Xbox 360

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2

I may be waxing lyrical, but I feel like I must. I’ve won the league in Pro Evo 2008 with my created team after hours and hours of gameplay. I’ve finally trumped Go With The Flow on drums at the hard difficulty in Rock Band after thirty attempts. I’ve beaten the devil in Guitar Hero. I’ve beaten the Germans in any number of War simulators. None of these experiences even came close to making me feel as good or as purely happy as finally topping my best score in any of the game modes in Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2. It really is that good, and the fact that its available at only a fraction of the cost of some of the full-priced crap that’s out on the shelves right now is just madness.

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.

Even if you've grown tired of the seemingly endless cavalcade of dual-joystick shooters that Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved's success spawned on Xbox Live Arcade, the sequel is well-worth its $10 price tag.

As we were fans of the last game, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 needed to be exceptional to pull us away, and we're ecstatic that Bizarre Creations exceeded our expectations. Sure, it doesn't have online multiplayer, but its assortment of games and leaderboards are exactly what we wanted. It's hard to imagine even five of this year's games being this much fun.

Visually the game looks better than the previous game, due to some graphical flourishes, but there’s nothing jaw dropping here. The game retains its “retro evolved” look, simplistic objects with beautiful effects. Ships this time around seem to have a Z axis, allowing them to flip and spin, but this doesn’t really affect gameplay. The music continues to be stellar background music for such a psychedelic game. There’s truthfully nothing wrong with this package. If you have any interest in dual stick shooters, Geometry Wars 2 is definitely the cream of the crop.

Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 is excellent, a visual and audio experience which should be played by any gamer. It’s a simple shoot and fly style game but can become highly addictive. As I mentioned the whole point of the game is a high score basis, but the addictive part is simple, to try and beat your high score by those 5 more points. The single and multi player modes are both fun. In multi player both the VS and co-op are fun but the co-op is much more fun than the VS. For the $10 the game is on XBOX Live Arcade, it is definitely worth trying it. You’re sure to have fun for quite some time, and even if you get bored of the game quickly you’ll come back to it at some point and try and beat the elusive 2,000,000 high score in deadline.

Who would have thought that the basic premise of shooting geometric shapes could be so much fun and gather up such a huge following? Bizarre Creations has not only managed to give fans more of what they wanted, but provided more modes and co-op options to make Evolved 2 last a lot longer. The lack of online multiplayer is a sure bummer, but the plethora of other modes more than makes up for it. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is worth every penny it costs, and at such a cheap price (800 points), you will not find a better game on Xbox Live Arcade.

Geometry Wars Evolved 2 is the new high-water mark for XBLA titles. They could have delivered half what they did and wowed gamers, but there is enough here to keep you playing this $10 bargain longer than most $60 retail titles.

Overall, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is a fantastic Xbox LIVE Arcade title and is one game fans new and old will love. Despite the lack of online play, the game is definitely worth the 800 Microsoft Points price tag and one I would recommend to almost anyone.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is a fantastic way to spend your time and money. It takes everything that made the first game work upon it in every conceivable way and is a prime example of the right way to make a sequel.

So how do you make a worthy sequel to such a landmark game? I'm not sure, but Bizarre Creations crafted one damn fine arcade game nonetheless -- a bargain at $10 -- that's jam-packed with enough shape-shooting to last lifetimes. The original Retro Evolved was a great early example of how much fun XBLA could be, and Retro Evolved 2 is a very clear picture of where the service stands now: It's not sure where it wants to go, but it's always, always entertaining.

Every mode also offers 2 player, either working together in cooperative, or competing for score in versus. Single player is still where you'll want to spend most of your time, but it's a welcome addition and now you don't have to ignore that annoying 2nd person in the room... Great for all colours, shapes & sizes, 9/10

Geometry Wars 2 hits all the right notes and is easily one of the best XBLA releases and one of the best games released this year. Bizarre has shown what a developer can do with a seemingly small idea and low budget; turn it into one of the most popular Xbox games around. You simply must play this game if you have an Xbox 360. Just don't blame us when the early hours of the evening quickly become the wee small hours in what seems to be five minutes.

At the end of the day Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is another exceptional addition in a long line of shooters. While it does put a new spin on certain elements the basic principle of play is the same as its predecessors, proving that massive change doesn't always trump simple refinement.

"Geometry Wars Retro Evoled 2" offers a lot of gameplay for the price. The online leader boards always add that extra incentive to beat your friends and the mass amount of gametypes will amuse players for a good while. The graphics and sound are a huge improvement over the previous game and are great on their own. "Geometry Wars Evolved 2" is a huge improvement on the previous game and I highly recommend the game to any fans of the XBLA.

Small problems aside though, this game is more than worth it for the low, low price of ten bucks. The community aspects, the audiovisual experience, the tight controls; all of these create a package that is more than deserving of your time. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to stop writing this review and go play GW2 some more until my eyes bleed and my thumbs are busted and broken; no matter what it takes, I must get that high score.

This sequel does not reinvent itself but even at double the price point of its predecessor, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 manages to offer enough new modes and graphic enhancements to make it a must buy for fans of the original.

If you loved the first Geometry Wars, you’re going to adore Geometry Wars 2. A ton of people already paid $5 for just one of the modes in this game, so the fact that you get 6 modes for $5 more is really a bargain. While you wait for great holiday 360 games like Gears of War 2, start playing one of the best XBLA games released. You might just spend more time with it.

