Look, ben loves an egg pun. be prepared…
Lucid Sheep Games clearly had the time of their lives whilst developing #Breakforcist Battle; a ridiculous name for a ridiculous game. The gameplay itself follows the familiar brick-breaker format but throws in a bonkers breakfast/exorcism theme that surely must have been conceived after deciding on the title (sniggering the whole time no doubt). Imagine if Wozniak, Jobs et al were stoned off their tits whilst developing Breakout and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what to expect from #Breakforcist Battle.
Although the gameplay follows a decades old formula, the real charm lies in the goofy implementation of the breakfast theme. Power-ups include the Bacon Laser, which unleashes a stream of rashers that destroy blocks on contact. There’s another that turns your ball into a giant pancake (because why not?) whilst other temporary upgrades, like lighting, have nothing at all to do with your morning meal, making their inclusion all the more preposterous.
In terms of gameplay options there’s a 2-4 player local battle mode; 2 player couch co-op and a solo mode to keep those high score chasers hooked. A lack of online leaderboards does feel like a missed trick though, as does the absence of video capture. The sheer absurdity of this game has considerable viral potential, so allowing gamers to play together and share their experiences could have elevated #Breakforcist Battle to cult status. Unfortunately I think these omissions, coupled with a somewhat limp social media presence and the unfashionable genre may have led to #Breakforcist Battle flying well below the radar since its April 2018 release.
“Another favourite is ‘Quiche Quiche Quiche’ where the only vocal is the word ‘quiche’ repeated and fed through various filters. This is made all the more asinine by the fact that quiche isn’t even a breakfast dish. Or is it? I’m not a cultured man.”
While the gameplay is timeless fun, the real star is the unashamedly harebrained and delightfully garish presentation. The visuals are bright, cartoonish and expertly designed by Pete Ellison. Clearly Pete is one of those annoying multi-talented types as he also produced the game’s soundtrack which, for me at least, stands out as the jewel in #Breakforcist’s crown.
Now, we’re not talking Celeste-level musical production here, far from it. In fact, if we’re being super critical, a lot of the songs sound like a first attempt at making something of a particular genre. Generic trap beat? Check. Insanely fast ravey number? Check. The gleeful silliness of the songs is just so damn endearing though. As you progress from wave to wave the tracks are randomised and never fail to put a smile on my face. I often chuckle along with the ridiculous lyrics of “!Important” for example. Here’s an egg-cerpt: [Again, I’m sorry. He won’t listen – Ed.]
“So sweet, we’ll switch to stevia
Make me some grits, they’re so creamy-uh
Hold up, don’t alert the media
Look, you’ve just got hypoglycemia”
Another favourite is ‘Quiche Quiche Quiche’ where the only vocal is the word ‘quiche’ repeated and fed through various filters. This is made all the more asinine by the fact that quiche isn’t even a breakfast dish. Or is it? I’m not a cultured man. [He orders ‘eggs cumberbatch’ – Ed.]
The bottom line here is that games at their very core are supposed to be fun, and that’s exactly what #Breakforcist Battle brings to the table. It also happens to be a Nintendo Switch exclusive (take that, Sony!). Kudos to Lucid Sheep Games & Pete Ellison for letting us share in the joy they clearly had in making this crazy little game.
The Cross Players 