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| | Title:
Geometry Wars
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System:
Xbox Live Arcade
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Genre:
Arcade
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Publisher:
Microsoft
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Developer:
Bizarre Creations
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Release:
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Online:
Yes
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ESRB:
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Arcade games are a wonderful distraction from the next-gen titles of the Xbox 360. It is true that back in the day when arcade machines dotted the globe that many were mindless, ugly, and downright boring. While the arcade industry is all but dead, there has been a savior for this type of game in the form of Xbox Live. What is so great about Xbox Live is none of the games are terrible. In fact Xbox Live brings only those games which were popular to the general masses. Some titles are old favorites but the real gems are the original titles. One of these gems is Geometry Wars Retro Evolved.
Geometry Wars was created by the minds behind the amazing racing series Project Gotham Racing. It is true no one would really expect a company with such expertise to create a simple arcade game, but the team has outdone themselves. The original Geometry Wars came packaged with Project Gotham Racing 2, and gave players a nice diversion from barreling down the streets of Venice in their exotic car. The graphics of the original Geometry Wars were simple and the controls, easy to learn. It was very difficult though and had a rather steep learning curve. Being able to keep an eye on multiple enemies at once while at the same time deciding which one was easiest to take out was instrumental in getting high scores. Needless to say, despite these slight setbacks the original Geometry Wars was a surprising hit. Now as we enter into the next era of gaming, Geometry Wars has also followed. Now packaged as a demo with PGR3 or as a five dollar purchase from the Xbox Live marketplace, Geometry Wars Retro Evolved fixes all the mistakes of the original and brings in a whole new level of addicting gameplay and challenge.
The first thing players are going to notice when they start up Geometry Wars Retro Evolved is how simple it is to get into the game. Players can start a new game, check the leader boards or learn how to play the game through a text tutorial. There really are no bells and whistles to the menu system but with a game as simple as Geometry Wars there really doesn’t need to be.
Once the game starts the graphical wow comes in full swing. Right away veterans of the original will notice how much more interesting the graphics have become. Your ship, while the same color and shape, now has a wonderful glow to it as do all the other enemies (both old and new) you’ll encounter. The background is now a subtle grid of dark blue as opposed to the empty black void of the original. What is cool is how this background reacts to the battle being fought. It will warp as energy blasts are fired across it or when those pesky red orbs get ready to explode. The only downside to this warping is that it makes the screen very chaotic to the point where it is hard to distinguish some enemies. A few times this resulted in unnecessary deaths. The particle effects are probably the most impressive aspect of the game. Each and every enemy, when destroyed, explodes like a firework. Now imagine hundreds of enemies on screen with you destroying them as quickly as possible. It is eye candy galore.
Controlling your “ship” has also been improved immensely. First off, the ship is now faster making avoiding enemy fire or collisions much easier. Also the rate of fire coming from the ship has been increased as well as the number of angles that it can be shot at. No more having to barely get out of the way of an enemy just to find you can’t shoot that way. As a result the gameplay of Retro Evolved is much faster than its older brother. It just feels like a better experience as you play. In addition to this, the new progression system built into Retro Evolved makes the game accessible to all gamers. What the game does is that it slowly introduces new enemies to the player, letting them get used to encounter and to understand how the enemy reacts. The game then quickly says, “ok now deal with a hundred of them.” This approach makes the game addicting like no other in a long time. The constant drive to do better, to see how long someone can last before finally dying, is something that few games have ever achieved. Couple all this with a simple, but effective, soundtrack and the ability to see leader boards and Xbox Live has itself a sleeper hit.
Geometry Wars Retro Evolved is one of the best Xbox Live games out there. For only five dollars gamers can enter into an addicting world of a simple shooter that offers up an amazing experience. While the game does get difficult quickly, and the warping does inhibit some of the gameplay, it is easy to get used to. Go download the four minute demo or purchase it from Xbox Live, now.
| The Core Score |
Overall
9.4 |
| Fun |
|
9 |
| Gameplay |
|
9 |
| Graphics |
|
8 |
| Audio |
|
8 |
| Replay |
|
10 |
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