Angry Birds Hatchlings is a delightful mobile puzzle game that combines an Angry Birds setting with the match-3 gameplay. That title, from Rovio Entertainment and tackling a different style of action-shifting the franchise away from slingshot physics to tile-matching strategy-ads humor, colors-and huggable characters.

The most attractive thing about Angry Birds Hatchlings is its colourful and glossy visuals. The game has such wonderfully crafted levels brimming with toys, food items and all sorts of other in-game obstacles that feel completely at home on the wonderful whimsical world we now know as Bird Island. Your job is to match three of the same object on a row, and when four or more are matched you'll get some help in the form of Red, Chuck & Bomb all coming out from their sides to use their powers (which totally make me feel as if I did something right) I find the feel to be sharp and satisfying audio-visual feedback so that every chain reaction feels like an actual reward.

Outside the bubble of puzzle mechanics, the game is particularly great at giving players progression systems that encompass far more than just clearing a level. Players will progress through the game and along the way free adorable Hatchlings from evil pigs trying to steal them. These Hatchlings join the player's ever-expanding flock, and it offers a fun personality to players where they can dress these little guys in countless outfits you choose through personal expression while building your collection. It also introduces a creative element unseen in most of match-3 game by allowing you to decorate completely different worlds and scenes with all the newly discovered objects while giving you ownership and long term payoff through decoration.

Another area where Angry Birds Hatchlings really opens its wings is level design. The variety of challenges offered allows to keep engagement with different objectives throughout the experience; there are hundreds available. You guide ducks to water tiles, harvest conservative amounts of cupcakes from gift boxes deep in the tile set and wade through a herd of comically-groomed piggies with different routines or sprinkle grass all over the board. This variety ensures that the gameplay never becomes stale, as with each stage new strategic challenges come into play and players are kept engaged. The introduction of special enemies like Scuba Pigs, Barrel Pigs and Dynapigs adds even further tactical depth by forcing players to change their strategy instead of doing the same things over and over.

While it does have its strong points, Angry Birds Hatchlings also has issues. As is common with the mobile free-to-play model, there are also an energy mechanic which prohibits a player from going through more than so many levels in a row before being forced to wait for lives to recharge or buy some via IAP. While common in the genre, this design choice can feel frustrating when mixed with players determined to go through a marathon gaming session.

On the other hand, to wrap it up, Angry Birds Hatchlings is fantastic. It takes everything good about match-3 puzzle games and expounds upon this rich heritage while offering something new in being able to collect little characters you can stick on ships with outfits that add bonuses or decorate your world all around. The game's beautiful visuals, varied objectives in each level and strategic considerations mean it appeals to casual game players as well as dedicated puzzle fans. The energy system is still occasionally in the way of regular play, but there's a sweet game here that any lobotomized mobile adventurer should take for more than just one spin.

By Jerry | Copyright © Character100 - All Rights Reserved