Reaxxion - PC Game Review

 We all know breakout games. You know, the ones with the little ball that bounces around the screen to blow up all the bricks? Boring, you say. Lame, you sigh. Sounds like that arcade game that you wasted all your quarters on as a kid, right? Well, Reaxxion ain't your average breakout, brick-busting game.

Unlike Arkanoid and other popular breakout games of the 80s, Reaxxion offers moving targets and stunning graphics, plus the added challenge of maneuvering around indestructible bricks. Each level offers up a new design, such as a pair of seahorses or a strangely shaped molecular structure.

There is also an element of pinball to Reaxxion. Just like pinball games have objectives that earn you more points, Reaxxion has a tunnel and sphere that is your ultimate aim. After you get five balls through the tunnel and into the sphere the Arnold Schwarzenegger sound-a-like announces "Reaction!" and the screen goes crazy with big balls, little balls, orange balls, flames and bits of bricks flying everywhere.

The graphics are amazing. The look of the game is very futuristic and fresh, unlike any other breakout game on the market, past or present. The interface is reminiscent of something straight out of a science fiction movie. The help files were very simple and easy to understand. Controls are pretty basic either use the mouse or arrow keys to move the paddle.

The best part about Reaxxion is the ability to control your own pace. You first release a ball from the paddle. The longer you hold down the release button, the bigger the ball is. You can have balls of all sizes floating around, bashing into moving bricks. You can also release as many or as few balls as you like. By collecting silver bullets, the fragments from busted bricks, you can make the paddle grow, which allows you to release more balls. Thus, the more balls you release, the smaller your paddle.

Another unique feature of Reaxxion is the boss level. The boss level sort of resembles old school Pong. You are competing against the boss, a paddle on the top of the screen. Your goal is to make the boss lose the ball. The more he misses the ball, the smaller he gets. There are also secret levels that you can accidentally come across. Secret levels give you the chance to gain extra lives and more Reaxxion points.

Reaxxion ranks in at 5 out of 5. While the sound effects were highly annoying, especially the sirens that went off when the paddle grew too large, the rest of the game was unique, visually stimulating, addicting and highly entertaining.