Rovio revealed Wednesday that the next entry in the company's massively popular "Angry Birds" franchise would be, of all things, a role-playing game — complete with swords, armor, magic and turn-based combat.
"Angry Birds Epic" promises adventure, strategy and a crafting system where you make your own weapons and armor — no doubt where the inevitable in-app purchases will make their home. A teaser trailer is available, but gaming blog Kotaku has more substantial info from Rovio.
It's quite a shift from the bird-flinging action of the original series and the "Mario Kart"-like antics of "Angry Birds Go!" — but diversifying may be a good thing. After all, you can only make the same game so many times, and people have embraced the Angry Birds brand in everything from toys to theme parks.
Whether the magic of the original will survive the transplant into such a strange new genre will only be clear once the game is released. An early iOS-only version will debut in Canada and Australia this week, and a worldwide launch on more platforms will take place later in the year.
