Twin Breaker: A Sacred Symbols Adventure

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 55 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 55
  3. Negative: 11 out of 55

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  1. LBEDZKI44
    Mar 25, 2020
    9
    Who would have thought a brick breaker could have a great story, addicting gameplay, awesome graphics and music? Oh not to mention that it is only ten dollars and cross-buy? Also has separate trophy lists! Both versions of the game a great but Twin Breaker is right at home on the PS Vita!
  2. ASInquisitor
    Mar 24, 2020
    9
    If you had asked me within the past decade, “Do you think the ‘Brick Breaker’ genre could make a comeback?” I would have dismissively said, “No.” That being said, I definitely made an err in judgement. “Twin Breaker: A Sacred Symbol Adventure” by Lillymo Games is simultaneously a wonderful throwback to an era in video games long lost to the annals of time as well as clever modernizationIf you had asked me within the past decade, “Do you think the ‘Brick Breaker’ genre could make a comeback?” I would have dismissively said, “No.” That being said, I definitely made an err in judgement. “Twin Breaker: A Sacred Symbol Adventure” by Lillymo Games is simultaneously a wonderful throwback to an era in video games long lost to the annals of time as well as clever modernization of the genre for a new era.

    First let us rewind the clock a bit— Brick Breakers are at their core a sub-genre of the 1972, arcade (and early home consoles’) classic, “Pong.” Four-years later, Nolan Bushnell and Steve Bristow, would refine the bat-and-ball premise with “Breakout,” which besides having a ball and paddle incorporated bricks to destroy in order to rack-up a high score. Many years later a game aptly named, “Brick Breaker,” would truly cement the sub-class’s moniker, however, even with its eponymous name it is still deemed a ‘Breakout Clone.’

    “Twin Breaker” takes the history and nostalgia of “Breakout” (and others—like 1986’s Arkanoid) and pays loving homage, while also adding in a lacquer of polish to an otherwise archaic mold. “Twin Breaker” captures the chirpy, chiptunes that always accompanied older games, the (nearly) everlasting pixel art aesthetic, and the arcadey action of “Breakout.” It does so with ease, but if it were to merely clone an arcade title that has been duplicated so many times before, “Twin Breaker” would have been left wanting. Instead, it brings the genre into a new decade by adding in modern sensibilities. Not only does “Twin Breaker” take a tried-and-true genre, but it does so with smashing success.

    Colin Moriarty, (one of the developers of “Twin Breaker,” owner/founder of Colin’s Last Stand, and co-host to a plethora of podcasts including “Sacred Symbols”) wrote a fantastic, science-fiction narrative to pair with an already solid title. It is exploratory in its palaver with the audience as it provides humor with more-serious underpinnings and motifs. Conveyed via splash screens and dialogue bubbles between Colin and Chris (the two protagonists of the game), it dissects a very real possibility of Earth’s place in the universe and how humanity’s interactions with one another could aid or hinder the celestial hierarchy without any of us truly knowing.

    Pretty weighty stuff, eh? Don’t be too alarmed by the story. It isn’t unnecessarily filled with jargon or high end philosophical stances; it merely expresses these issues as a framework, while the more tongue-in-cheek humor in the dialogue fleshes out the rest of the story. That being said, if you wanted to dive headlong into the lore of this universe, there are codexes to unlock that further the player’s understanding of the world that they are experiencing. Playing a Brick Breaker that includes a narrative is rare and perhaps unheard of— The story and dialogue do not feel needlessly tacked onto an already decent ”Breakout” clone. The story uplifts and fits snugly within the gameplay and vice-a-versa.

    In addition to the inclusion of a narrative, “Twin Breaker” also works in innovative gameplay mechanics that keeps the pacing and moment-to-moment action thrilling and incredibly viable. Every ten levels (in the 40 level campaign) features a unique boss battle, which work masterfully in the game’s pacing of difficulty. Halfway through “Twin Breaker,” two pairs of paddles are introduced, resulting in my favorite line of the game delivered by Colin’s “Sacred Symbol’s” podcast co-host, Chris, “This should make things a little easier.” (F.Y.I. It doesn’t). However, this gameplay addition provides more difficulty and increases tension, which ultimately applies a nice little twist to the level designs that implement this feature.

