BrickBreaker Review. Giving New Life to The ‘80s

BrickBreaker draws from the brick games popular in the ‘80s and ‘90s. All you need to do is break bricks, but the plot thickens just as cockiness starts to set in. In the end, it might seem impossible to win more difficult levels, but you’ll also be surprised by some of your great results.

Graphics: 4.5

BrickBreaker is the perfect depiction of how a 2D environment can be magically brought to life. It reminds me of the magic of Bejeweled 3. The game brings a new action on your screen backed by a powerful console that gives the background 2D a fiery effect, with glaring flame balls, differently colored balls and an array of other niceties that you wouldn’t think possible if you ever played this game two decades ago.

Gameplay: 5.0

In typical block-breaker fashion, the objective of this game is simple: break every last block that you see on your screen. The physics of the game come alive and make you feel like you really are in a universe of your surreal breaking blocks. As you move up the various levels, the paddle you’re straddling needs to keep up with the fast-moving balls. Occasionally, a power-up may send your screen into a collision of fireballs, and you may feel a rush of excitement as you battle to predict the next landing spot of the ball. I do laud the algorithm behind the game physics, as it simulates an actual trajectory environment perfectly.

You can play either in Arcade mode which sees you moving up through stages tracking your stats or in Survival mode where you get five lives for each stage. Lower levels need you to clear blocks with a single hit, while you may need two or more hits to clear blocks as you progress.

Controls: 5.0

The controls are perfect for this simple game. Moving the paddle in either left or right direction is the only requirement, and you don’t have to master any complex controls. On the flip side, having a 2D rendered game on Xbox makes this game a joy to play, assuming your console doesn’t drop frames. It makes some of the seemingly impossible tasks fathomable so that you’ll give them a go even if defeat is inevitable.

Replay Value: 4.5

I don’t believe the game is impossibly hard. I think it is a typical brick game and some of the speeds, though not humanly possible to achieve, are based on the physics of the game. Although the initial levels are a bit slow, progressing through the game ramps up the speed, and you need to work harder and with more strategy to keep yourself longer in the game. You can play in arcade or survival modes, and you can also opt for local co-op.

Conclusion

I think this game gives block-breaking the comeback it deserves, and the developers did manage to create an amazing visual experience with all the on-screen flare. Some of the levels are difficult, and you may serve your heart better if you just soak all the defeat in with good cheer. The gameplay is simple, and you can immediately check into your primary objective, which is to keep the ball in play.