Ionball 2: Ionstorm

About

Ionball 2: Ionstorm is an arcade-style game with 3D graphics, offering a modern twist on classics like Breakout and Arkanoid. Players can battle through 60 levels and 3 boss levels, facing a variety of enemies with unique abilities. Upgrades such as machine-gun and rail-gun enhancements add an extra layer of excitement to this fast-paced, action-packed ball game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 309 reviews

graphics30 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game features impressive graphics and a vibrant sci-fi aesthetic that enhances the overall experience.
It offers a variety of power-ups and upgrades, adding depth and strategy to the classic breakout gameplay.
The fast-paced action and challenging levels provide an engaging experience for fans of the genre.

Mouse controls are frustratingly unresponsive, with a significant dead zone that makes precise movements nearly impossible.
The overwhelming visual effects can obscure the ball, making it difficult to track during gameplay.
The game lacks proper controller support and has a confusing menu system, detracting from the overall user experience.

graphics
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
46%
9%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their modern, vibrant design and impressive effects, with many noting the appealing 3D visuals and textures. However, several users express frustration with the overwhelming visual clutter, which can obscure gameplay elements like the ball, leading to difficulties in tracking it during fast-paced action. Some players recommend adjusting the graphics settings to minimize effects for a smoother experience, indicating that while the graphics are visually appealing, they can detract from overall playability.
- “The game looks okay from a graphical point of view, but it’s a little cluttered; there’s just too much going on with the effects and explosions that you will easily lose track of your ball and lose a life.”
- “This happy Arkanoid ripoff has full 3D graphics, nice textures, decent effects, runs great in 4K, and even has a storyline/campaign mode as well as a more authentic arcade mode, and even controller customizability and of course native keyboard and mouse support.”
- “Outstanding graphics, sounds, and a pulse-pounding musical score complement the well-animated enemy designs.”
- “In the graphics, I would have preferred it to have a little bit less 'glares'; sometimes the ball gets hidden behind all those lights, and then when you see the ball, it's too late to catch it.”
- “The game looks okay from a graphical standpoint, but it’s a little cluttered; there’s just too much going on with the effects and explosions that you will easily lose track of your ball and lose a life.”
- “All the fancy graphics, while very well done, are so flashy that it's hard for me to keep track of the ball.”
music
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
40%
6%
The music in the game is generally well-received, featuring a mix of electronic, metal, dubstep, and trance that complements the fast-paced gameplay and vibrant visuals. While many players appreciate the energetic soundtrack and its ability to enhance the gaming experience, some find it repetitive or not to their taste, particularly the dubstep elements. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, though opinions on its originality and variety vary among players.
- “Music suits well for the game (a mix of electronic music and metal).”
- “The music is absolutely perfect for this game.”
- “Great music, awesome graphics, smooth gameplay and loads of replay value.”
- “But, apart from the soundtrack, the game has a very typical and not original 'space' aesthetic and gets too repetitive.”
- “I personally find the main menu music an annoyance and disturbing.”
- “The music is some annoying mix of one dubstep track and a bunch of crappy heavy metal, as if this game is trying to pander to the 'extreme' guys from Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, that get excited about extreme cheddar.”
gameplay
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
56%
8%
The gameplay is generally praised for its imaginative mechanics, rewarding experience, and fun arcade style, with many noting the engaging power-ups and visuals. However, some players find it frustrating due to complicated mechanics, a cluttered screen, and a lack of balance, particularly in boss levels. Overall, while the game offers a thrilling and nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic brick-breaker and pinball, it struggles with certain design choices that can detract from the enjoyment.
- “Levels have lots of different mechanics, robots, portals, and stuff; quite imaginative.”
- “Gameplay is very rewarding, and if you don't have much time to launch a massive title, this one is just excellent to fill spare time.”
- “Great music, awesome graphics, smooth gameplay, and loads of replay value.”
- “Unlockables affect gameplay negatively at times.”
- “The campaign ends on a sudden death mechanic; the balance of things feels off.”
- “The physics feel wrong, the gameplay area is too constricted, the screen gets too cluttered, and, most annoyingly, the ball is often obscured by either the falling bonuses or pieces of the exploding aliens/bricks.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The game's story is considered minimal and simplistic, with a basic introduction sequence and a campaign mode that lacks depth. Players noted that while there is a narrative element involving a mission to infiltrate a space station, the overall storyline is bland and not a significant focus of the gameplay.
- “This happy Arkanoid ripoff has full 3D graphics, nice textures, decent effects, runs great in 4K, and even has a storyline/campaign mode as well as a more authentic arcade mode, and even controller customizability and of course native keyboard and mouse support.”
- “"Endless survival" and story mode.”
- “The bat is not just some boring grey line, but a bow-like laser thing on a mission to infiltrate a space station.”
- “Pretty simple game, just bounce a ball into stuff and press a button to activate powers, not much to it, no real storyline just a little intro sequence introducing the map.”
- “Awkward mechanics and a very bland story.”
- “The game features 'endless survival' and a story mode, but neither is engaging.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The game, developed in Unity, suffers from notable performance issues, particularly with paddle mechanics and frame rates, especially on standard HDDs. While the problems are not game-breaking, players recommend setting graphics to minimum for a more playable experience, indicating a need for further optimization and polish.
- “The game is made in the Unity engine and has some performance issues, but nothing game-breaking or intolerable.”
- “The technical level could use improvement, as the game occasionally hangs while audio plays. It needs polish and optimizations.”
- “While SSDs may not experience significant performance issues, standard HDDs can make these problems more noticeable.”
- “Set everything to minimum ('fastest' and 'minimize fx'), otherwise it is unplayable due to graphical effects and poor FPS/optimization.”
- “Poor technical level; the game hangs here and there while audio plays, etc. It needs polish and optimizations.”
- “Paddle performance is just horrible.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it both funny and enjoyable for casual play. Many appreciate its nostalgic 90s vibe and the ability to switch camera views, enhancing the comedic experience. Overall, it is considered a great choice for a lighthearted gaming session.
- “This is a really great game! I really enjoy it; it's a funny game to chill with. 10/10! If someone doesn't like it because it's 3D, you can change the camera view.”
- “Funny game! :)”
- “The game is very funny and is perfect if you don’t know what to play for a few minutes.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game offers strong replayability, allowing players to start new games to improve scores and reduce deaths. With great music, impressive graphics, and numerous upgrades, it keeps the gameplay exciting and encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “Great music, awesome graphics, smooth gameplay, and loads of replay value.”
- “You can also opt to start a new game to try to raise your score higher and reduce your number of deaths. The replay value is good.”
- “The ball moves quickly, the explosions are a great distraction that makes it hard to follow the ball, and there are tons of upgrades to make the game exciting and give you different levels of replayability.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
While the game features impressive 3D graphics and runs smoothly in 4K, some users have reported stability issues, including occasional freezes at the end of levels that require a forced exit. Overall, the stability is generally good, but these glitches can disrupt gameplay.
- “This happy Arkanoid ripoff has full 3D graphics, nice textures, decent effects, runs great in 4K, and even has a storyline/campaign mode as well as a more authentic arcade mode, and even controller customizability and of course native keyboard and mouse support.”
- “I experienced freezes a few times at the end of a level, so I couldn't exit the level or do anything, and was forced to alt+F4.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress without losing progress.”
- “I encountered multiple bugs that caused the game to become unresponsive, requiring a restart.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised, characterized by its appealing visuals and engaging music that enhance the overall experience.
- “Very nice game with a beautiful atmosphere and captivating music.”