'Badland 2' makes surprise appearance in iTunes App Store

In a move that no one saw coming, “Badland 2” is now available on the iTunes App Store for US$3.99 (AU$5.60). The game is the sequel to the critically acclaimed “Badland,” which makes the stealth release even more surprising, considering the fan base that the mobile game has had over the years.

Since this is a sequel, there are some new changes that fans might appreciate. According to Pocket Gamer, players can now fly in any direction, thanks to the new two-touch controls. The previous game only let players move forward and backward with one-touch controls.

Just like in the previous game, mobile gamers will still have to traverse through numerous “bad lands” and reach the end of the level. These lands have multiple traps to evade and new routes to explore, now that the sequel lets the player move in all directions.

Flying isn’t the only option of travel either, as the game introduces a new rolling character that moves along various surfaces. It will be interesting to see how different this character plays from the standard flying one from the previous game, though that flying character is still in the sequel.

“Badland 2” is single-player only, just like its predecessor, but the game will have a few events and challenges that will have online scores, as noted by Eurogamer. Players can challenge their friends and see who has the best score or time, depending on the challenge.

The developers in Frogmind are also already working on multiple updates that will add new levels to explore in the game. These new levels will supposedly have new elements and features, which should be pleasing to hear for fans of the title.

The original “Badland” became so popular that a “Game of the Year” edition was released for the PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Wii U earlier this year. Considering that the sequel has already garnered a few positive reviews, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if the sequel eventually comes to consoles as well.