Review: Breakout Beyond for Nintendo Switch

Okay, so let’s jump right in. Breakout Beyond. Ever tried turning something classic on its head? Well, here we are, attempting exactly that. Imagine the usual brick-smashing stuff, but now turned sideways. Sounds fun? It is… mostly. Though, half the fun is hidden behind lock and key. I’m not kidding, you’ve got to unlock stuff. And yeah, I can tell some folks are gonna get bored before they even see all the goodies. But hey, some of us are stubborn and will keep going, especially with a buddy. Seriously.

Now, let me tell you, the real kicker here is getting a second player in the mix. Playing solo? Meh, it’s okay for a bit, then it’s like watching paint dry. But slap another paddle in there, maybe with your partner, and boom! Whole new game. Could just be me though; leaderboards say otherwise. Anyway—no, hang on—before diving into scores, there’s this thing called “voyage.”

Voyage mode, right? Here you get nifty bombs, jazz up your paddle and balls, can even slow things down (though they dock you some points for that). It’s a lifesaver since this thing gets tough fast. Believe me, a few levels in and you’re sweating bullets, especially alone. Still, it’s got this nagging “just one more go” thing. Fiddle with paddle sensitivity, too high or low is a straight-up buzzkill. Trust me. Seventy-two levels, by the way. I’m a sucker for trying to clear them all—maybe you aren’t—because the game’s linear. Gotta keep beating levels to unlock more, or it’s game over for progression.

Visually? Breakout Beyond keeps it old school but spices things up. They’ve got this “Procedural audio and visual effects” spiel; sounds fancy, right? Basically, play well, see more, hear more. Oh, and you can tweak music and sound settings separately. Thank you very much.

But hold up—what’s the deal with locked content? I mean, stuff like leaderboards, infinite mode, even classic arcade isn’t ready-made. What a puzzle. Like, whose idea was that? It’s a missed opportunity, ’cause having it all there from the start would’ve been gold. Anyway, leaderboard breakdowns by global, friends, and mode. Kind of cool. My spouse and I, killing it on co-op scores, might just say something about others preferring solo. Huh.

Breakout ain’t easy to mess up since it’s been fun forever, but man, Choice Provisions teetered on the edge with their bizarre locked content decision. That they pulled it off nonetheless? Hats off to their skill and the classic juicy core they drew from.