Review: Geometry Wars - Retro Evolved 2

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 (2008)
Developer: Bizarre Creations
Platform: X-Box 360
Inductioon Date: 08/02/2008

I hate those passive-aggressive green things.

This new Geometry Wars continue to prove that a classic take on gameplay mechanics is all that is needed to make a brilliant game. The object behind the GW is simple: you are trapped in a confined space with never-ending waves of geometric shapes to shoot at, each with their own unique pattern of movement. Like the arcade games of old such as Galaga or Space Invaders, it's all about reaching for the highest score possible at the end of the game with the glorious wonder of the X-Box Live leaderboard making the bragging rights of being a high ranking player even more addictive.

The black hole is your friend if you know how to use it.

Despite being pretty much the same game as the first Retro Evolved with subtly updated graphics, the game now features 6 distinct play modes: "Evolved" is the typical survival mode where the player starts with a set amount of ships and bombs. "Deadline" gives the player an unlimited amount of lives and the object is the get the highest score possible within a 2-minute timeline. "King" is a bit weird in which circles appear at random spots and the player can only shoot enemies from within it. "Pacifism", as the name implies, involves the player avoiding enemy patterns without the ability to shoot them down - the only way that the player can destroy the enemies is by going through and triggering randomized explosive gates. "Waves" is a diabolical mode where the player must shoot through lines after lines of enemies that move horizontally and vertically - not to mention the other enemies that float about alongside the waves. My favorite mode of all is "Sequence" where the player goes through twenty cleverly designed stages where pattern recognition is mandatory to survive and score points effectively through them.

Enjoy the earlier quiet moments before the whole screen is filled up with enemies.

The addition of "geoms" that are dropped from destroyed enemies is pure genius. These "geoms" serve as a score-multiplying agent so the more you collect them, the more score you can get as you proceed. Even when your ship is destroyed, the geom count is not reduced, making the game less frustrating to play. Retro Evolved 2 is an addicting arcade shooter. I only wish that the planet mode from the Wii's Gemoetry Wars: Galaxies was included here but the additions found within are good enough to justify its $10 price tag.

RATING: 4 out of 5