the Cobalt Plateaus, while the Angry Birds are sleeping, a Minion Pig approaches and steals their eggs, replacing them with sand bags. However, as he is about to leave, it is too late, as the Angry Birds have already spotted him, so the Minion Pig tries to escape with the eggs. despite the odds, he somehow manages to survive, and hops onto an airship with other Minion Pigs and King Pig on it. King Pig, having finally managed to get the eggs, laughs at the birds and leaves with the eggs. Enraged, the Angry Birds start to chase the pigs, rescuing other partners in the adventure, who join them.

Gameplay
Trying to emulate the gameplay style of past Angry Birds games, Angry Birds 2 is a physics-based puzzle video game. As with similar games, the main objective is to pop all the pigs in the levels, who are sheltered inside of structures made of glass, wood and stone, alongside other objects. To pop said pigs, the player has to launch a limited group of characters using a slingshot. If they run out of characters without popping all pigs, they will pay gems or free bird tokens to continue or get a Level Failed screen and lose a life.

The main feature of Angry Birds 2 is the player being able to choose which character are they going to use; these characters are represented with cards. Every time, the player will only be able to choose up to three characters, while the other ones will appear as the characters are being launched. Because of this, certain characters can work better on certain structures, while they be weaker on other ones. Levels are divided into a series of "zones", one following the other. When all pigs in a zone are popped, the player will pass to the next zone, and so on until they complete the level. After beating a level, the player will get one, two, or three stars depending on their performance. There are also options to shuffle the deck for 40 gems and the "Restart Room", which resets the room and gives you back your birds you used in that stage for 80 gems , but these can only be used in the Story Mode, Clan Battles and Mighty Eagle Bootcamp.

To launch a character, the player has to put their finger on the slingshot and drag it to aim. While aiming, they will be given a trail of white dots that will predict the area the character is going to travel through. Releasing the finger will result in the character being launched. In this state, the player can tap anywhere onto the screen to make them perform their special ability. However, they will only be able to use it once, and will not use it if they collide with any surface. Once the character is launched, the player will be unable to use them again; to compensate this, the game uses the Destruct-O-Meter, a gauge that will be filled as the player destroys buildings and pop the pigs. When full, it will empty itself and give the player an extra card.

Levels
The game story is followed on a World Map where the player can select a level to play. Levels are randomly generated (but always with the same maximum score achievable) and are divided into several categories:
 * Normal Level: The player has to clear a series of zones by popping pigs. First appeared in level 1, common to find.
 * Hard Level: Similar to the Normal Levels, but with a higher difficulty. First appeared in level 24, uncommon to find.
 * Score Level: The player has to get a certain amount of points. These levels have infinite zones, though they end as soon as the player gets the points asked for. These levels are the rarest in the game. First appeared in Level 18 and last in Level 63.
 * Boss Level: Similar to the Normal Levels. However, the last zone, a boss pig will appear and the player must defeat to win. The boss has a health gauge that will tell the boss' health. Emptying the gauge will defeat the boss and the pigs. First appeared in Level 5.

Playable characters

 * Bomb: Explodes instantly when tapped or after some time upon impact with something. Can destroy stone really well. His explosion destroys a lot of objects on range.
 * Bubbles: Inflates when tapped or after some time and pops away after some time. He can destroy wood really well, and when he activates he destroys any material on range.
 * Chuck: Speeds up when tapped, gaining more momentum and strength. Destroys wood exceptionally well.
 * Hal: Spins when launched and goes to the opposite direction when tapped. He can destroy wood really well, when he activates his ability he can destroy more.
 * Matilda: Lays an explosive egg when tapped, exploding once it lands on something while she launches herself up. Can destroy materials well, but not stone. The egg destroys a lot of materials on range.
 * Red: Shoots red sound waves when tapped. Cannot destroy materials well.
 * Stella: Once Stella uses her ability, she lifts herself and surrounding objects in bubbles which float in the air for a few seconds. Afterwards, the bubbles pop and the objects trapped fall down. Cannot destroy materials well.
 * Terence: Has no ability. However, he can destroy materials really well.
 * The Blues: Triplets who split up upon activating their ability. Destroys Glass exceptionally well.
 * Leonard: Launches three snot bomb at his target, which then sends him flying in the opposite direction before hit something.

Non-playable characters

 * Gale
 * Hatchlings
 * Lazer Bird
 * Luca
 * Mighty Eagle
 * Poppy
 * Postman Pig
 * Super Red
 * The Incredible Terence
 * Willow

Enemies

 * Balloon Pig
 * Corporal Pig
 * Construction Pigs
 * Minion Pigs
 * Space Pig

Also, there are some pigs that have special abilities to prevent the birds from attacking. For list of special pigs, see Angry Birds 2/Special Pigs.

Bosses

 * Chef Pig
 * Foreman Pig
 * King Pig
 * Zeta

Spells

 * For sponsored spells, see Angry Birds 2/Sponsored Spells.

