The first great Live Arcade game is back and better then ever. It’s time to get back in shape with Geometry Wars 2.
The first Geometry Wars did a lot without too much. It really made people sit up and notice the, then fledgling, Xbox Live Arcade. It’s success also lead to the revival of games like Smash TV and later the over saturation of shooters with Undertow and Rocketmen.
The sequel brings a lot more to the table then it’s predecessor did. Most noticeably is the new gametypes. You’ll now have six ways to play Geometry Wars so people of all skill levels will find something they can enjoy. Standouts among the new modes are King, which litters the field with circular safe zones. Enemies can’t enter these areas, and you can’t shoot while outside of them. As you spend time in each space they quickly shrink and disappear. This forces you to plan quickly, shoot yourself a path to the next safe zone and dash to it while your weapons are disabled.
The other big stand out takes the pacifism achievement of the first game and rolls it out into its own mode. You have one life and no guns and tons of enemies to fend off. Your only weapons are gates scattered around the level as you pass thought they will explode and clear the area around them. Quickly identifying clear routes and baiting in more enemies for bigger scores defiantly tests your reflexes.
This update also sports tons of other features. A new coat of neon paint and some great audio work really helps the game feel fresh. Also included is multiplayer . Sadly this feature is limited to local matches with no online play. It’s easy to overlook when you take a second and think about the split second timing this game involves and the insane amount of objects on screen in later stages. Any amount of lag would ruin the experience.
Geometry Wars 2 keeps everything that made the first game so addictive and fun, throws in a ton more, and ratchets the whole experience up to make for one of the best games available on the Live Arcade service.
+ Awesome new game modes
+ New music and visuals
+ Good value
+ Fun Multiplayer
- No online play
Grade: A