Over the past 30 years, I’ve played thousands of video games. Many of them I played through once, and that was good enough. Others I played through multiple times (especially when I was playing console generations 3 through 5), and some I couldn’t get enough of bought them across consoles. The latter option didn’t really come to be until generation 7, when HD collections became popular. In a time when it seems like first party studios are starting to focus on remaking their own IPs instead of focusing on something new, remasters and remakes are beginning to seem trite. However, bringing games stranded on previous consoles is a worthy cause, especially when it’s a classic.
Shatter is such a special game. It comes from an age when “downloadable games” were seen as a tier to themselves, generally smaller and cheaper to make. If you couldn’t get your game on disc, it could be published as digital only. While there were definitely studios trying to make a quick buck with this rollout, the output was shockingly low compared to the weekly releases these days. There also seemed to be some sort of quality bar then, which made any purchase not feel like a total waste. And for people that loved the brick breaking genre, this was an absolute treat that redefined what a brick breaker could be.
For anyone unfamiliar with what this genre is, you control a paddle at the edge of the screen, and you need to clear all the bricks/blocks that are on the screen. It’s a very simple concept, yet very appealing to my (and many others’) OCD. While single player Pong with power ups is nice, this game shatters the slow build up and throws in plenty to keep your attention.
First off, the soundtrack. Whenever this game is brought up from its time on PS3, the soundtrack is mentioned, and with good reason. It is an absolute banger. The thumping bass, the high energy, and the easily repeatable loops make this a standout. It was one of the few soundtracks that were made available to purchase on the PSN, with its own PS3 application for download. I still listen to it regularly.
When you jump into the game proper, there’s a lot more control over clearing levels than there is in its predecessors. The game allows you to pull and push the ball with a vortex. Pick up enough shards, and you’re able to rain down a bullet hell on the blocks. There are also power ups, such as an extra maneuverable ball, a ball that will just plow through about anything it comes into contact with, double shards, and extra balls. If you’re confident in your abilities, you can use your extra balls (lives) to speed up the brick breaking with multiple balls on screen. The game is quite generous with these, especially when you’re getting low.
Outside of the waves placing you at the bottom of the screen, the side, or on a circle’s diameter, there are bosses for each level. Each boss has a different approach for defeat, and is a breath of fresh air from the norm. They can also be rather tense, especially if you’re going for a no continues run. To be honest though, I generally had an easier time with the bosses than regular the circle levels.
Once you complete the game, you’ll have access to additional modes, such as boss rush and the bonus levels. These were available originally, but what I don’t remember are the endless and time trial modes. Both of these can also be played in co-op, which is a nice addition. If you don’t care about being at the top of the leaderboards or getting the platinum, this will last you just a couple hours. Even then, it’s worth playing through at least once.
I will say that I had more trouble with the game this time around. That may purely be because I played this 13 years ago when my reflexes we’re better, but some of the physics/hit boxes seemed off. Additionally, the bosses didn’t always take consistent damage from the same attacks. This was frustrating when attempting to get the ten minute rush trophy. I spent five minutes on the first boss because the barrage of attacks barely moved the needle. I remember on PS3 if you were lucky enough to get the ball to hit just right, you could basically kill a boss in one hit because it would bounce back and forth on the weak spot. That certainly wasn’t the case on the PS5. I also lost more balls than I should’ve because of seemingly inconsistent physics with ball bounces. The coding on that is probably exactly the same and I’ve just lost my skills though.
If you’ve never played Shatter, you owe it to yourself to pick it up. If you enjoyed it previously, it’s worth picking up again. This is still the masterclass of the genre.
9 out of 10
Pros
- Soundtrack
- Powers and Abilities
- Varied Bosses
Cons
- Potentially Inconsistent Physics
- Unintentionally Spongey Bosses in Boss Rush Mode
Shatter Remastered Deluxe was developed and published by PikPok. The game is available on NS, PC, PS4, PS5, X1, XSX. The game was provided to us for review on PS5. If you’d like to see more of Shatter Remastered Deluxe, check out the official site.
Here at GBG we use a rating method that you are more than likely familiar with – a scale of 1 to 10. For clarification, we intend on using the entire scale: 1-4 is something you should probably avoid paying for; 5-7 is something that is worth playing, but probably not at full price; 8-10 is a great title that you can feel confident about buying. If you have any questions or comments about how we rate a game, please let us know.
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