Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is the first, true sequel to the wildly successful entry that spawned a slew of twin stick shooters for Microsoft's arcade platform on the Xbox 360. Like any good sequel, Evolved 2 manages to introduce quite a few new modes; some slightly tweaked and balanced gameplay improvements, but yet keeps the initial formula intact that made the first Geometry Wars such an excellent title.
Like in the previous GW, you'll pilot a small ship against hordes of various enemies, all of which stay true to the "geometry" theme of the game. You'll notice that a lot of enemies are making a return here, like the purple cubes that split into two smaller cubes when hit, or the blue and orange snakes that can only be destroyed by hitting their head. However, a few new additions pop up, such as the mostly benign pink dual squares, and for the most part all the additions provide an excellent challenge, at least in large numbers.
The controls are entirely the same as well, you pilot with the left stick, aim and fire with the right, and use the bumper to unleash a screen-clearing bomb. The simple controls are definitely part of what makes Geometry Wars such an appealing game, truly being a title that the casual crowd can enjoy just as much as the hardcore gamers.
However, while Geometry Wars Evolved simply had one mode, the newest entry introduces 5 more, a couple of which have made appearances in both the DS Galaxies and the Geometry Wars that made an appearance on Project Gotham 4.
This time out, in addition to the standard Evolved mode, you have Deadline, King, Pacifism, Waves, and Sequence. Deadline plays just like Evolved, but with a 3-minute time limit, similar to the popular Pac-Man title from last year. King has you darting between randomly placed circles on the screen. While outside the circles you cannot fire a shot, but the circles themselves only last for a few seconds, making the action on screen pretty frantic. Pacifism disables all the weapons on your ship, and the only way to clear enemies is by flying thru small gates that explode after you pass thru, taking any nearby enemies with them. Waves will send hordes of the new orange ship style enemies at you, bouncing back and forth from a vertical or horizontal pattern. Finally, Sequence is divided into a series of stages that you can either clear by destroying all the enemies within a time limit or simply by dying.
The addition of the 5 new modes adds a whole lot of life to the game than just Evolved, creating separate leaderboards for each mode. Also, the achievement system in Evolved 2 is pretty great, offering a solid variety of challenges for players that enjoying going for a full set. Even if you don't, just attempt a few of the harder ones and see how you do, like the Wax On/Wax Off achievements that require you to skim across all four sides of the stage in Pacifism twice. Trust me, it's a lot easier than it sounds.
The Multiplayer aspect of the original Evolved is back as well, allowing up to 4 players on one console. You can either work in teams, as individuals or against each other, and you can once again have one player pilot while another controls the shooting. Unfortunately there's still no online mode present, so you might not get as much use out of this if you can't get 4 people together at once for a game. However, if you do, it's definitely a blast to try out.
All together Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is a definite improvement on the original, making it another great addition to the XBLA library. Granted, it's not quite as original as the initial entry, but the additions of 5 new modes adds a lot to the game's longevity, and it'll be interesting to see which mode players respond to the most. Definitely worth picking up, whether you were a fan of the original or just a newcomer to the series.
