Forget everything you thought you knew about Breakout – it’s time to go Beyond!
Choice Provisions (the minds behind the Bit.Trip series) and Atari have teamed up to reinvent the brick-breaking classic with Breakout Beyond, available now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, Atari VCS, and PC.
This isn’t just a fresh coat of paint; it’s a neon-drenched, sideways-scrolling, combo-fueled reimagining that will challenge your reflexes and your perception.
Priced at £12.49, Breakout Beyond flips the traditional Breakout formula on its side. Instead of bouncing a ball upwards to clear bricks, you’re now progressing horizontally, smashing through barriers and building up massive combos to reach the final goal.
The more bricks you break in quick succession, the more intense the visual and audio effects become, rewarding skilled players with a spectacular light show.
Breaking Bricks, Breaking Boundaries
We first heard about this a few weeks back, as detailed in our announcement piece, and the launch of Breakout Beyond offers 72 levels to test your skills, each presenting a unique puzzle to solve. You’ll encounter special blocks that grant powerful boosts, like explosive blasts, protective barriers, and even a laser cannon to carve a path through the chaos.
And if things get too hectic, you can activate “focus mode,” slowing down time to allow for more precise shots (at the cost of your score multiplier, of course). Or, if you prefer a bit of company, you can team up with a friend in local two-player co-op for double the brick-breaking mayhem.
Beyond the Basics: Endless Mode and Leaderboards
Once you’ve conquered the 72 levels, the challenge continues with an unlockable endless mode, complete with online global leaderboards. This is where you can truly test your skills and see how you stack up against the best Breakout Beyond players in the world.
A Legacy Recharged (and Revisited)
Breakout has a long and storied history, dating back to the 1976 arcade classic. We have seen several iterations of the formula, including 2022’s Breakout: Recharged. We gave Recharged a 3.5/5, praising its addictive nature: “One thing that Breakout: Recharged has over the others is that addictive nature to it. There is something immensely satisfying about clearing a set of bricks, and that will never get boring – no matter whether it is your first brick or number 10000. Few games can claim a legacy of nearly 50 years and still be relevant, but Breakout: Recharged is one of those.”
Breakout Beyond takes that addictive core gameplay and flips it on its head, offering a fresh and exciting new perspective.
Key Features to Break Through
- Sideways Action: A new perspective on the classic Breakout formula.
- 72 Challenging Levels: Each a unique puzzle to solve.
- Special Blocks: Explosive blasts, barriers, and laser cannons add strategic depth.
- Focus Mode: Slow down time for precision shots (but sacrifice your score).
- Local Co-op: Team up with a friend for double the brick-breaking fun.
- Endless Mode: Test your skills and climb the global leaderboards.
- Procedural Audio/Visual Effects: The more combos you rack up, the more intense the experience becomes.
Ready to Break the Mold?
Breakout Beyond is available now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. through the Xbox Store. You’ll also be able to pick it up on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, VCS and PC.
If you’re looking for a fresh take on a classic, or if you’re just craving some addictive, arcade-style action, this is definitely one to check out.
Prepare to break some bricks, build some combos, and experience Breakout like never before! And, you’ve guessed it, we’ll have a review for you soon.
Breakout Beyond Description
Breakout is back! Choice Provisions (Bit.Trip) has flipped the legendary series on its head. Or rather side. In this neon-drenched take on the classic, you’ll need to literally break through each puzzle by clearing bricks to breach the final goal. Longer play will rack up a combo and increase the intensity of the effects creating a spectacular light show as a reward for the most skilled players.
