With powerful handheld devices like the PS Vita capable of playing console quality games on the go, its refreshing to have titles that are simple pick-up and play. BreakQuest: Extra Evolution was originally a PSP Mini developed and published by Beatshapers released in Europe/Asia with the PSP Go launch back in 2009
The game is a re-imagining of the retro game Breakout with a stunning colourful twist. The 100 levels are similar to the PSP Mini version but the Vita features gorgeous improved visuals with a catchy and fitting soundtrack. The level select screen is simple enough with branching choices as you progress. Each level is different and the difficulty varies on each. Some levels could be completed in a matter of seconds while others would have tricky mechanics or obstacles.
One level where I faced obstacles of great annoyance was the level “Vanilla Ice Cream” pictured above.
This level has an abundance of never ending bees that constantly re-spawn. I spent the goods of an hour trying to complete this one tiny level. The power-ups or in this case power downs, can really have an effect on the flow of the levels. Some power ups multiply the amount of balls on the screen effectively giving you a better chance to complete the levels while others cause your ship to slow down or reverse the controls. There are 50 power ups in the game but mainly they either change the shape of your ship or give you guns to help clear the stage.
The gameplay can become repetitive and at times slow depending on the stage setup. A gameplay feature that has been useful in combating the slow levels is the Gravitor. If the ball is flying off in the wrong direction or stuck constantly hitting the same corner, by simply pressing square or circle you can change the balls direction by pulling it towards the bottom of the screen. I have noticed that by applying the Gravitor the speed of the ball increases which is a great help for levels that have a tiny block in an awkward corner. Also seen above is the Energy Shield which is represented by the blue bars at the bottom of the screen. These charge up over time and protect the ball from falling out of the screen. The barrier is divided into left and right and can withstand two hits before disappearing.
BreakQuest is a fun game but it does become boring simply watching a ball bounce around, until you reach a boss fight!
The boss fights in this game are the best stages this game has to offer. Each boss stage has a simple opening. You break blocks with a block counter on the bottom of the screen. Once all the blocks are broken you have the option to jump into the boss stage. Once the boss stages start it becomes a whole other ball game. The boss can freeze your ship, invert your controls and watch sadistically as you lose life after life. There are 10 boss stages in all and they are the best the game has to offer. You go from simply bouncing a ball around to avoiding lasers and boss attacks while trying to damage and strip the boss down. Each boss unlocks a new shuttle, which can be selected from the Shuttle Base menu. In the beginning of BreakQuest: Extra Evolution, you start playing with a basic shuttle, but by defeating bosses you can unlock up to 17 shuttles. The new shuttles comes with activated power-ups: guns, sticky bumpers, rockets, multi-ball, etc. — any of them can help you finish levels faster and get higher scores.
BreakQuest: Extra Evolution is a Fremium title meaning you can pay to have a certain amount of lives or you can activate the game fully. Think of it as an advanced demo of sorts, with scoreboards and Trophies working out of the box. By default, BreakQuest comes with 33 balls. When balls run out, you can purchase more ball packs with 100, 200, 500 balls. Also there’s an Infinite Ball unlock. There’s also a mechanism in game to create extra balls by catching ball parts. Overall BreakQuest is a free title that is a nice companion to have on the go.