Review: Breakout Beyond for Nintendo Switch

Okay, so there’s this game, Breakout Beyond. Kinda takes the brick-breaking thing and… well, stretches it out, literally. Like, imagine longer playfields. It’s fun—I mean, if you’re into that sorta thing. The catch? You gotta unlock a bunch of stuff. Some might bounce right outta there, bored to bits. But, there are those (like me, maybe) who just keep grabbing that paddle. Especially if they aren’t flying solo. Yep, bring a pal. It changes everything.

Honestly, the co-op play is the real gem. It’s funny, when I kicked off playing alone, I was like, “Eh, alright.” But then, my wife joined, and boom, it was like a new game. Just check the leaderboards—I’m probably a rare case there, but more on that later. First, you gotta do this thing called “voyage.”

In voyage mode, you’re like an alchemist, collecting bombs, jazzing up your paddle and the balls, nudging the speed down a notch if you want (but your score will take a hit). The game ramps up big time after a few levels, especially solo. But it’s got this “just one more try” vibe that hooks you. Messing with paddle sensitivity? Do it. Too high or low, and you’re done. There are 72 levels (yep, seventy-two!), and let me tell ya, I had that “must complete all” itch. Still, you gotta go through them in order. Like, seriously.

The look and feel of Breakout Beyond stays true to the classics but adds some snazzy bits. Think “Procedural audio and visual effects”—sounds fancy, right? The more you rock, the crazier it gets. Also, thumbs up for letting me tweak the music and sound separately. Much needed!

Now, let’s talk about all this unlocking business. Not having stuff like infinite mode or the original arcade version right away? Questionable call, man. It’s like they want you to put in the grind first. Could’ve used all that upfront, you know, for practice and variety. At least they’ve got the leaderboards split into global, friends, and modes. My wife and I, we’re topping the co-op charts, but maybe that just means everyone else is going solo.

Breaking bricks is ageless fun, but Choice Provisions nearly dropped the ball by gating content. Still, they pulled it off, somehow. Testament to both their knack for this and the classic game they’re building on.