Breakout Beyond | Xbox Review

I’m a child of the 80s who grew up with the original Breakout on the Atari 2600. It spawned countless other games of its kind since its release in 1976, and became a staple of classic games. Atari is no stranger to reinvigorating their classic titles. NeoSprint, Lunar Lander Beyond, and Yars’: Recharged are just a few examples of the video game giant breathing new life into games of yesteryear. The latest entry is Breakout Beyond from developer Choice Provisions. It somewhat literally flips the script of the original and provides a fresh take on a tried-and-true gameplay style and even adds a cooperative element for added fun. You might be surprised by just how challenging it can be, but it’s worth visiting, especially if you grew up with the original.

Back & Forth, Not Up & Down

The most notable change with Breakout Beyond is the fact that the orientation is completely different. Back in the day, Breakout had us moving a platform on the bottom of the screen attempting to break bricks at the top. This time around, your platforms are on the left of the screen with the bricks coming from the right side. If this seems familiar, you probably played Shatter on Steam.

Additionally, your goal isn’t to clear every single brick, but instead to get at least one ball past a designated line to complete the stage. This is a refreshing change for the original formula, since you’re not spending time trying to get the proper angle on that one piece that simply won’t go away.

You’ll also have several power-ups at your disposal. Some might add additional balls to the area, create an explosion, or even give your paddle lasers to take out more bricks. The further you make your way through stages, the more power-ups become available. At the beginning of each stage, you can choose which ones will be available on the board, allowing for a bit of strategy.

The Multi-Colored Brick Road

Breakout Beyond is way more difficult than I expected. Admittedly, this is due to the fact that there isn’t a an option to play the game with a rotary knob, like in the arcade. Even the Atari 2600 had a paddle control for precision play. Unfortunately, there’s not even an option to use the D-pad on a modern controller. Using the joystick feels a bit unnatural, as it doesn’t give you the control you’d like. With that said, the game includes the option to pull a trigger that will slow down the action to allow for precise shots. The downside, however, is that this lowers your score multiplier. It’s fine if you’re simply trying to get through each stage, but if you’re looking to top a high score, you’ll want to keep the game as challenging as possible.

I found myself very frustrated by the difficulty of the game early on. Believe it or not, there’s an element of luck when it comes to clearing certain stages. Despite simply bouncing balls back into the play area, you’ll create chaotic explosions that are glorious to witness. It just never feels like I had a lot to do with the success, and it depends so much on how the ball bounces. At first, I couldn’t even get past the fourth level and nearly gave up.

Then I played the game in co-op with my producer, Kevin. This is a game-changer and where I found the most enjoyment with Breakout Beyond. Obviously, having the second paddle somewhat doubles the possible amount of space you have to defend the left side of the screen. But on top of that, it’s a ton of fun enjoy the chaos with a buddy, and this is the best way to enjoy this game. The two of us laughed harder than I ever expected to while playing a brick-breaking game.

Breakout Beyond Final Verdict

Breakout Beyond is a fun update to a classic that will probably offer a much greater challenge than you might think. The insane moments of upheaval are a joy to witness, even if you don’t quite feel responsible for them. I do wish it were a bit more accessible in single-player, but perhaps console isn’t the best place to play. Using a mouse on PC might make this a bit easier. Even still, co-op with a controller is hilarious fun that makes it worth the price of admission, if you have someone to sit on the couch with you.

Also, every single sound you hear in Breakout Beyond was put together by our good friend, Grant Henry (a.k.a. Stemage), who also composed all of the music for our podcast. I’m obviously a bit biased, but I enjoyed how well the sound complemented the gameplay without every becoming overwhelming.

To hear me talk more about Breakout Beyond, be sure to listen to our March 27th episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 43:19 time stamp.

This review is based on an Xbox copy of Breakout Beyond provided by Uber Strategist for review purposes. It’s also available on PlayStation, Switch, PC, and Atari VCS.