Dungeonoid 2 Awakening (Nintendo Switch) Review

Move a paddle from left to right, deflecting a bouncing ball towards bricks that must be broken. Missed hitting the ball? Life lost. That's the basic gist behind Breakout, and Dungeonoid 2 plays pretty much the same. Moreover, and like with its "father" Arkanoid, the paddle can also receive upgrades, and even downgrades, depending in which falling bonus item it will touch. What separates this from other titles of its ilk is that it mixes typical Breakout gameplay, with a D&D theme.

The screen isn't static here, but constantly moves as if on an adventure. The paddle will pass through forests, graveyards, and castle corridors, with the ball having to break bricks, and occasionally hit enemies, while the paddle tries keeping the ball from "falling," as well as avoiding incoming damage towards the actual paddle. Typical of the setting, players can choose between four different classes, each one with its pros and cons. Sadly, while an otherwise interesting concept, in practice it's not that exciting as it sounds.

There are two reasons why this isn't such a fine experience. The first is kind of a practical one, and it is how annoying playing it can be. Half the time you can't see what's going on! The ball is a tiny bundle of pixels flying in a widescreen background that is filled with props of all kinds, with some items acting as obstacles, while others are just part of the scenery and can't be touched by the ball - and it isn't exactly clear just by looking what can be hit or not. Even worse are the various "fireworks" on offer, like when the player manages to make a group of bricks explode, creating a mess where the ball is hidden behind, making it easy to lose its track… and a life.

The second issue is that Dungeonoid 2 isn't that varied in what it has to offer. The paddle can get wider or narrower, there's a sword swing move that can be activated every five or so seconds that lets one damage the ball's surrounding area, there are enemies to beat, and bosses to fight… and not much else, to be honest. Simply put, what's on offer is just not enough to make you go back to the few levels at hand and try to get a better rank and/or score. Just play good 'ol Arkanoid…