Spells are cards. You can get the spells as rewards in chests, and you can only pick one of each spell into a run. Spells only be used for Normal, Hard Levels. Boss levels cannot be used.
 * Golden Duck - Drops from the sky and can knock down buildings and pop pigs.
 * Blizzard - Turns all buildings into glass and gently collapse structures.
 * Chili - Causes a random pig to explode.
 * Pig Inflator - Inflates some pigs, making them bigger.
 * Mighty Eagle Sardines - Destroys everything in his path.

Bird Ranks
Ranks are the level of the birds in Angry Birds 2. The rank affects the multiplier of the score, meaning a higher level will achieve a higher score, filling the Destruct-O-Meter faster.

Hatchling
The hatchling is an egg near the slingshot that boosts the score multiplier. It needs to be feed daily to level up, otherwise it will leave and the score multiplier will reset.

Hats
The Hats are optional cosmetics that give an additional multiplier to the player's main birds. Said hats are divided in different sets, and can be purchased with Black Pearls. Collecting all the hats from the same set will upgrade the slingshot, and will give the player more Bird Power. The Hat Shop also has a Black Pearl treasure chest, which can be opened every twenty four hours.

Daily Quest
The Daily Quest is a set of six different challenges the player gets every day.

Daily Challenge
Daily Challenges are an optional mode that tasks the player with completing three levels without failing. The Daily Challenges are as follows:
 * Red's Rumble!: Played on Mondays. Has Red as the title character.
 * Blues' Brawl!: Played on Tuesdays. Has Jake, Jay and Jim as the title characters.
 * Chuck's Challenge!: Played on Wednesdays. Has Chuck as the title character.
 * Matilda Mayhem!: Played on Thursdays. Has Matilda as the title character.
 * Silver Slam!: Played on Fridays. Has Silver as the title character.
 * Bomb's Blast!: Played on Saturdays. Has Bomb as the title character.
 * Terence Trial!: Played on Sundays. Has Terence as the title character.

After completing one of these Daily Challenges, the player will be able to play King Pig Panic!, three difficult boss levels that will give the player great awards when completed.

Mighty Eagle's Bootcamp
The Mighty Eagle's Bootcamp is unlocked after passing level 38 in the normal mode. It rewards Mighty Eagle Points and Coins depending on how far the player makes it in the daily training. Based on their performance, the player will receive a portrait frame. When a new season starts, everyone's scores and frames are reset.

Tower of Fortune
The Tower of Fortune is a place where the player can win rewards, such as Gems, Black Pearls, Spells, Feathers and Hats. In every floor, they will be given four cards to choose, one of which having a pig card that will steal all their rewards if it is picked up. In the floors that are multiple of five however, there will only have hats to choose. The player can leave whenever they want and claim their rewards.

The Arena
The Arena is a player versus player-styled mode where the players are matched based on skill rating. Every day, five birds are chosen for the Flock of the Day and are the only ones that can be used. Weekly, the player is matched with thirty other players of similar skill rating and will receive rewards based on the leaderboard result (who can gain the most rating in a week). The Arena gives rewards every fourty five days based on the player's league achieved and performance in the season.

Events
Events are active for a limited time and offer great opportunities for some rewards. If there is an event active, it will be indicated by a timer at the bottom of the title screen, and the different icons show the player which events are active at any given time. Some of the events that can appear are as follows:
 * Rowdy Rumble!: The player will have to get a higher score than their opponent. If they win battles, they will make it to the top. The higher they are, the more rewards they will get.
 * Hatchling Fever!: The player's hatchling multiplier boost is doubled or tripled and more apples appear. This is only for the players who have a hatchling.
 * Mini Events: Player must collect as many as possible to make it on the top. The events can be easy ways to collect extra rewards. For example, if the theme of the events is "Flying Matilda, fly!", the player will need launch Matilda as many times as possible before time runs out. The theme of events can be changed randomly.
 * Black Pearl Party!: All Black Pearl rewards are doubled during the event.
 * Jetpack Run: The player's hatchling will put on a jetpack. They will have to guide them on an apple hunt and avoid to touch obstacles to improve their score. This is only for the players who have a hatchling.
 * Feather Frenzy!: All Feather rewards are doubled during the event.
 * Rainbow Fever!: All Feather rewards are turned to Rainbow Feathers during the event.
 * Event shop: The Event Shop is where the players can buy special items using the Event Coins. Event Coins can be get in different parts of the game. They are linked to each event and will expire when the event ends, where they will turn into Rainbow Feathers.
 * Bird's Fever!: Certain character's Bird Power is tripled during the event. For example, if the theme of the events is "Hal's Fever!", Hal's power is tripled. This is only for players who have unlocked said bird. This event can be only used from extra birds.
 * The Birds Adventures and Hat Adventures: These events are themed after a Hat Set or extra birds. The player will only be able to play with the birds that own these hats or extra birds. For example, if the theme of the events is "The Hal Adventure!", the player will help Hal complete all levels to get all rewards. Rewards are used such as Black Pearls, Rare Chest, Feathers and Legendary Chest.
 * Playing For the Planet!: Player must pop a bunch of pigs to reach the global goal.

Feats
Similar to achievements in Game Center or Google Play, these are missions that are intended to be completed over a longer period of time than the daily quests. Rewards for the feats include Feathers, Gems, Black Pearls, and Chests.

