User Review : Shatter

7.99 and some free time? Let Shatter wake you up.

Back in 1976 Atari released a simple, fun arcade game that required the player to clear the screen of bricks. The player had to accomplish this with a paddle and a ball. That arcade game was called Breakout. Breakout became quite popular, it went on to have a few sequels and it also opened the floodgates to various clones – some of the clones actually surpassed the original. Thirty-three years later, Sidhe Interactive – developers of GripShift and Speed Racer: the Video Game – releases Shatter, which is a Breakout clone at heart, but it still manages to surpass the original and all of the other brick-breaking games that have come before it.

Story mode is the first game play mode offered. Shatter does have a story; the ball breaks free and the paddle chases after it. Nothing spectacular, but thankfully this type of game doesn't need a gripping story. Story mode is comprised of ten worlds, each feature seven waves of bricks for you to destroy, one boss, and a special stage. The special stage is a brickless field, the object is to keep three balls from falling off screen. After you tackle story mode you can play through boss rush mode, and also play through the special stages without going through story mode again.

The most important part of a brick-breaking game – and any other game – is the game play, and Shatter delivers some of the finest game play that can be experienced with a game of its kind. Progression is the same as other brick-breakers: clear the screen of all bricks and move on to the next wave. The first few waves are really basic; all of the bricks are stationary and cause no concern. As you progress through the game you will encounter some bricks that are rather helpful, and some that serve only one purpose: to infuriate you. There are levels that have bricks flying all over the place, bricks that blow your ball away from them, bricks that launch away like rockets when hit, and of course you will still have the nice bricks that sit in one place and stay out of trouble. A lot of waves look rather simple, but then you hit the wrong brick and cause a good bit of chaos. There are times where bricks are literally floating all over the place. Many of these scenarios can be avoided if you use your head, and also have superb ball control.

Shatter allows for more control over the ball than most other brick-breakers. Common slices can be executed – sliding the paddle as you hit the ball to make it go in the desired direction. You can make the paddle blow out air or suck in air, which can give you some control over the ball while it is in the field. Blow pushes the ball away from the paddle, while suck brings it towards the paddle. Blow and suck can also be used for things other than controlling the ball. Some bosses can only be defeated by using these features. Blow can help keep the bricks that float around in a group and away from you - which can help lower the chance of you getting grey hairs. Suck can pull in fragments, which boosts the Shard Storm meter. Shard Storm is a powerful, and useful, attack that the paddle can execute when the Shard Storm meter is at max.

The game features a few power-ups that you can pick up during waves and boss encounters. Some of the more basic power-ups are the fragment multiplier and the score multiplier. The fragment multiplier can be a real blessing – especially when they appear in boss fights – because they increase the fragments obtained, which means you can fill the Shard Storm meter in a more timely fashion. Score multiplier is really only useful if you want to beat other scores on the leader board, or if you are in the process of going for the three-hundred-million point trophy. The more useful power-ups are the two that affect the ball directly: maneuverball and unstoppaball. Maneuverball increases the effects of blow and suck, even when used by bricks and bosses. It does greatly increase the control you can gain over the ball, making it extremely useful in many situations. Unstoppaball turns the ball into a force to be reckoned with. It will travel through nearly any brick without stopping, which can help clear out a wave in no time. Whenever you a grab a power-up, a bar appears across the middle of the screen displaying the name of the recently acquired power-up. It's nice to know what I just grabbed, but my view shouldn't be hindered in order to inform me.

Other than the extremely fun, and extremely addictive game play, the music is another thing that stands out. The music in Shatter is from the techno and electric-pop genres – not the best genre, but it works well with the game. Each world has its own song that works quite well with its setting. Aside for the songs played for each world, there is also a song exclusive to boss fights. The game does not offer the use of custom soundtracks, so if you completely abhor the music will have to use another source for your tunes, or just mute your television.

Shatter is a great game that doesn't require much of a commitment, and is also one of the more enjoyable PSN titles available. The game is extremely well made; I did not encounter a single problem during my gaming sessions - and I have had plenty. One problem, it's minor but can still be a hindrance, is the way the game informs you of which power-up you have picked up. A bar appears across the middle of the screen that displays the name of the power-up, but it also blocks your view in the process. This can be a bit of a pain when things get hectic during the harder waves, but it's not game breaking. Shatter is definitely worth the $7.99 price tag and offers some of the finest brick breaking action that is currently available. If you're a fan of the genre, or just want a nice, fun distraction that doesn't require much of a commitment, then you can't go wrong with picking this title up.