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ARKANOID: ETERNAL BATTLE
review | PC
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Publisher: Microids.
Developer: Pastagames. Released: October 2022. Genre: Breakout. Other versions: SWI; PS5; PS4; XSX; XONE. Posted 27th December 2025. By Tom Clare © 2025 |
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Pastagames’ 2022 Arkanoid reboot would prove more safe than inspiring, though it’s no disgrace to the lineage. The brick-busting throwback would deliver a selection of modes recalling classic instalments, as well as features recognising more modern philosophies. Eternal Battle’s new ideas see the game at its strongest, but though it gets most of the basics right, it doesn’t make a particularly persuasive case for those less familiar with the eighties arcade classic.
A Breakout spin-off that sees the player controlling a rectangular bat, the aim is to clear the screen of bricks by repeatedly deflecting the ball towards them. Let the ball slip past your paddle, and you’ll lose either a life or, depending on the rule set, a chunk of your points. The PC version allows players to use a controller or mouse, and I found the latter a little better for quick, precise movements. There have been no major overhauls in terms of the established gameplay: there are plenty of power-ups to be gleaned from occasional brick drops, and these deliver the kinds of effects you’d expect: larger balls, multiball, wider paddles, sticky batons, laser targetting, and so on.
Eternal Battle proves the most progressive mode, though it is dependent on an online connection
The chief innovation is the titular Eternal Battle mode, which allows players to battle a field of up to 25 competitors consisting of online opponents, AI, or a mixture of both. How this mode unfolds is pretty cool: there is a sequence of breathless stages, with screens aligned to display the next highest and next lowest scoring competitors either side of the player’s own. Good runs see you shuffling up the pile, whilst losing lives costs points and sees you plunge down the order, and sees the pressure mount. Clearing a screen of bricks automatically ends the current layout on all players’ screens, stopping opponents from adding to their points tallies. After set periods of time, the lowest-scoring player is eliminated, leaving fewer and fewer players to compete.
This is a nice concept that’s executed to a good standard. The challenge becomes a balancing act of careful tactics to ensure keeping the ball in play, but not so cautiously as to allow the scoring to dry up. It makes for a surprisingly absorbing setup, especially if you can survive into the latter stages. Predictably enough, there isn’t exactly a legion of Arkanoid die-hards lining up to play an online version of what has, for several decades, been a single-player pursuit. Consequently, having to wait 60 seconds at the start of every Eternal Battle run is less than ideal. There’s no option to skip to a single-player only setup, and this issue is compounded by server outages that prevent playing the mode at all. Also, the levelling system seems arbitrary to the point of being needless, as if the developer felt it a necessary touch of modernity, but has little practical application. Levelling up rewards players with superficially different background motifs, for what it’s worth.
This is a nice concept that’s executed to a good standard. The challenge becomes a balancing act of careful tactics to ensure keeping the ball in play, but not so cautiously as to allow the scoring to dry up. It makes for a surprisingly absorbing setup, especially if you can survive into the latter stages. Predictably enough, there isn’t exactly a legion of Arkanoid die-hards lining up to play an online version of what has, for several decades, been a single-player pursuit. Consequently, having to wait 60 seconds at the start of every Eternal Battle run is less than ideal. There’s no option to skip to a single-player only setup, and this issue is compounded by server outages that prevent playing the mode at all. Also, the levelling system seems arbitrary to the point of being needless, as if the developer felt it a necessary touch of modernity, but has little practical application. Levelling up rewards players with superficially different background motifs, for what it’s worth.
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The local multiplayer allows 2-4 player battles, again with AI, human players, or a mix. Here, the game takes cues from Puyo Pop and Bust-A-Move, seeing each layout representing a round, and the first player to destroy all their bricks claiming a point. Should players lose their ball, they’re met with some tougher bricks, which require extra hits to clear. This is fun to play with friends, capturing a level of unpredictability, immediacy and fun necessary for successful multiplayer party sessions.
Elsewhere, it’s a bit uninspired. There’s a windowed version of the 1986 arcade game for purists in the form of Retro mode, and Neo, a gruelling 45-level marathon that sees the player tackling levels with three lives. This is diverting enough for a while, but major difficulty spikes and some incredibly tedious levels will test most gamers’ patience. Some levels last far too long, and the seeming inability to save along the way is a deal-breaker.
Elsewhere, it’s a bit uninspired. There’s a windowed version of the 1986 arcade game for purists in the form of Retro mode, and Neo, a gruelling 45-level marathon that sees the player tackling levels with three lives. This is diverting enough for a while, but major difficulty spikes and some incredibly tedious levels will test most gamers’ patience. Some levels last far too long, and the seeming inability to save along the way is a deal-breaker.
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Presentation is tidy if artistically unremarkable. Admittedly, there’s not a great deal you could really expect from the paddles and bricks, and though simple and unremarkable, they are at least clearly defined. The backgrounds add a little pyrotechnic exuberance to proceedings, with a bit of glitch art cropping up during multiplayer matches, whilst the electronic music marks a serviceable though largely unmemorable accompaniment.
Arkanoid: Eternal Battle will likely live and die on how long you remain enamoured of its online mode. Should the novel, surprisingly high-stakes elimination mode take your fancy, it may prove one of those slow-burns you’ll return to over time. Otherwise, there aren’t enough compelling reasons to hold your attention, and you’ll need to lean on friends and the Versus mode to glean any significant value from the package. Unsurprisingly, it’s one Breakout genre fans and retro apologists will get the most out of, but there are better old-school arcade revivalists doing the rounds.
Arkanoid: Eternal Battle will likely live and die on how long you remain enamoured of its online mode. Should the novel, surprisingly high-stakes elimination mode take your fancy, it may prove one of those slow-burns you’ll return to over time. Otherwise, there aren’t enough compelling reasons to hold your attention, and you’ll need to lean on friends and the Versus mode to glean any significant value from the package. Unsurprisingly, it’s one Breakout genre fans and retro apologists will get the most out of, but there are better old-school arcade revivalists doing the rounds.
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VERDICT"Eternal Battle gets most of the basics right, but it doesn’t make a particularly persuasive case for those less familiar with the eighties arcade classic. A lack of panache and replay value hinder an otherwise competent outing." OVERALL: 5/10 |
OTHER GAMES INSPIRED BY ARKANOID REVIEWED
Breakout 2000 (1996, Jaguar)
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Nervous Brickdown (2007, DS)
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