It’s just a lot of fun to not have to worry about what’s going on in a game all the time; with an overly complicated story, tons of controls to learn, figuring out where to go next. That’s the tedious life of a gamer these days. Well, not so much in Ratloop’s Rocketbirds 2: Evolution on PlayStation 4 and PS Vita. What’s left is a linear, side scrolling 2D platform-shooter with ample humor.
Rocketbirds 2 comes at a great time this year as a number of games from last year’s holidays start becoming stale. Sure, a bunch of other bigger games have come out since then, but this game definitely gives some breathing room for those looking to take a break from heavy AAA games. Ratloop have put a lot of hard work into this sequel and it really pays off. Well, at least the first three chapters do, as those are the only levels that I can preview at this time.
This game has a distinct look of Cold War era Russia, with its steel grey walls, brick red flags flying proudly everywhere, and snow all over the ground. This is definitely a game that wants to pretend it’s serious. That is, until the chickens come out! Rocketbirds 2 focuses its comedic power over the use of many different avian creatures. Oh, and they’re armed and dangerous, and kind of cute.
"Level designs picked for this preview are standard fair for most 2D shooters. There really is not much of getting lost as the game does a great job in assisting every step of the way."
You’ll definitely get your fill of humor in this platformer– anything from birds talking in another room about your shooting style, to roosters gearing up with some comedy gold. These birds have you covered when it comes to laughs and a giving you a hilariously good time.
Starting out, you get two weapons: an assault rifle and a shotgun. Ammo isn’t hard to get and the shotgun has unlimited ammo, but isn’t very good, even up close. The left analog stick is used to traverse and the right analog to aim and shoot; the mechanics of the controls work very much in line with top-down shooters. I was having trouble at first using the left analog to move my bird around the level. The analog just feels too big for a 2D game. So I went into the controls and found out I could switch them for the D pad. After that, the controls felt perfect for this title. Shooting is as satisfying as it could be for a top-down shooter in a 2D platformer. It works, but you won’t be getting too gruesome in this funny game. There are a good variety of other types of weapons as well, but we won’t spoil any of that here.
Though, the controls are well suited for a game like this, it won’t be making everyone happy. The game is challenging and it takes time, patience and practice to do the objectives right. You need to figure out that running, jumping, shooting and aiming all at the same time is going to be standard fair going forward within just the first few minutes. It’s not a constant, grueling chore, but it does take time. Luckily, the checkpoints are always right around the corner.
Level designs picked for this preview are standard fair for most 2D shooters. There really is not much of getting lost as the game does a great job in assisting every step of the way.
"Rocketbirds 2 is shaping into a really solid 2D shooter platformer along with a funny story about birds going commando. This is definitely looking like a game that you should get your feathers on. "
Along with some zany sound effects that you’ll realize will only work in this type of game, there are the standard sounds of any shooter. Nothing special, but nothing of low quality. What caught my ear was the fantastic opening song in the main menu. It sounded like modern rock, so if this is the type of music that’s to be featured throughout the entire game then it will be a big boost to the game’s soundtrack.
What’s left after the hilarious bird antics, solid controls, and what feels like a build up to an excellent soundtrack? Nothing much, really. But there really doesn’t have to be. Rocketbirds 2 is extremely comfortable in its own shell (pun intended) just being what it is. Rocketbirds 2 is shaping into a really solid 2D shooter platformer along with a funny story about birds going commando. This is definitely looking like a game that you should get your feathers on.
This game was previewed on the PlayStation 4.
