Breakout: Recharged
- February 10, 2022
- Adamvision Studios
Chances are, you’ve played Breakout before, or at least one of the hundreds of replicas it has spawned over the years.
"Breakout: Recharged" reimagines the classic brick-breaking game with refined control, modern visuals, and 50 challenge levels. Gather power-ups like rail guns and homing missiles to conquer tough challenges and climb global leaderboards. Its endless arcade mode and special bricks for power-ups offer endless excitement and replayability.
Reviews
- Breakout: Recharged modernizes the classic gameplay while maintaining its challenging nature, making it a fun experience for fans of arcade games.
- The game features a variety of modes and challenges, including co-op play, which adds depth and replayability.
- The visuals and sound design are engaging, with bright colors and a catchy soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
- Some players find the control options limited, with a lack of customization for key bindings and sensitivity settings.
- The game's pacing can feel inconsistent, with some modes being less engaging and the ball dynamics sometimes leading to frustrating gameplay.
- There are reports of minor bugs and clunky menu navigation, which detracts from the overall polish of the game.
- graphics14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a unique blend of an 80s outrun aesthetic and psychedelic geometric visuals, creating an engaging and fun experience. While some players appreciate the modernized visuals as a tribute to classic Atari games, others note that they don't quite match the quality of similar titles like "Shatter." Overall, the graphics are described as simple yet appealing, with a solid performance that complements the gameplay.
“The odd outrun 80's aesthetic mixed with a bit of psychedelic geometric visuals really makes playing this game a fun time no matter what.”
“As far as brick-breaker games go, this one ticks all the boxes - great visuals, sound, gameplay & value for money.”
“Graphics and sound, top notch, absolutely no complaints, and the mouse control is spot on.”
“The graphics do not have the glorious vector look that some of the other recharged games have.”
“The music and aesthetics can't compare to games like Shatter or Kirby's Block Ball, but the gameplay is less defensive and repetitive.”
“Graphics: upper side of adequate.”
- music9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by urgent electronic tracks that enhance the gameplay experience, although it may not reach the heights of titles like Shatter or Kirby's Block Ball. Reviewers praise the soundtrack by Megan McDuffie as catchy and fitting for the genre, contributing positively to the game's overall appeal, especially with the addition of power-ups that add to the fun. Overall, the music is described as very good and well-suited to the game's pace.
“The feeling of the game's pace is reinforced with urgent-sounding electronic background music, moving visuals displayed behind the gameplay, and the slick and smooth way that the player's paddle moves along the bottom of the playfield.”
“Also, Megan McDuffee delivers another killer soundtrack.”
“The power-ups add a fun element, and the music is perfect.”
“The music and aesthetics can't compare to games like Shatter or Kirby's Block Ball, but the gameplay is less defensive and repetitive.”
“This recharged version makes the game more accessible to younger players who may not be interested in the original, sans power-ups or music.”
“Also, Megan McDuffie with another killer soundtrack.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a fast-paced experience enhanced by electronic music and smooth paddle movement, offering a less defensive and more engaging approach than traditional brick-breaker games. It features unique mechanics, cooperative play, and various upgrades, making it a well-rounded option for fans of the genre, despite minor control issues. Overall, it successfully combines classic arcade elements with modern enhancements, providing good value for players.
“The feeling of the game's pace is reinforced with urgent-sounding electronic background music, moving visuals displayed behind the gameplay, and the slick and smooth way that the player's paddle moves along the bottom of the playfield.”
“As far as brick-breaker games go, this one ticks all the boxes - great visuals, sound, gameplay, and value for money.”
“I recommend breakout if you're looking for classic arcade gameplay with modern elements.”
“The music and aesthetics can't compare to games like Shatter or Kirby's Block Ball, but the gameplay is less defensive and repetitive.”
“They managed to bolster the play mechanics with upgrades, but not turn it into Arkanoid (not that Arkanoid is a bad thing).”
“When it comes to breakout, the gameplay will always be timeless.”
- story1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story is engaging and features enjoyable missions, with a mix of fun and challenging elements that enhance the overall experience.
“The missions are great fun, with some being quite challenging.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players have noted that the game's replayability is diminished due to the predictable spawning of bricks in the same locations upon each restart, making it less engaging compared to other titles.
“One thing I don't like about the game is that bricks spawn in the same spot every time you restart, which decreases replay value more than in other games, in my opinion.”
“The lack of variety in level design makes it feel repetitive after just a few playthroughs.”
“Once you've completed the game, there’s little incentive to go back since the experience remains unchanged.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including buggy menus, prolonged game over screens, and problematic mechanics like erratic bullets and ineffective power-ups, leading to a less polished experience than anticipated.
“There's a lot more jank beyond that, like buggy menus, lengthy game over screens, buggy bullets, bad power-ups, etc. Suffice to say that the game is not nearly as polished as I expected it to be.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I encountered numerous glitches that disrupted my gameplay experience, from freezing screens to unresponsive controls.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly without any reported issues.
“It runs smoothly too, without any issues.”
“The optimization is top-notch, making gameplay seamless.”
“I appreciate how well the game performs on lower-end systems.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
In "Breakout Recharged," players experience a blend of skill and luck that creates a balanced challenge, motivating them to grind for higher scores while navigating moments of frustration.
“Breakout Recharged is a combination of skill and luck, which creates just enough challenge and frustration to keep you grinding your way up the high score list.”
“The grinding in this game feels endless and often tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I found the grinding mechanics to be overly repetitive, which detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
Critic Reviews
Breakout: Recharged review
The problem with Breakout: Recharged is being asked to pay the thick end of a tenner for something that doesn’t re-invent the wheel, and can be experienced better elsewhere. Sadly it just represents poor value.
50%Breakout Recharged (Nintendo Switch)
While there is fun to be had with Breakout Recharged, I really can’t suggest you go out and buy it at lunch. At $10 the game is simply overpriced and not worth your time. When the game is finally on sale, that would be the best time to experience this version of Breakout. Otherwise there’s a really good Atari Flashback Collection on Switch, which is a much better investment to enjoy these classic games.
40%Breakout: Recharged Review
Chances are, you’ve played Breakout before, or at least one of the hundreds of replicas it has spawned over the years.
80%