Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 Comments by Dan Whitehead

I played this just this morning, and bought it right after the first game. It was just so pretty. And hectic.

Great game.

This is much better than the first imo. Easier too (thank god).

@Darren:

"For a vector-based game"

I'd love you to find me a 3D game that isn't based on vectors ;)

This game just makes me so happy.

I do feel a little sorry for Schizoid. Calling it redundant even though the co-op mechanics you're outlining in your review aren't actually the ones used in Schiz...

Was that a mistake or just a lack of understanding of the game? Just interested to know, I'm having a debate with someone at the minute about it and it'd be nice to know why you wrote what you did.

Super Stardust HD>Geometry Wars 2

^ why? Care to explain ? Have you played, any of them ?

edit: nevermind..., just saw your gamertag, and the last time you've been on Live was 2007, and since this game came out today, you said that..., well... just "because". lol!. That must be some kinda english clever humour I don't get it.

I do feel a little sorry for Schizoid. Calling it redundant even though the co-op mechanics you're outlining in your review aren't actually the ones used in Schiz...

Was that a mistake or just a lack of understanding of the game? Just interested to know, I'm having a debate with someone at the minute about it and it'd be nice to know why you wrote what you did.

That was me misremembering what Schizoid was like, which doesn't say much for Schizoid's impact. Or, let's be honest, my ability to check back to a review I wrote a few weeks ago.

I still feel that GW2 renders a lot of what Schizoid attempted fairly redundant though. The goal of being "the most co-op game ever" is just as effectively achieved by playing GW2 in co-pilot mode, and there are a lot more ways you can play it. Schizoid's a decent game based on a fun idea, but it's nowhere near the game that Geometry Wars 2 is.

SOLD!!!

Cheers for the reply.

He claimed it proved you never played Schizoid in the first place whereas I argued it was a mistake and an overly enthusiastic approach to the GW2 review.

Aside from that slip the rest of the review seemed fairly good, I've only played the demo of GW2 though, damn, I just needed 200 points more ;_;

I think the trouble with Schizoid is that it was pretty clearly influenced by Geometry Wars, but the developers wanted to do something original with the framework - which is commendable - and went with the no-shooting co-op angle. Now that Geometry Wars 2 has co-op, that pretty much eliminates Schizoid's unique selling point. Even the no-shooting element, if you play GW2 in co-op Pacifism mode.

I didn't mean to sound too down on Schizoid, since it's a decent game.

Oh no, I didn't think you were being too down on it, seeing as it doesn't even use shooting at all you surely can't have been referring to schiz when you said,

"In this configuration, one player steers while the other shoots. This was the basis for recent XBLA release Schizoid"

errrr. No, I've not even played it and even I know that. Never mind though, be nice to get EG to change that bit though, I'm sure not too many people will be bothered but it is a little...well, wrong.

As I said though, aside from that I enjoyed the rest of the review.

Purchased this evening as soon as I got in from work. Am not disappointed. The extra modes are brilliant (King & Pacifism being my personal faves).

To summarise it's like crack flavoured heroin with a light dusting of icing sugar on top.

Schizoid is in fact a really great little game. Play it now and have fun!

The new Geom Wars is also entirely aces. Treaty is doing my head in - TWENTY FUCKING SEVEN before I get battered and yet - it still somehow feels fair and attainable... *can't wait for lunch to try it again*

GW:RE1 was just too hard for me, but this one seems way more playable.

Best XBLA purchase ever! Superb game.

I just spent a 90 mins playing it and thought I had only been on for around half an hour. Totally absorbing just one more go action. Even if you thought Retro Evolved was too hard this is a game for anyone who ever fancied a bit of a blast to take their minds off a stressful day.

Ok been playing if for some time now and it is amazingly great. Best Robotron ever... seriously, I do not how they did it but it feels like a totally new game while being familiar at the same time. Like your girfriend wearing a wig :) Lot's of nice little fixes, like the grid only showing up during explosions. Awesome stuff.

Should easily have been a 10... I wonder who will be able to top this next few years.

I've only been able to play the demo so far (payday today!) but even so I think it's an amazing, amazing game. Games like this are the reason I own a 360 - I've never been too interested in the full price titles (save for the Halos, Guitar Heros, Grand Theft Autos etc.) I ended up playing the demo for an hour and a half - deadline mode over and over and over again, and I still loved it.

XBLA needs to be totally full of unique games of this quality.

I'm moving house this weekend so I'm going to lose the luxury of being able to play it on the family 50" telly in gorgeous 1080p - I'm worried it'll be harder to distinguish things amongst the chaos on a regular SD tv, anyone else compared GeoWars2 1080p to Standard def? How does it hold up?

Geometry wars was horribly over rated, and too hard for its own good.

haha, spot the guy who was shit at geometry wars.

yeah that treaty achievement was doing my head in last night (early hours of this morning), 25 was my best but I'm old and my reflexes ain't what they used to be, but bloody hell did I want just one more go. Completely exhausted at work today of course, and all I can think of is getting back on it later. Awesome game, a great improvement over the original what with all the extra game content. Well worth the 800 points in my opinion.

Bought. Fantastic. Pacifism is the most absorbing compelling gaming experience I've had for some time :p

The game looks amazing but I don't like all of the cosmetic little changes though, like why the redesign of a couple of the enemies (pink homing missile and that one that has a shield and tries to ram you...) I was used to how they looked already and I'm not a massive fan of the slight 3Dfying of the enemies. But these are minor gripes. Oh, and I HATE the 'waves' enemies, wish they weren't in the Retro Evolved game :( I'm split on the multiplier scoring thing too, I would like the retro evolved game to be just like GW1 but with the higher res visuals but we can't get everything we want (PATCH!!)

Ok, sounds like I'm full of gripes but they are minor minor ones and this is probably the best 800 points I'll spend this year.

Fabolous little title, I just wish I knew how to be 'good' at it. It's so simple, but so damn hard! The easiest way to see what's going on is to stop shooting, which is frankly genius in itself. Pacifism is totally superb. Sequence I'm struggling with entirely, but it'll click at some point.

Having the Leaderboard as being constantly visible is a very clever way to promote that 'just one more go' effect. I like the multiplier effect as it encourages you to roam and collect the Geoms, as opposed to fighting your corner and/or smart bombing the galaxy.

Total Genius, BC.

P.S. Waves is a bitch. That is all.

Game of the year for me. Wonderful stuff and for such a great price.

@Balti

Although smart bombing is sort of encouraged, too. I've often smart bombed even in situations I feel I have under control, just because of the geom drop I'll get. You can add loads to your multiplier if you smartbomb right in the middle of a swarm of those snakey ones.

Also, Professor McGameDesign should give his students Portal for homework, and then follow it up with lashings of delicious GW2.

This game is very sexual on the eyes. How can something so simple looking simultaneously look so awesome?
I loved the first one, and this one seems like it has improved on it in every way.
Now I've only been on it for like 30 minutes, but is it just me being shit or is there no longer any sort of power up on your blaster? That's the only thing that seems like a slightly strange change to the gameplay :/

I do like how there is no lengthy easy beginning to this one, on the first one getting to 20'000 was kind of boring, this one looks like it kicks in the difficulty a lot faster.

had one go on the demo at around 10pm last night, bought the full game straight after then played some more, great game, shame about lack of xbox live multiplayer - but really really cool