Arkanoid: Eternal Battle

If you enjoy Breakout-style games then you know that ARKANOID is great and it's back with the super-fun multiplayer ETERNAL BATTLE.

That niggle aside though, we’re pleasantly surprised with Arkanoid: Eternal Battle. There have been many versions of Arkanoid (and other Breakout clones) over the years, but this might be one of our favourites. The Battle Royale format really does work, and the end-game boss mode is an unexpected but welcome twist. We’ll certainly be jumping back in again and again to chase those high scores.

The marriage of Arkanoid with the Battle Royale concept is a welcome one and equally warmly received is the inclusion of the classic Arkanoid for older gamers or those who are inquisitive enough to reach back far into those halcyon days of arcade gaming. However, a distinct lack of modes and a seemingly lukewarm player base effectively cut the legs out from under Arkanoid: Eternal Battle's titular and marquee mode.

You must commend the hubris on display here. To charge so much for Arkanoid – Eternal Battle with its complete lack of content, when other retro battle royale games like Pac-Man 99 or Tetris 99 are giving it away for free is stunning. Compared to more expensive comparable games, Like Atari 50’s Anniversary Collection, Arkanoid Eternal Battle is embarrassingly barebones. That game not only collects countless arcades and console games, including Breakout, but several thougtful reimaginations of those classics. Thanks to the high asking price, publisher Microids ensured that the battle royale ...

Being able to innovate upon such a game like Arkanoid or Breakout is easier said than done. There’s just so much you can do with a simplistic formula like moving a paddle in order to deflect a ball towards some destructible bricks. The original Arkanoid did build upon Breakout with power-ups and a “plot”, but that was basically it. For the most part, this has always been the formula in these games, to a nearly tiresome degree. Arkanoid: Eternal Battle, however, tries to be different. It...