

Say one thing about Say one thing about Breakout: The Dark Prison by LaterSoft, say it has some serious ambitions as an action RPG game. Being ambitious is one thing I can’t get enough when it comes to gaming in general. If the developers are taking on a huge challenge, I’d be ready to wager that I’m going to be happy with the final product, even if it's not perfect. This in part comes from the fact that I’m also a game developer, but it stems more from my desire to be surprised by some work of art. In the case of this game that is soon heading to Android, the thing that surprised me is the level of content depth you can find in this game.

The Storyline





I’ll start by saying that this action RPG has a very defined storyline behind it. The game features the main character who arrives at a prison island in a dystopian future determined to save his daughter, who was kidnapped by unknown but very determined assailants. In the prison, he arrives into a world of its own, full of dangers and also very capable allies. All of this is showcased with action-packed cinematic sequences, branching dialogues with dedicated voice-overs and many other narrative offerings uncommon in mobile games.

Game Mechanics Complexity

In essence, the game is an action title where the players control their character using a third-person camera setup. The desperate father can move in full 3D space, dodge attacks and lash out using several of its own. The entire movement and combat system is reminiscent of the Assassin Creed series, where every encounter has a tactical side related to the spatial positioning and right timing. Yet, the mechanics can be picked up quickly, especially thanks to a great tutorial. Outside of combat, the players have their hub where they will be able to upgrade their character in an XP system worth of PC RPG games, as well as craft items, buy and sell gear and so much more between the missions. As a free-to-play title, most of the monetization will also take place in this segment, but right now it does not seem as anything resembling pay-to-win titles.

The Dark Prison Graphics





When it comes to environmental design, the game is stunning. It offers a combo of closed spaces and enclosed parts of the prison, all along providing a very defined overall space - here, you can think of the places in the Escape from New York/Los Angeles films or The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay game. There’s a bit less consistent with the character design but they too working in the sense of everything being in a dystopian hellhole. Naturally, the level of visuals and animations will require a somewhat more up-to-date Android device to play smoothly, but nothing spectacular.

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