Beast Breaker was fundamentally the best time I had with a single game in 2021. I gobbled it up completely, crafting and upgrading every single weapon and accessory, trying multiple different loadout configurations, testing different companions and preparation strategies. I don't think I mastered the game, because I never feel that about the best games, but I do think I capital-K Know Beast Breaker very well.
The core loop is fairly simple, but the intricacies come from the physicality of the mechanics. The quality of any given brick breaking game comes down to how frequently you're hitting those pure satisfaction moments, seeing the numbers deplete and the blocks explode with a single attack. Some of my favourites increase the momentum of this feeling by adding additional balls or multipliers (I've probably sunk a couple hundred hours into Hole Down on my phone because of how good it gets this), but Beast Breakers customisable depth adds levels of observational and experimental skill to this foundation. Certain Beasts favour certain weapons and strategies, and sometimes the perfect angle isn't possible depending on the way the Beast moves, so a successful Break attempt requires visual calculus, an understanding of the strengths of your loadout, foresight into future turns and ability management. Add to that the ever-present threat of loss due to the rampage mechanic, and you find yourself in tense late-game situations where minute degrees of an angle can spell either utter failure, or lead to living to fight another round.
This dynamic tension feels so full of friction, and brings to mind some of my favourite tactics games. Honestly, the closest tonal equivalent I can find to this game is Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, one of my favourite games of all time. In that world too, load-out, preparation and foresight are key factors to victory above any aggressive action you take in a fight. And also similarly, finding broken combinations of weapons and accessories can lead to moments of absolute joy as you let rip on an unsuspecting opponent.
At this point, I feel I've exhausted what the game has to offer, and that's absolutely fine. Not every game has to be a constant service to the player who purchased it. However if I'm going to be critical of any aspect it's that the final, multi-phase boss fight felt so great that I wish there were more like it in the post-game. Taking on that same Beast variety without the threat of losing on the 2nd or 3rd phase and having to start again took some of the threat away in a manner that felt a little anticlimactic. However, if my main criticism of this game is "I wish there was an infinite horde mode" then I think that's probably a pretty damn good thing.
I won't touch the story much, because as heartfelt and sincere as it is it wasn't the main focus for me. There are some great character interactions, and the ending was wildly and hilariously blunt in it's message (I don't think I've ever had such a colourful piece of media say to me "the people in charge will never help you" in such a delightful way). It's a serviceable veneer, in exactly the way I want it to be.
The core loop is fairly simple, but the intricacies come from the physicality of the mechanics. The quality of any given brick breaking game comes down to how frequently you're hitting those pure satisfaction moments, seeing the numbers deplete and the blocks explode with a single attack. Some of my favourites increase the momentum of this feeling by adding additional balls or multipliers (I've probably sunk a couple hundred hours into Hole Down on my phone because of how good it gets this), but Beast Breakers customisable depth adds levels of observational and experimental skill to this foundation. Certain Beasts favour certain weapons and strategies, and sometimes the perfect angle isn't possible depending on the way the Beast moves, so a successful Break attempt requires visual calculus, an understanding of the strengths of your loadout, foresight into future turns and ability management. Add to that the ever-present threat of loss due to the rampage mechanic, and you find yourself in tense late-game situations where minute degrees of an angle can spell either utter failure, or lead to living to fight another round.
This dynamic tension feels so full of friction, and brings to mind some of my favourite tactics games. Honestly, the closest tonal equivalent I can find to this game is Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, one of my favourite games of all time. In that world too, load-out, preparation and foresight are key factors to victory above any aggressive action you take in a fight. And also similarly, finding broken combinations of weapons and accessories can lead to moments of absolute joy as you let rip on an unsuspecting opponent.
At this point, I feel I've exhausted what the game has to offer, and that's absolutely fine. Not every game has to be a constant service to the player who purchased it. However if I'm going to be critical of any aspect it's that the final, multi-phase boss fight felt so great that I wish there were more like it in the post-game. Taking on that same Beast variety without the threat of losing on the 2nd or 3rd phase and having to start again took some of the threat away in a manner that felt a little anticlimactic. However, if my main criticism of this game is "I wish there was an infinite horde mode" then I think that's probably a pretty damn good thing.
I won't touch the story much, because as heartfelt and sincere as it is it wasn't the main focus for me. There are some great character interactions, and the ending was wildly and hilariously blunt in it's message (I don't think I've ever had such a colourful piece of media say to me "the people in charge will never help you" in such a delightful way). It's a serviceable veneer, in exactly the way I want it to be.