Geometry Wars 2 is even more evolved!!
User Rating: 9.5 | Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 X360
Geometry Wars is back with an even more visually stimulating and challenging experience, bringing with it six different gameplay modes, glowing in psychedelic design both visually and auditorily. Like the previous Geometry War title that made its debut on XBLA a while back, Retro Evolved 2 is a balance of survival and point scoring. In the original title, points are scored by killing enemies, but point multipliers were accumulated by surviving longer, with the point multiplier being reset upon death. In GWRE2, point multipliers are accumulated by picking up the tiny green remains of destroyed enemies, and accumulate throughout the various game modes and do not reset upon death. Though, like the previous Geometry Wars, eventually a point is reached in which the game becomes so increasingly difficult that defeat is inevitable. There in lies the challenge of knowing one's limits, and using what time one can survive to accumulate more and more points. Even for those who aren't into point whoring, this game still provides a challenging and visually stimulating experience. Retro Evolved 2 is composed of simple geometric shapes that glow with a heavily saturated, fuzzy neon lighting, and because of this simplicity the game overwhelmes the screen with so many enemies, and because of its simplicity runs smooth and flawless. Even veterans of the original Geometry Wars will find it at first to be too visually overwhelming, though, this doesn't remain to be an issue with practice. One thing Retro Evolved 2 does right is that it starts the game off with all the game modes but one locked. The player must accumulate enough points in a certain game mode to unlock the others. This caters to beginners at first, as it keeps them playing longer and longer until they unlock the next mode, giving them more practice for game modes they should improve on. However, one is not required to reach a certain score in any given session. If one can only score a small amount of points, they may need to replay a mode many many times to unlock the next one. If they can score more points, they may only have to replay each level a couple times. However, it doesn't take long to unlock all the game modes. Each game mode is unique in its own way, though some are easier to survive longer on and others aren't. Each game mode also has its own soundtrack, and sometimes the soundtrack dictates the tempo of the action and other times the tempo of the action dictates the music. Gravity wells are stronger and more manageable, and warp both the game's sound/music and visuals like never before, thus adding to the whole psychedelic effect. The various game modes are...
DEADLINE: you have unlimited lives, limited bombs, and only 3 minutes to score as many points as possible.
KING: only one life, no bombs, the player must shoot objects from inside sanctuary bubbles before the bubble shrinks, and once outside the bubble the player cannot shoot, but must use such time to navigate safely to the next bubbles and collect as many point multipliers along the way, once inside new bubble can resume shooting.
EVOLVED: a remake of the original game, 3 lives 3 bombs and the chance to see how long one can survive and/or how many points they can get.
PACIFISM: one life, no bombs, no shooting, the player must avoid death as long as possible, with the only ability to destroy other enemies is by passing through gates which detonate upon passing through.
WAVES: one life, no bombs, the player must battle wave after wave of horizontal and vertical swinging walls of enemies that move back and forward repetitively and spawn in giant rows.
SEQUENCE: 3 lives, 3 bombs, 20 pre-determined levels, the goal is to make it through all 20 alive. On can survive each level by killing all the enemies before time runs out, or by letting time run out. Death not only loses a life and but also automatically moves player to next level.
I give Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 a 9.5/10 for its excellent presentation and addictive gameplay. Though the game is a lot smaller than larger and more expensive games, so is its price, and offers as much gaming fun per dollar as the best of them. As an XBLA game, this one is as good as they come. Again, I'm rating this as a downloadable game, not how it compares to a full priced, over the counter, AAA game like Halo 3 or Metal Gear Solid 4. I'm putting it under "very hard", just because this game is too difficult to keep playing forever (as it should be), and classifying it as "old school" (for reasons that should seem obvious).
