Publisher: Black Shell Media
Developer: Cunning Force Games
Platforms: PC
Tested on: PC
Magical Brickout – Review
Many gamers that have been there from the early days will certainly remember the Breakout titles. Breakout is a game like Pong but instead of trying to score you will try to clear out the field from bricks. Magical Brickout is a title that takes the old-school gameplay from Breakout and gives it a nice new twist. This all in a child friendly fairy setting, and could be a fun gift for your kids for Christmas.
Story
Everything was peaceful in the land of Wondaria. Fairies lived together in peace and the fields were filled with colorful flowers and beautiful grass patches. This all changed when the Evil Wizard invaded Wondaria and started to turn the pixies into stones to build his castle. It is up to you, a young elf, to take on the challenge to break free your brothers and sisters with the help of magical orbs. The story slowly progresses as each level has its own unique theme, from heavy reinforced doors to a workshop or cooking station. Since it’s mainly info about the room not much story is told throughout the campaign, but the question remains if you’ll be able to set the kingdom free from the reign of the villainous shaman.
Graphics
For this section we’lltackle the play zone and background separately because there are two different styles of artwork. Backgrounds and cutscenes are all of a ‘hand drawn in paint’ kind of feel. This on one hand can feel a bit cheap but does offer its charms, on other hand it shows that the artists who made these have spentlots of time in computer drawing programs, and that work is appreciated.
The playfield is made up from recognizableblocks and this is a good thing since sometimes the game can become real hectic with multiple orbs flying over the field or some hazards that may block your vision.This simple lay-out ensures for a more qualitative playtrough without hindering the player all too much.
Sound
The music in this game has the magical ability to create a certain atmosphere in each level. As seen in many movies where directors carefully pick the right song to stimulate emotions and feeling, this also happens while playing Magical Brickout. This gives many kudos to the developer for making us feel safe during the tutorial with a lovely background and calming music, while when we start attacking the castle the music turns more dramatically and the further you progress the more intense the music becomes. Sound effects are well in place and makes various power-ups easy to recognize, this however can create some chaotic noises when multiple powers are activated in rapid succession.
Gameplay
Magical Brickout is as the title may hint a Breakout style game.The main goal in this game is to set free all the fairies which are trapped in blue stones. At the start of each level you will have five orbs to complete your objective. By destroying fifteen cubes in succession an extra orb is gifted as a reward. Also the better you score in time and destruction, the more stars you will be awarded at the end. The games campaign is set over eight chapters with six levels each, this paired with a small increment of difficulty makes this game something that can be easy but very challenging at the same time.Each level is shortly explained where you are and what the plan is, luckily everything is accomplished by breaking the cubes so no special items are needed to be collected or paths to be chosen.
Normally in these you control a paddle that launches a ball towards slabs to destroy them. However in this game the playstyle is a bit different: for starters you don’t move anoar, you move the whole playing field. This may sound easy but after a few moves you will notice that the orb moves in a gravitational field, meaning that every move will count as the 3rd law of Newton: ‘For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction’. This slightly increases difficulty under stress, but for those moments many power-ups are scattered upon the field such as: unbreakable bricks, slow down the ball, ball multiplier, etc. Having the game with only upgrades would be a bit easy, so the Evil Wizard and his goons have some hazards up his sleeve. Each section has a specific type of threat and this can be eliminated by taking out the boss. In the beginning it all starts with a short tutorial that spans over three stagesthat explain you the basics of the game. Afterwards we see that level designs all come in a pattern that is similar to the background. Controlling the game can be done through keyboard or controller, this is just there for personal preference since this doesn’t affect gameplay that much.
Conclusion
Magical Brickout is a fun and child friendly game, ideal for the parents to relive old Breakout memories while their kids enjoy a new classic. Graphics can feel cheap for some nitpickers, however for real appreciating fans they will love the amount of work put into every backdrop as this shows a dedicated artist. Music is carefully picked to ensure the right mood and the story is told on a step by step base.
No Comments