Fans of classic Atari Breakout are always on the lookout for new ways to experience that sweet, sweet arcade gameplay, and it’s one niche that has never been in short supply. This has never been truer than recently, and this is not the first time I’ve played a Breakout-inspired roguelite for the site. These are good times to break blocks.
This new reworking of classic Atari Breakout gameplay has some real personality to it, as you must help the eponymous Buster break out from his prison cell. To do this, you can unlock a number of powerful balls, which you can then fling at your blocks, taking down as many as you can to clear the way for Buster’s escape past the wardens.
What I like most about Buster Breaks Out is the way you’ve got to try and avoid hitting the walls on the outside. Instead, you’ve got to take down the blocks from within, looking for potential opportunities to keep your ball in play for just a few extra seconds. You can also use your paddle, and it didn’t take me long to find a rhythm where I could keep the ball in play for longer and longer.
The paddle also acts as your launch pad for each shot, which leans into the physics side of things. It’s satisfying to aim your shots and catch a combo, even more so when your paddle keeps the ball in play and away from the outer walls. This simple setup keeps the action moving along and also gives the game a nice point of difference.
The 1.0 update added a bunch of new content, including a ball themed around a collab with Nubby’s Number Factory (a game I really need to go back and play more of). The so-called Nub Ball brings the final number of balls to more than 70, and along with a vending machine full of limited-use items, there appears to be tremendous potential to upgrade and tweak your build as you attempt each escape.
Developer Nose Corporation has done a good job with Buster Breaks Out, and if you’re a fan of Atari Breakout and roguelites, and you’re looking for something to play now that you’re done with Ball X Pit, I think it’s worth a closer look.
Buster Breaks Out is available now on Steam PC (Lin, Win), and I played the game via access provided by the developer, so thanks for that!
