opc magazine #4ThePlayers
PLATFORM: PS4 PUBLISHER: EA; DEVELOPER: PopCap Games; RELEASE DATE: 14 Oct 2014 That was EA going mad with excitement on stage at E3, over the news Peggle 2 was coming to Xbox One. Some people laughed and even a few gif’s started to spring up at the overhype for Peggle - I was not one of those people. I was both excited and sad. The sad part was knowing I’d have to wait to get it on the console of my choice - the PlayStation 4. Fast
Review: Peggle 2 Writer: hayzink
forward 1 year 7 months. Peggle 2 is finally upon us and I’m happy to say right off the bat, it delivers everything a Peggle fan might want (minus some of the much-loved Masters of the original). For those that aren’t quite sure what a game of Peggle entails, here is a quick run-down: - It’s a simple game where the aim is to use your 10 balls to clear all the orange pegs from the screen. - The screen is made up of pegs that are blue and orange with 2 green pegs for your special powers (more on that later), and 1 purple peg that changes position being a score boost. - As you clear the orange pegs you have a multiplier total
that can total to a maximum of 10 enabling you to score higher at the end of games. - Score over 25k points for a free ball (you can earn up to 3 free balls per shot) - As the game progresses bricks are added that make your ball react differently than pegs when bouncing, making you think about your shots a bit more and even pegs you must hit twice which again makes the levels harder. - Towards the end you also get pegs that are impossible to shoot straight at and instead have to use the bounce off other pegs or scenery to reach. Now that was the original Peggle, and all of those elements remain in the sequel. This time around they have ditched all of the old Masters apart from one, which actually does make the game feel fresh. All of the new Masters have their own powers, which depending on when you use them can help you get massive scores or reach those last few tricky blocks. I personally did not like the art style at first glance but it really started to grow on me, with touches such as Bjorn (a unicorn) farting rainbow dust sure to bring a chuckle. The backgrounds are also no longer static, but with your eyes being so focused on the addictive gameplay, you are unlikely to take much notice. There’s 60 normal levels in the base game with an additional 10 for each Master. Also another 10 levels at the end not tied to a specific Master (you can use any Master in any level once it’s cleared for the first time). Each level even has 3 challenges associated to it, with requirements such as; ‘clear all pegs’ or ‘win with 500,000 points’. After clearing the 10 normal levels you can then unlock the trials - again there are 10 for each Master. These can be pretty fun and are at times quite challenging with requirements like; ‘score below 125,000 points’ or ‘win without aiming lines’. Two downloadable content level packs have also been released for the game. The first welcomes the return of ‘Jimmy The Hamster’ from the original Peggle bringing along his ‘Multiball’ power. The other pack introduces ‘Windy’ a fairy who adds lots of purple bonus pegs to the screen for big scores. Each download pack adds 10 levels and 3 challenges per level with an additional 10 trial levels for each of the Masters in the main game. Said Masters can also be used in any level of the main game, once purchased. At just £1.99 each, they work out about the same cost as the Masters included with the main game. Peggle 2 is indeed a fantastic new addition to the series. And if you liked the original Peggle you will be sure to love this.
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Similarly if you are not a fan of Peggle, there is little on offer here that will change your mind - the bigger question should be, why don’t you like Peggle? 9/10