Peggle 2

To start off I have to admit that I like the idea of putting some serious time into a puzzle game and mastering it with dreams of score board domination always feels like a credible idea but the reality is the fun always wears off after a few hours of play and the game is relegated back to my digital archive soon to be forgotten. That was until I downloaded Pop Caps Peggle 2 of course!

The first thing that grabs you with this game is the easy on the eye graphics and the familiar as well as spectacularly catchy theme tune. This is a welcome and pleasant change from all the explosions and tense wheel to wheel action my Xbox One has been experiencing so far.  So for those of you that aren't up to date on the whole Peggle thing the premise sounds quite simple, aim and fire small bouncy balls at the pegs with the aim to rid the screen of the pesky orange pegs. Think it’s that easy? Well think again!

In the first few levels you will have your hand held by a rainbow touting unicorn but as soon as he’s out of the picture it’s down to business with another group of quirky characters. Now these guys and gals each bring something different to Peggle 2. Each level has two green pegs buried in the puzzle and when they are triggered by the bouncing ball the next shot will have a power assist based on what character you are using which can help with the mission at hand. There are also two purple pegs that move around after every shot taken but if you manage to snag one these it will give you a score multiplier for every peg eliminated that turn. And at the bottom of the screen is a receptacle that is moving from side to side and if you are lucky enough or have the skills to get the ball into that after a turn you will be rewarded with a free ball.

Like I said this all sounds easy but as the levels progress the difficulty does increase as well as the amount of orange pegs that need to be cleared up but it never gets to the point of being unbeatable. It just adds a nice edge to the whole experience and believe me it keeps you going for more. What I did forget to mention is the brilliant fanfare that erupts when the final orange peg has been taken out and if you had been thinking “that was my last round for now” its soon replaced with “I will just have one more” and that is the magic of Peggle 2.

On closing I will say this is a must own for anybody with a Xbox One as it’s a welcome change to the carnage the other release titles offer and gives you a game to kick back and relax with. I would have liked to see a few more levels included but seeing as the orange peg placement moves on every stage when its replayed it has a unique way of changing up and keeping you aiming for those high scores and 180 rainbows that need collecting. And it won’t be relegated to my digital archives anytime soon thats for sure!

David Birch (@Remedylive)