Review: Breakout Beyond (Nintendo Switch)

Breakout Beyond takes a time-honored gameplay formula and turns it sideways for longer playfields of brick-breaking action. It’s an entertaining way to pass the time, though much of the content needs to be unlocked. While some players may understandably grow bored with the game by that point, others will likely be willing to pick up their paddle time and again, especially if playing with a friend.

Yes, even more than the change of perspective, I think the two-player co-op is the main selling point. While I admittedly found myself eventually growing tired of playing solo initially, I was reinvigorated with my wife controlling a second paddle beside or behind mine. Based on the leaderboards, I may be in the minority, but more on that in a bit. Because before you can even access scores, you must tackle “voyage.”

In this mode, you unlock special bombs, power up your paddle and the balls, and even slow down the speed (for a point reduction). The latter will be needed, as the game can be tough beyond the first few levels, even more so if playing solo. But the game does succeed in delivering that “one more try” challenge. Just don’t hesitate to fiddle about with the sensitivity of your paddle, as a number too high or low can kill a good run. There are 72 levels, and my completionist leanings made me want to beat them all, though it’s not necessary. The game is still linear at heart, as you must beat levels systematically to unlock the next handful.

As for its presentation, Breakout Beyond stays true to the classic while updating the basics. The game advertises “Procedural audio and visual effects that ramp up with your combo.” Being from Choice Provisions, perhaps you can imagine what this looks and sounds like. Essentially, the better you play and the longer you keep going, the more there is to see and hear. Options to adjust the music and sounds individually are also much appreciated.

However, we must revisit and elaborate on content needing to be unlocked, including the aforementioned leaderboards. Why on earth these features—including infinite mode and the original arcade game—are not there from the outset is a head-scratcher. It was an unwise choice, as the package would surely benefit from having them accessible right away, whether for extra practice or simply to offer more welcomed variety. At least the leaderboards are separated by global, friends, and modes. As of this publication, my wife and I are #1 on the co-op boards, but it might have more to say about the audience’s focus on solo play.

It’s hard to mess up Breakout as it remains fun after all these years (decades even), but darn if Choice Provisions nearly did with their inexplicable decision to lock content, including online leaderboards. The fact that the game still succeeds despite this blunder is a testament to their talent and the timeless source material.