Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Bricks of Atlantis builds on the classic Arkanoid formula established by its predecessors, Bricks of Egypt and Bricks of Camelot, but brings the action underwater. The core objective remains the same: use a paddle to bounce a ball and clear every brick on the screen. What sets this entry apart is the depth of its item system. Alongside familiar power-ups like the expanded paddle, shrunken paddle, slow ball, fast ball, sticky paddle, multi-ball, poison, and extra life, you’ll also encounter a host of helpful fish that swim onto the playfield to assist you.

The marine theme isn’t just aesthetic. Jellyfish hazards drift among the bricks, temporarily blocking your path and requiring precise shots to eliminate. This adds an extra layer of challenge, as you must aim carefully to remove both jellyfish and bricks in the same volley. At the same time, the new fish power-ups can automatically clear a line of bricks, create temporary barriers, or even grant brief invincibility, giving you multiple strategic options.

With 190 levels in total, Bricks of Atlantis offers a substantial campaign. Initially, you can choose from five level packs of eight levels each, and as you master these, you unlock five additional packs of sixteen levels apiece. For the keenest explorers, there’s a secret Bonus pack—if you do the math, you’ll find it contains 70 extra stages. The unlocking system and wide variety of level designs keep the gameplay fresh and encourage repeat plays to discover hidden gem mechanics.

The difficulty curve is well paced, starting you off with straightforward brick patterns and gradually introducing moving obstacles, tougher brick types, and intricate layouts. Boss-style encounters aren’t present, but later stages feel almost boss-like in their complexity. Between power-up management, hazard avoidance, and level design, Bricks of Atlantis strikes a satisfying balance between accessibility for newcomers and depth for veterans of the genre.

Graphics

Visually, Bricks of Atlantis dives into a vibrant undersea world. The background art depicts sunken ruins, coral gardens, and drifting schools of fish, providing a lively backdrop to the brick-breaking action. Each level pack introduces new color palettes—from deep blues and purples to glowing teal and green—keeping the scenery from feeling repetitive over the course of nearly 200 stages.

Brick designs range from standard colored blocks to ornate tiles resembling seashells, pearls, and ancient Atlantean symbols. When you hit a brick, the breaking animation leaves behind bubbles and a small shimmering splash, reinforcing the aquatic theme. Jellyfish obstacles pulsate with an eerie glow, making them easy to identify, and the helper fish have distinct shapes and colors so you can quickly recognize their abilities.

Frame rates remain smooth even in the busiest moments, with multiple balls, power-up effects, and background animations all running without slowdown. Subtle particle effects—like drifting plankton or cascading sand—add a sense of depth, and the UI is clean and unobtrusive. Overall, the graphics strike an excellent balance between polished presentation and functional clarity, ensuring you always know what’s happening in the heat of play.

While the art style leans more toward cartoony than realistic, it perfectly complements the arcade nature of the game. Menus and HUD elements use sleek, semi-transparent panels that keep focus on the playfield. Whether you’re on a high-resolution PC monitor or a smaller laptop screen, Bricks of Atlantis maintains crisp visuals and clear, colorful cues that are essential for timing-precise gameplay.

Story

Bricks of Atlantis doesn’t deliver a heavy narrative, but it provides enough context to keep you engaged through each level pack. You play as an intrepid explorer diving into the lost city of Atlantis, aiming to uncover its secrets by clearing away layers of ancient masonry. The game’s sense of progression mirrors this idea, with early levels focused on outer ruins and later stages delving into grand temples and treasure chambers.

Cutscenes are minimal, consisting mostly of brief illustrated panels between packs that depict your exploration vessel descending or discovering a sealed gateway. These show just enough to evoke curiosity without interrupting the flow of gameplay. Text prompts introduce new power-ups and hazards, framing them as Atlantean artifacts or marine creatures native to the submerged world.

Though there isn’t heavy character development or branching plotlines, the thematic consistency and subtle storytelling through environments create a light but engaging narrative framework. Finding secret alcoves and bonus stages feels like uncovering hidden archives, and the gradual reveal of the final Bonus pack offers a sense of triumph akin to discovering a lost treasure trove.

For players who appreciate a narrative thread in their arcade games, Bricks of Atlantis delivers a lean but satisfying story experience. It never overshadows the core brick-breaking fun, yet it adds flavor and motivation, making each new set of levels feel like the next chapter in your deep-sea adventure.

Overall Experience

Bricks of Atlantis stands out as a polished and content-rich entry in the brick-breaker genre. Its marine theme, extensive level count, and inventive use of both classic and new power-ups provide hours of varied gameplay. The gradual difficulty increase and unlocking mechanics keep the experience engaging from beginning to end.

Graphically vibrant and technically stable, the game runs smoothly across a range of systems. Each level pack offers distinct visual motifs, and the clever use of fish helpers and jellyfish hazards injects novelty into the well-trodden brick-breaking formula. Sound design complements the visuals with bubbly effects and an ambient soundtrack that reinforces the undersea setting.

Although the story is light, it succeeds at giving purpose to the wave after wave of brick formations. The sense of progression—unlocking new areas of Atlantis—keeps you motivated, and the secret Bonus pack is a welcome reward for dedicated players. Whether you’re a genre veteran or a newcomer seeking an arcade-style challenge, Bricks of Atlantis delivers a robust package with impressive replayability.

Overall, this sequel manages to honor the mechanics that made its forebears popular while introducing fresh elements that breathe new life into the series. With nearly 200 levels to conquer and a charming underwater world to explore, Bricks of Atlantis is a highly recommended pick for anyone looking for addictive, pick-up-and-play arcade action.

Retro Replay Score

6.9/10