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Angry Birds Fight! is the match-3 RPG you haven't been waiting for

The App Army Assembles

Angry Birds Fight! is the match-3 RPG you haven't been waiting for
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| Angry Birds Fight!

Each week, we ask members of our App Army and ask for their feedback on the latest and greatest releases on mobile. One top pick this week was Rovio's match-3 RPG entry in the Angry Birds series, Angry Birds Fight!

Let's see what our App Army had to say...


This is just your typical Candy Crush Saga clone with some birds going nuts at the end of each level. If you like Candy Crush and you haven't tired of Angry Birds action this'll definitely do the job.

I still don't get this genre though - it's a really weird hybrid. I can't focus on what's happening at the top of the screen as I'm trying link as many birds as I can. Happy to play this when I have nothing better to do, but there's nothing special going on here.


To be perfectly honest I'm not remotely impressed by Angry Birds Fight! as there are already so many match-3 games out there.

I also feel that Rovio can't come up with any new ideas for games, so they have to rip off games from other developers, and I really dislike that.


In my opinion it's one of the better match-3 games I've played. The fact that you have a short period of time to boost your bird while being sabotaged by your opponents before each fight is genius.

Pros:
  • Solid online play with people around the world
  • Decent reward system for players through tournaments, special fights, and random items given after fights
  • Slot items can sometimes really tip the scales in a player's favour, and it's always nice when that person is you
  • You can join other players to battle monster pigs and both reap the rewards
Cons:
  • You need to be online to play
  • You're at mercy of people who have special slot items that give them an edge
  • There are timers for the energy recharge you need to continue fighting

The fact that it's the Angry Birds franchise may cause people to skip past it without giving it a fair chance, but it's a solid game that has a lot going for it.


I hope this isn't as bad as Angry Birds Epic or or the racing one, whatever it was called.

Angry Birds Go and get people to pay loads of money?


Well, we've finally made it to the point where even Rovio can't make an original game any more.

The original Angry Birds series and Bad Piggies were all great Rovio games, but now Rovio has started adopting other popular genres and putting a big Angry Birds stamp on each.

The game has the typical free-to-play system with energy bars and gems, but we kinda saw that coming. The unskippable cinematics between some levels are sometimes really annoying too.

While the match-3 puzzler gameplay itself is quite fun, it didn't really impress me overall. It's just too generic. They did add a nice twist with the fighting mechanism, though.


Another match-3 game on the App Store? That's exactly what it didn't need. In my opinion, Rovio should have stuck to what they do best - catapulting birds at large structures.

This isn't the worst match-3 game out there, but it'll never have me playing it for hours on end. I don't particularly like these games as I find them too repetitive and unimaginative.

You match three birds to level up your bird so you can fight another character in a small battle. However, these battles appear to be completely random, and I've found myself wondering how damage is calculated.

Rovio do try to keep each session to no longer than a minute though. This means by the time you are getting bored with matching three, you can finish and upgrade your character. Still though, this isn't enough to keep me hooked by a longshot.

Originally I thought 'Oh no, yet another matching game? Not again!' but it's not that bad. Being able to equip your birds with items still adds a fun aspect to an average game overall.


I'm hard to please when it comes to match-3 games, and only one game has ever held my interest: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords.

Angry Birds Fight! is now the second one to hold my attention, albeit with some gripes. I really hate the energy system - I wish it were just a premium game.

The flip side is that it's fast-paced, calls for a sense of strategy, and has some pretty cool, if slightly imbalanced, RPG elements.

I'm sure I'll find myself playing this on and off when I need to kill some time during my breaks at work.


Not another match 3 game! Come on people, this dead horse has been flogged enough now! So much so that I can't believe Rovio actually put in a tutorial at the start on how to play.

I've played a few rounds but the game. So far, everything looks good and the mechanics work well. The energy system is a pain, but this is free-to-play so you kind of know what to expect with it.


I'm torn on this one. The online aspect here is unique. You play other, real people and try to win. There are also tons of items and quirky weapons to collect. Angry Birds Fight! is totally fine. Rovio makes games that work and look pretty.

The energy system is just the worst though. Six fights in and then you have to wait an hour for a full recharge. Not so fun when each match lasts only 45 seconds.

If I had the choice between match-3 battlers that were premium without timers (Super Glyph Quest, Hero Emblems, You Must Build a Boat, et al) and free-to-play match-3s with timers... I would go with the premium ones every time.

The timer here seems incredibly intrusive, slowing down what is otherwise some pretty fun gameplay. It also feels like it'll turn into a cash grab.

I like Rovio and enjoy their spin on things. I have been playing Angry Birds Epic since the day it came out. I will undoubtedly play this for a while, but I don't see it staying on my phone too long.


Yes, the gameplay here is almost identical to most other match-3 puzzlers, but the inclusion of PvP battles makes the Angry Birds Fight a lot more interesting. It brings out my competitive side, wanting to beat my opponents and get a high winning streak.

One thing to point out is that this free-to-play title includes not one, but two separate energy meters, along with the usual premium currency and advert bonuses. These inclusions do hinder what I found to be a fun and enjoyable, but also shallow and repetitive game.


Angry Birds Fight! really isn't the game Angry Birds fans were asking for. It is just another boring match-3 puzzle game with a popular theme, which is frankly exploiting the franchise.

Let's face it, adding a little bit of story and a "fighting" element doesn't exactly help bring originality. It plays fine, but it's nothing new.

If Rovio isn't able to create an original game concept they still shouldn't drop to this level of genericness.


I tried to ignore that this is yet another Angry Birds game as I'm a huge fan of the Puzzle Quest games.

After playing a few levels and PvP mode I found myself having fun, and I don't feel pressured into buying any gems either. It's just a quick, inoffensive match-3 game.


Angry Birds Fight! is okay. Not as enthralling as a lot of other match-3 puzzlers out there. It's more of a dumbed-down Puzzle & Dragons.

I've not hit the paywalls yet as I did with Angry Birds Go! and Angry Birds Epic, so that's good.


I usually hate Angry Birds, but I'm loving this one.

The battles and animation are very good compared to other Angry Birds games. Luck plays a big part in Angry Birds Fight!, but it's still very balanced.

I couldn't find any IAP that would remove the timers, which was a downer for me because I much prefer one-time payments.


This is a button-mashing match-3 game. To me, match-3 games should be relaxing and occasionally challenging. This is neither. The game keeps telling me what move to make next, even without my asking.

I don't need the game's help, and it guides me to the point that I may as well go on Twitch and watch someone else play it.

The timer is not great either - it just makes me feel like I have to rush while playing. It's a good idea, but it's not implemented well.


After playing the breath of fresh air that was You Must Build A Boat, I can only be disappointed by this release.

Rovio continues to shoot itself in the foot copying common forms of mobile games. I want the Rovio back that created Bad Piggies, not this generic mess!

The App Army have spoken! If you'd like to sign up, please have a gander at our App Army application article. Did you pick up Angry Birds Fight!? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments below!
Danny Russell
Danny Russell
After spending years in Japan collecting game developers' business cards, Danny has returned to the UK to breed Pokemon. He spends his time championing elusive region-exclusive games while shaking his fist at the whole region-locking thing.