Rovio’s birds go on an adventure to the land of Bubble Witch Saga 2

Angry Birds POP is a change of pace for Stella, the lovely, pink bird, and her gang of friends. While they remain as boisterous as ever, here they kill pigs by exploding bubbles of the same color. This match-3 is evocative of the most famous witch of all: Bubble Witch Saga 2.

A bubble party

After flirting with RPGs and trying to imitate Mario Kart, the famous feathered heroes have made their way into a bubble shooter spin-off of the popular Angry Birds saga. Gameplay involves flinging bubbles towards the ceiling to match them with others of the same color. These bubbles will then pop and kill the pigs nestled within.

There are a range of different tasks you need to perform to level up. These vary from bringing the pigs down onto the screen, releasing bubbles around them, or reaching the top level of bubbles. These tasks are exactly like those in Bubble Witch Saga 2, from which Angry Birds POP clearly takes its inspiration.

Don’t stop until it goes pop

Gameplay in Angry Birds POP is very simple. Grab some colored bubbles and launch them skywards with the slingshot. You get a set number of shots for each level.

The bubbles bounce off the walls, so your strategy should encompass rebound shots. As with most games of the genre, you have a guideline that helps you get the trajectory of your shot just right. Power ups are also on hand to help you eliminate more bubbles in less shots.

Unlike the earlier Angry Birds games, you have a limited number of attempts. You can regain these either by waiting for the in-game timer to tick down or through in-app purchases, so nothing too surprising.

Aesthetically, Angry Birds POP has the same style as most Rovio games: bright colors, artistic backgrounds, and lovable characters. But it’s pretty clear that the game is trying to emulate Bubble Witch Saga 2, with the ball design and colors all very similar to that of the King title.

A lack of originality from Rovio

In Angry Birds saga spin offs we’ve seen so far, Rovio has shown just enough originality. While RPG and karting aren’t new genres, Angry Birds Epic and Go! at least felt fresh and original.

Angry Birds POP, however, does just not cut it. Although it can be difficult to inject some innovation and originality into a well-oiled genre like bubble shooters, Rovio could at least have brought some new ideas to the table that set the game apart from the competition. But that isn’t the case here.