    I highly recommend “Twin Breaker,” especially if you grew-up with arcades and classic home consoles. It scratches a particular itch that not a lot of other games can reach. In our first ever review score for ASInquisitor, my lovely “Rage Quit” podcast co-host, Ariel, and I give it 4.5 ‘Polar Bear Paws’ out of 5. “Twin Breaker” harkens back to a golden era of arcades and Ataris with just the right amount of modernity.    … Expand
  3. ethan_fitz01
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    Fun game aimed at fans of Colin Moriarty, but even for those who do not know Moriarty or Chris Ray Gun, there is some satisfying gameplay here. A fun game to kill time.
  4. booraddly
    Mar 25, 2020
    10
    Great game, really enjoyed it. Fun and challenging game play with tons of game modes to extend the game. Controls are tight and the power ups make for a fun loop. The second half ups the challenge and adds 2 other paddles and really makes the game different. The plat isn't too crazy and won't be too much for most people.
  5. Bonoclay15
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    Fun game I've been playing this morning. Great price and addictive game play.
  6. ThatWeirdGuyGR
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Amazingly written story. New take on a known recipe. Ending in a cliffhanger. Can't wait for the sequel… Expand
  7. Danno322
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    Colin teamed up with Lillymo to really make something special. A fun and creative brick breaker with an engrossing narrative isn't something you see everyday. As a bonus, you can even cross-buy the game and earn two platinum trophies for the price of one!
  8. Bbepbopp
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    Really fun. Colin and Chris do a good job making a simple genre fun and exciting. Store is actually pretty good and has a deeper meaning.
  9. MeatSp1n
    Mar 24, 2020
    9
    Really great brick breaking game. Fun and a co-op gem to play with someone else.
  10. Sloanyboy
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    Really fun brick breaker. Good level of challenge. The four blocks absolutely melt my brain! Really good trophy list for this game as well!
  11. SupremeSal
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    Love me some brick breaker! Skip the story if you want. Press Triangle. Very accessible on both platforms. Hope it comes to PC
  12. TheWhiteDevil
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    this is a perfect arcadey game for me to get inmeshed with. very charming and fun.
  13. FatsBeardo
    Mar 24, 2020
    10
    The campaign is excellent and the gameplay is challenging and rewarding. There's tons of modes and endless replayability. An absolute steal at $9.99USD or $13.49CAD
  14. gofrogs82
    Jul 15, 2020
    9
    This brick breaker exemplifies the “easy to beat but hard to master” mantra. At an awesome low price you could get enough value by just going through each of the levels. However, the real fun to me was going through and aiming to get S ranks on all the levels. A pretty neat story to wrap it all up and you end up with a nice package here in Twin Breaker. Highly recommended.
  15. CianGargan
    Jun 13, 2020
    10
    Great game. I'd recommend it to all sacred symbols listeners. If you're not a sacred symbols listeners but you're still into arcade games I'd still recommend it.
  16. Gorevie
    Jun 4, 2020
    10
    Not your average brick breaker but a real labour of love from the developers.
  17. PunaPirate
    Mar 27, 2020
    10
    Best brick breaking game on the market. Lots of replay value in chasing high scores.
  18. cjjackson85
    Mar 28, 2020
    10
    Colin was right this game is a gem for brick breaker fans. The more advanced levels take a little getting used to. This game is beyond worth it for 10$ Chris is my dudebro.
  19. Retz3
    Mar 30, 2020
    10
    A fun little brick breaker. Interesting story and challenging gameplay.
    Having 4 paddles broke my brain....in a good way.
  20. Tooleyboy
    Mar 30, 2020
    10
    Look, fat, it’s a brick breaker. You break break bricks. Forget about it.
  21. space0ddity
    Apr 17, 2020
    9
    Most arcade games like this get boring because there's nothing behind it. I really enjoyed the intermittent story bits throughout the game. The collectibles and documents gathered through play was a lot fun. The gameplay itself is fun, but a challenge, especially the "TWIN" levels. Lots of modes to keep gameplay fresh and for the price tag there's a TON of value. Recommended.
  22. YeezyASMR
    Feb 27, 2021
    9
    Very fun game, the four controllable panels was challenging but getting it done and figuring it out was satisfying. Really liked it!

Awards & Rankings

85
#85 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. The Digital Fix
    Apr 2, 2020
    70
    On the whole I enjoyed Twin Breaker: A Sacred Symbols Adventure. I am not normally a fan of this type of game but the old-school presentation and interesting story made it enjoyable. I am happy I got to play it. Plus you get 2 versions for the price of one, what's not to like.
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  2. PSX Extreme
    Mar 27, 2020
    74
    Despite some flaws, Twin Breaker: A Sacred Symbols Adventure is a sincere homage to an underrated sub-genre. It captures what made classics like Arkanoid and Breakout beloved while putting its own special spin on the formula. The result is brick-breaking bliss that I would recommend to most lovers of arcade indies.
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  3. Player 2
    Mar 23, 2020
    75
    With Twin Breaker, the team at Lillymo, along with Moriarty and Maldenado, have constructed a wonderful take on a time-honoured genre that has been woefully underserved in recent years.
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