Gamescom 2012: Angry Birds Trilogy Hands-On Preview – I Believe I Can Fly

Angry Birds is huge. Over a billion downloads huge, so it was only a matter of time before the game made its way onto consoles. What we didn't expect however was a disc-based retail release with completely overhauled graphics and tailor-made controls. Clearly a straight-up port was deemed too quick and easy for Angry Birds Trilogy on consoles, so Rovio decided to make the three game collection a ground-up remake, essentially starting from scratch where the visuals and controls are concerned.

Apparently over a year in the making, Angry Birds Trilogy for consoles is presented in full 1080p HD with animated backgrounds replacing the static screens from the mobile versions of the game, as well as particle effects, smoke effects and so on. Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio are all included on the disc, while Angry Birds Space failed to make the cut as Angry Birds Trilogy was already in development before Space released. While some may question the decision to release the games on disc, Rovio is looking to provide as much value as it possibly can, with over 700 puzzles that the developer claims will offer more than 150 hours of gameplay.

Rovio is also keen to stress that this version of Angry Birds has been custom designed for consoles, with all-new art assets, controls honed for the control pad and support for PS Move motion controls. At its heart however, clearly Angry Birds Trilogy is the same game you've been enjoying on your iPhone, Android (or whatever you use) for years. The HD revamp certainly looks crisp and appealing, making going back to the original mobile version something of a step down, but the core gameplay is just as addictive and engaging as always.

Basic controls consist of pulling back the left analogue stick and letting go to ping your eponymous bird across the screen from the catapult, while hitting a button activates the birds' special ability, whether it's your yellow bird's zippy flying move or the tiny blue bird's dividing into three projectiles. The objective is still the same too, tasking you with toppling teetering wood, stone and glass structures to squash those pesky chattering green pigs. We didn't have the opportunity to sample the Move controls, but are assured that they'll be intuitive and fun.

In terms of extra content, Angry Birds Trilogy's visual overhaul is only the tip of the iceberg. Alongside the 700 or so puzzles, there's 19 brand new levels that are between two and four times the size of any of the games' existing puzzles, and a range of original concept art, drawings and bios of each bird dug up from the Angry Birds archives can be unlocked for your viewing pleasure. Each and every one of the games' puzzles also has leaderboard support to encourage some healthy competition among the community and your friends, while you can also play any level to gain a 'Mighty Eagle Score'. Holding the triangle button down destroys the map and you can then attempt the Mighty Eagle approach for a corresponding score. This essentially doubles the number of high scores you can go for, which ought to keep you playing for hours on end.

Holding down square resets the level at any time, meaning you can keep playing for high scores without any interruption, while using the shoulder buttons makes zooming in and out of a puzzle quick and easy. Evidently a lot of thought has gone into making Angry Birds work on PS3, but whether punters will want to fork out $39.99/£29.99 for what is for all intents and purposes three mobile games that you can purchase for less than the price of a sandwich, remains to be seen. Rovio is thinking ahead and obviously hoping for the best of course, with two DLCs already planned for the game. Angry Birds Trilogy is still good, clean fun and it looks and plays fantastically well, which Rovio and Activision will be hoping is enough to convince fans to part with their cash once more.

Angry Birds Trilogy will be flying in on September 25th, 2012.