Angry Birds 2 Flies To Top Of iOS App Charts

Just in case you thought that Rovio had run out of Angry Birds magic, that sensation you’re feeling right now is one of those birds tapping you on the shoulder and begging you to differ. Angry Birds 2, the actual sequel to the original game that came only after its creators had seemingly taken the franchise in every other imaginable direction, is a smashing success, at least in its first few days of release.

Upon hitting the App Store on July 30, Angry Birds 2 flew immediately to the top of the free app charts for both iPhone and iPad. That’s significant not only because of the natural curiosity over whether Rovio would be able to recapture the same magic, but also because this sequel is free while the original was a paid app.

As such, it relies on some monetization tactics that other successful games have honed to a fine art in the time since the original Angry Birds first took flight. We’re talking about titles like King’s Candy Crush Saga, which replenished gamers’ lives over time or asked them to pay to get more immediately.

Banking on the impatience of some players has been a winning strategy for more than one F2P game, so it’s not entirely surprising to see Angry Birds 2 go this route. And to be fair, the in-game currency needed to purchase more lives can also be acquired through gameplay (in modest amounts, of course) and by watching videos.

That definitely hasn’t stopped some people from paying, as Angry Birds 2 has also quickly ascended into the top 100 highest-grossing apps as well. It will be interesting to see if it has staying power, as new releases have been in a bit of a lull on the charts on the whole, and build-and-battle titles like Clash of Clans and Game of War seem to be able to fend off all but very brief challenges to their top-grossing supremacy.

As for what’s different about Angry Birds 2 from its predecessor other than several years worth of graphical improvements, here’s a quick list of new features:

Collect and choose your own birds, build your flock and master new slingshot strategies to discover new and amazing worlds on Piggy Island
Play through jaw-droppingly stunning multi-stage levels brimming with exotic plants, quirky details and plenty of peril
Use spectacular spells to pop the pigs with blizzards, chilis and magic ducks for maximum destruction
Defeat the new end-of-stage evil boss piggies — such as the infamous King Pig, Foreman Pig and Chef Pig — to discover new worlds and get the eggs back from the baddies
For once and for all, settle who is the best and most hardcore Angry Birds player in the world by entering the Arena. Here you can challenge other players across the world and earn feathers to level up your flock.
Earn Gems for extra birds, lives and tickets by playing the game and completing quests, and by watching videos or paying with real money.