Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs review for PlayStation VR2

Platform: PlayStation VR2
Also On: PS VR, Meta Quest
Publisher: Resolution Games
Developer: Resolution Games
Medium: Digital
Players: 1
Online: Yes
ESRB: E

I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t know what Angry Birds is. What started out as a simple mobile game blew up into a cultural icon. Spawning movies, a cartoon series, game sequels with multiple crossover games, everyone knows the name of Angry Birds. Now you can experience the war of Birds vs Green Pigs in glorious VR on your PlayStation 5/PS VR2.

The premise of Angry Birds is very simple. Evil Green Pigs have stolen all of the birds eggs, and set up fortresses to protect their bounty. The Angry Birds launch themselves with their trusty slingshot directly into these fortresses in an attempt to destroy everything and get their eggs back. You have command of a few different birds, some with special powers that can cause more damage. For example there is a big round bird that is also a bomb, and a small yellow bird that can fly super fast and break harder objects. All this comes together to make a very addicting game. This version also allows you to make your own levels to challenge your friends or you can upload them so others online can have a go at your creations. Thankfully, the community is still going even today and there were many levels to download and try. This will keep the fun going after you complete the standard levels!

The concept is rather silly, but it’s simple execution and play mechanics really hook you in and you want to keep playing, and that is exactly why it became so popular. Thankfully, everything that made Angry Birds a hit has translated fantastically to the world of Virtual Reality, and playing it on the PlayStation VR 2 for the PS5 really makes the visuals and animations pop. You actually feel like you’ve been transported into this colorful cartoon world even with the limited areas you are restricted to, and the Sense controllers make it so easy to be in command of the action. You have up to 4 launching locations you can shoot birds from and can switch at anytime to get a better angle, or to see hidden TNT boxes that can cause more damage. Sometimes the pigs hide behind objects to avoid being hit, so you may have to reposition yourself a few times for maximum score.

The visuals and animations here are quite colorful and immersing. As I stated, you actually feel like you are in this world as you play. At first I really didn’t understand how this game would translate to VR, but after playing for a while, I think this is what the series has been missing. Controlling everything is so smooth and accurate that It just felt like a natural movement to pull back on a slingshot and launch birds into walls.

I missed out on the first release of this for the original PS4’s PlayStation VR, but I can say this upgrade is really cool and fun.  Those who own the original PS4 version can upgrade to the PS VR2 version for $9.99 for those interested.  Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs is simple, fun and addicting, and you’ll be hard pressed to stop playing and rejoin the real world. Highly recommended.

Resolution Games provided us with a Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs PS VR2 code for review purposes.

Grade: A