New Angry Birds AR Game Announced For iOS

Angry Birds developer Rovio has announced a new game in its popular bird-flinging franchise. Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs, the series' first-ever step into augmented reality, is coming exclusively to iOS devices in late spring, with pre-orders now live in the App Store.

Like other Angry Birds games, the object of Isle of Pigs is to slingshot your small flock of birds at increasingly complex block towers, toppling them over and crushing the pigs lurking within. The game is divided up into four themed worlds and is "initially launching with at least 40 levels," according to Rovio, suggesting more may be on the way.

Where Isle of Pigs differs from most other Angry Birds games is that it reinterprets the series' gameplay in a 3D space. Using Apple's ARKit technology, the game overlays the levels onto your surroundings, making them appear as though they were in the real-world. You still drag your finger on the screen to draw the slingshot back and fire your birds, but like the series' VR spin-off, you'll be doing so from a first-person perspective rather than a side-on view.

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The AR tech also allows you to get a 360-degree view of each level. You can maneuver your iPhone or iPad around to better angle your shots, and many levels feature explosive blocks and other items hidden around the back, encouraging you to play around with the angle in order to clear the stages in as few shots as possible.

Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs will be free to download when it launches, with optional in-app purchases. The game will be compatible with any iOS device that supports ARKit, meaning it can run on iPhone 6 and newer models, as well as fifth- and sixth-generation iPads and all iPad Pro devices.