(http://www.codecmoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Cost-of-a-Coffee-Logo-web.jpg)

In the latest episode of Cost of a Coffee, Professor Kelvin Harris and his Lab Assistant Brian are taking a good, hard look at Rovio's Angry Birds 2, which is available now for free on Android and iOS now.

(http://www.codecmoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Available_on_iTunes_Badge_US-UK_110x40_0824.png)  (http://www.codecmoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/stitcher-banner-120x90.jpg)  (http://www.codecmoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Tunein-Radio-Icon1.jpg)

 

(http://www.codecmoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/angry_birds_2_landscape-642x361.jpg)

He looks at the improvements that the spiritual successor (though not the sequential successor) to the original Angry Birds has made to the series and asks if they are a necessary iteration, or a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

The Prof also discusses the elephant in the room...  Not Dumbo as Brian believes, but the game's transition to a freemium model.  Here's a brief spoiler warning... the Prof doesn't think it's as bad a move as a lot of reviewers have been proclaiming.

Some might say that the official launch trailer alone is worth buying a couple of gems for...

https://youtu.be/175Bq3MSrWo

All in all Angry Birds 2 is an improvement on the original in the Prof's opinion and that the micro-transactions really aren't distracting enough to put of casual gamers with even an ounce of self-restraint.  If you want to know how he came to that opinion, then have a listen to the podcast in the player above, by downloading it here, or by using any podcatcher of your particular choosing.

If you want to suggest a game that costs less than a cappuccino for us to review, please don't hesitate to get in touch (https://www.twitter.com/profandbrian)!