Clans
Clans are groups of players that join together in order to compete with other Clans or to complete Clan Events.

Reception
The game has received mixed reviews. Pocket Gamer gave the game a 7/10, feeling that the gameplay was a step forward in puzzle design and the graphics were gorgeous—however, it did not like the energy system that, after failing to complete a few levels, either makes the player stop playing or use gems to continue playing; overall the website thought the game was Rovio at its best. IGN awarded it a score of 6.7 out of 10, saying "Ever-shifting levels and limited lives take a lot of the fun out of smashing pigs with birds in Angry Birds 2."

Trivia

 * Various locations in the game are references and puns to real world and fictional locations:
 * New Pork City is a reference to New York City.
 * Shangham is a reference to Shangnan County.
 * Mount Evernest is a reference to Mount Everest.
 * Ham Francisco is a reference to San Francisco.
 * Pig Bay is a reference to the various locations named Big Bay.
 * The Pig Apple is a reference to "Big Apple", a nickname for New York City.
 * The Hamalayas is a reference to the Himalayas.
 * Madagooscar is a reference to Madagascar.
 * Oinklahoma is a reference to Oklahoma.
 * The Hamazonas is a reference to the Amazonia.
 * Copacabacon is a reference to Copenhagen.
 * Pigfoot Mountains is a reference to Bigfoot.
 * Central Pork is a reference to Central Park.
 * Hamsterdam is a reference to Amsterdam.
 * Missispiggy Rivers is a reference to the Mississippi River.
 * Boarneo is a reference to Borneo.
 * Got Ham City is a reference to Gotham City.
 * Twin Beaks is a reference to the Twin Towers.
 * Hog Warts is a reference to Hogwarts.
 * Porkyo is a reference to Tokyo.
 * Hambodia is a reference to Cambodia.
 * Lichtenswine is a reference to Liechtenstein.
 * Porka Rica is a reference to Costa Rica.
 * United States of Hamerica is a reference to the United States of America.
 * Hamtartica is a reference to Antartica.
 * Luxembird is a reference to Luxembourg.
 * Ham Marino is a reference to San Marino.
 * Snouta Cruz is a reference to the various places named Santa Cruz.
 * Beakini Island is a reference to Bikini Atoll.
 * Porko Rico is a reference to Puerto Rico.
 * Various profile pictures contain several reference to other Angry Birds media:
 * One of the first profile pictures contains an injured Mechanic Pig.
 * Misty Mire, Madagooscar, and Snout Slough's profile pictures reference Angry Birds Go!
 * Pig Bay's profile pictures are from the album from Angry Birds Stella.
 * Oinklahoma's profile pictures are the Space Birds from Angry Birds Space.
 * One of Copacabacon's profile pictures have a Minion Pig holding some fireworks that first appeared in Year of the Dragon from Angry Birds Seasons. Other two have Foreman Pig disguised as a clown and as a mage, referencing Abra-Ca-Bacon, also from Angry Birds Seasons.
 * One of Porkland's profile pictures shows Matilda in her very first design.
 * Missispiggy Rivers' profile pictures are pigs affected by the Flock of Birds powerup from Angry Birds Space. It also includes King Pig, who cannot be normally affected by the powerup.
 * Got Ham City and Hog Warts's profile pictures are the realistic-looking characters featured in Angry Birds: Hatching a Universe.
 * Hambodia's profile pictures are from title screens from episodes of Angry Birds Toons:
 * One picture is a taken from the title screen of "Egg's Day Out".
 * Another profile picture originates in the title screen of "Run Chuck Run".
 * One of the profile pictures is from the title screen of "Hog Roast".
 * The fourth profile picture is from the title screen of "King of the Castle".
 * Porka Rica's profile pictures feature the Zombie Pigs from Angry Birds Friends.
 * This is the third Angry Birds game after Angry Birds POP! and the Kakao version of the original Angry Birds to feature a lives system.
 * Not counting the Red's Mighty Feathers episode from the original Angry Birds, this is the first physics video game where Red has a permanent ability.
 * After the player frees a bird using the Bird key, said bird will tell them "Good choice! Let's practice!". This applies to Terence as well, making this the first time he says a full quote.
 * On the Angry Birds Facebook page, a three page comic about the story of Angry Birds 2 was released. This strip revealed why Silver was raised by the pigs. They found her as an egg, and she hatched just before getting cooked.
 * In the World Map, players can tap/click on a random Minion Pig. Said pig can blow a raspberry, make a face, burp, or fart. If a pig farts, surrounding pigs will groan at the pig who farted, whilst if a pig burps, surrounding pigs will grow angry towards the pig who burped.
 * This game has the third most levels in the Angry Birds series, with 3.040 levels in total (as of September 2021). Angry Birds Dream Blast (over 7.400 levels) is the first, and Angry Birds POP! (over 6.000 levels) is the second.
 * The main characters' sound effects are taken from various episodes of Angry Birds Toons.
 * Some of Stella's voice clips effects are taken from Angry Birds Go! to this game.