Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved

 
Developer: Bizarre Creations
Steam Release: Mar 2007
Hours Played: 22.9
Similar To: Arena 3D / Bezier / Beat Hazard / Tachyon Project / Waves 
Rating: 3/5 Parsnips



GAMEPLAY
So let's not beat around the bush: Geometry Wars is the quintessential twin-stick shooter that most others are measured by and in the case of this timeless classic, simplicity wins the day. Shoot enemies, see how far you get and go for your high-score. Bish, bash, bosh. Your battleground takes up almost one screen and you start in true Asteroids fashion: with your horseshoe-shaped ship in the middle. With one hand controlling movement and the other controlling the firing (if you're a keyboard person), a few enemies of simple geometric shapes appear on screen. It is then a case of avoiding them and firing at them as they gradually increase in volume and intensity. There are only about 8-10 different enemies and they each move in a certain pattern. 


BALANCE & PACE
Diamond blue ones and the square purple ones which split in two can be dispatched easily while the square green ones dance around and avoid your stream of missiles annoyingly. You get three ships to start with plus three smart-bombs which destroy everything on the screen in one satisfying blast. Gameplay is initially quite calm and a bit of a breeze as you only get a few basic enemies to start with but proceedings soon get absorbing and intense. Explosions are superb and as the enemies increase in both number and variety, the sparkling, kaleidoscopic explosions give a thrill not unlike that first sizzling fireworks display that you saw as a kid. Movement is ultra-responsive and silky smooth - and the first reaction you'll have when the Game Over notice appears is to immediately jump back in for another crack!


PRESENTATION & DESIGN
Geometry Wars is a breath of fresh air in every way and that includes the simplicity of its menus. From the main screen, with its sparkling background, you get the bog-standard paths. Everything is instant - not a load screen in sight - and all is intuitive and straightforward. Leaderboards store your ten best scores - and that's it. There are no worlds, areas, levels or missions to complete. Music-wise, there seems to be just the one track – that you’ll quickly become familiar with – and this fits in totally with the mood and shuffly style of play you have to adopt. Sound-effects, it has to be said, are not up to much though consisting, as they do, of simple electronic squelches and buzzes. In the sound-effect department, Defender - this is not.

PROGRESS SYSTEM
Without a map-screen or campaign mode in sight, let alone anything as superfluous as a level-select screen, Geometry Wars is solely about improving your high-score. There is really not much more that can be said here other than the game may have benefited from allowing different user-profiles. It must be disheartening if you love the game yet can’t get a look-in on the leaderboard because one of your family members is just crushing it. Alternatively, why not add even more high-score slots? Why stop at ten? It is a minor gripe but at least this may have allowed something to aim for and made subsequent games a little more meaningful.

CONCLUSION
Geometry Wars is the grandaddy of the twin-stick shooter game. Let’s just accept that fact. If you love twin-stick shooters then not having this game in your library is like a drama enthusiast not having seen The Sopranos or Breaking Bad. With each game lasting around 3-5 minutes, a usual session might have you playing about five or six games or a 20-30 minute blast making it the ideal pick and play game and a title you'll definitely come back to again and again. And if that’s not enough it has an absolutely superb, kick-ass sequel.