Breakers Collection Review (Xbox Series X)

Recently I was allowed to review a Fighting Arcade game on the Xbox, and to be honest, I don’t play many Fighting games unless it is something close to Street Fighter. The game I was able to play was developed and published by QUByte Interactive and that was Breakers Collection. So this collection consists of not just one game but two games Breakers and Breakers Revenge and from my understanding, these two are games that were released back in 1996 for Neogeo Arcade and then a sequel was released afterward in 1998 that added more characters and gameplay. Before we dive into my first impression of this game and what I found so far here is the launch trailer:

As I mention before fighting Genre Game isn’t my strong suit, but sometimes I like to give it a chance and find out what games are out there so I can enjoy them. I gave Breakers Collection a chance with that because when I first saw the gameplay and glimpse of the trailer, I was like this feels like playing Street Fighter back in the days when I used to hang out at my local arcade spot. Let’s dive in and talk about the Breakers Collection.

Gameplay

So interesting fun fact I found out Breakers Collection supports crossplay across all platforms on launch day. In the Breakers Collectio,n we will talk about the first of two games which is Breakers this version of the game consists of a roster of eight different characters each representing different countries and bringing their unique fighting style, similar to what Street Fighter and other 2D fighting games do when you are picking a character.

The game itself includes the following game mode you can pick which Arcade Mode, Versus Mode, and Team Battle Modes, which are the pretty common modes in most fighting games so nothing too special but something gamers understand.

However, with Breakers Revenge, the changes are much more besides new characters and extra new gameplay modes you can play. They added a new character Saizo who is from Japan and they made Bai hu who was the final boss is now a playable character. In addition to the new characters, there are a few new game modes that were added on top of the other modes that the First Breaker already has which are online mode and practice mode.

Game balance feels like it needs some reworks, especially with the CPU whenever you played alone, in one fight the first round was pretty simple and I didn’t have any trouble whatsoever but then when the second round came, the CPU became a bit more aggressive and started dashing out more moves then the First round CPU. So either after each round, it becomes super challenging or the CPU just got smarter. It won’t be easy for new players who don’t play fighting games a lot, and even though I was able to play on the easiest difficulty, it isn’t easy still.

Controls

So in both games, the fighter’s move buttons such as punch, throw, dash, and kick moves are pretty straightforward and I didn’t have too much of a problem learning the in and out, and also when you go into the pause menu if you want to figure out how to do combo moves, etc. there is a move list and it will help you. Special moves in the game took a while for me to master and get used to the controllers because just like in other 2D fighters games, you will have to hold and move the stick in opposite direction or go up diagonally and then press the attack button or forward button. It will take some time to master, but if you are a gamer who is familiar with playing 2D fighting games, this will be familiar territory for sure.

Audio and Graphics

In both games, of the collection, I love the beautiful 2D pixelated visual of the characters and level design. It is so retro and I love the retro vibe this game brings out, it is not always about having the best graphics but a familiar artwork style that gamers can recognize. Each of the characters looks so unique and even their stance stands out on top with the soundtrack of the game. It suits the game well and is enjoyable because it keeps you on your feet like you are in a real fight.

Conclusion

Well on top of what I experience so far and how the game is, I can say it is a good retro 2D fighting arcade game that is both enjoyable online and offline. This is a game that you can just pick up and play anytime without having to remember a lot. It has that similar feeling of just going down the street on the weekend and putting some quarters in the machine to play a couple of matches against the CPU or with some friends. I think the best part of this game is online where you can play with anyone no matter what platform they are on because this gives you a more player-based circle and the opportunity to find other players similar to your skill level or better to challenge yourself.  There is some part of the game that needs a little polishing but it is an enjoyable fighting game and it has a retro vibe to it which makes it more nostalgic.

Overall: 7.0

Visuals: 7.0
Audio: 7.0
Gameplay: 7.0

Breakers Collection

Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Developer: QUByte Interactive
Publisher: QUByte Interactive
Release Date: 12th January 2023

A Review copy was provided