We’re more than a little sore about the inexcusable lack of online play, but between the startlingly sharp neon visual aesthetic, the bumping new soundtrack, and smartly integrated Achievements, Retro Evolved 2 sets a new standard for arcade shooters on any platform, downloadable or otherwise.

The omission of online play aside, Geometry Wars 2 is everything you hoped it would be. It deftly builds on a simple framework without overloading it, and even finds room to make the core experience more varied and accessible to everyone. With so many me-too titles still trying - and failing - to match the original game, it's safe to say that the bar has now been raised for Live Arcade shooters across the board.

When you're talking about games that cost less than £10 you usually have to lower the bar for quality, but in this case we'd easily pay a lot more for Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2. keeping within the confines of an Xbox LIVE Arcade title and not a full-priced product it's hard to see how Bizarre could have taken the game any further. It's got new game modes, enhanced visuals and multiplayer support. If you love Geometry Wars you'll love this. If you've never played Geometry Wars before then now is a perfect time to do so.

For fans of Geometry Wars, this game is a must own. It brings so much new to the table and makes a game that was hard to put down in the first place even harder. It really is the little game that could, and Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 continues to fly the XBLA flag proudly. Go download this game now.

Retro Evolved 2 is a shockingly good sequel. The only problem is the lack of an online multiplayer mode. Everything else on display here is a drastic improvement over the original. Every new mode is extremely fun to play and requires a totally different play style to master. The geoms put upgrading fully in your hands; you have to decide if you want to risk your life for a couple of green gems or if you want to focus on staying alive. Even little tweaks--such as including your closest friend's highest score in the upper right corner of your screen to constantly give you a new goal to strive for--raise the addiction level. At only 800 MS points ($10), this is not only a great value but also one of the best games on XBLA.

Apart from the lack of online play, Geometry Wars 2 really is the perfect sequel, it’s still the same game that you know and love, but with the addition of the new modes of play it is even better. Get ready to be addicted all over again, if you can drag yourself away from the first game that is.

There a ton of new additions in this sequel making it more than worth the 800 MS Points, but somehow the game still felt like an add-on, and not a new game. Graphically, it’s a huge upgrade over the first installment, and the soundtrack and effects are much nicer this time around as well. Still, Retro Evolved 2 left me wanting more. Maybe I just need to beat a few more high scores. If you haven’t already tested the geometric waters, this installment is well worth the time you’ll put into it. While you and I may never make the top 10 scores, you can bet I’ll be trying. Will you?

Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 sieht einfach genial aus, liefert enormen süchtig machenden Spielspaß, einen bombastischen Sound, zahlreiche Spielmodi und einen spaßigen Mehrspielermodus mit bis zu 4 Spielern gleichzeitig für zu Hause. Leider fehlt ein Xbox LIVE Modus, um an dieser Stelle den beliebten Xboxdynasty Gold Award abzusahnen. Doch auch ohne Goldauszeichnung ist Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 eines der besten Arcade-Spiele, die ihr euch auf dem Xbox LIVE Marktplatz kaufen könnt. Absolute Kaufempfehlung!

As usual, it's all about the points and you'll be checking those leaderboards after every high score. Every death in Geometry Wars feels like a fluke and you always wanna have 1 more go, 8.5/10

Great package for the price but the feeling that it's all been toned down leaves a sour taste in our mouths. If you never played the original though, that won't matter, because you'll love this to bits.

Final judgment: Retro Evolved 2 manages to induce both nostalgia and awe, maintaining the series' status as one of gaming's purest pleasures.

While not as fresh and new as the original game, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is a phenomenal action game full of unique modes, fun multiplayer and tons of excitement. It's marred only by a lack of online support and very few brand new ideas. But if you were a fan of the original and are not completely burned out on the overwhelming amount of dual-stick shooters, then you'll definitely want to pick up Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2!

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is a solid sequel. Three of the six modes are great fun, with the other three being at least serviceable. But this is a game and a series that is showing its age. These modes are little more than rules alterations to the same thing we've been playing for years (yes, even before there was an Xbox 360). With so many great 2D shooters out or on the horizon, it's time for Bizarre to step up its game and take Geometry Wars to the next level. This plays more like a greatest hits offering than a true sequel. But hey, it is Geometry Wars -- and Geometry Wars is fun. Worth $10? Definitely. The best thing since sliced banana bread? Not so much.

Monumental success isn’t too shabby for a game which started life as a minigame only accessible from the garage of a deep auto racing simulation. As great as the original was, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 improves on its predecessor in nearly every way imaginable. The lack of online play is a bummer to be sure, but the new modes and local multiplayer are great addition to the series. And smaller elements like Achievement tracking only serve to further illustrate Bizarre’s dedication to improving every facet of the relatively simple formula. In short, Retro Evolved 2 has got everything it needs to sit alongside its older sibling as one of XBLA’s most downloaded titles.

"Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2" não muda tanta coisa assim em relação ao original, mas a inclusão de alguns modos interessantes irá fazer a festa para os fãs da série e apreciadores de jogos simples e desafiadores, como das antigas. Com sua essência preservada, há de se encontrar muita diversão, ainda que às custas de muitas mortes e novas tentativas. A inclusão de partidas multiplayer é bacana, mas restringir isto a reuniões locais parece uma decisão estranha para uma plataforma que ganhou status por seu serviço online de primeira.

Overall this game succeeds in almost every way. The only real disappointment with this title is the lack of online co-op play. It’s a real shame that they decided not to include it in this title as that would have made this title even more addictive and fun to play. All of the new modes are great and definitely justify the bump in price from 400 to 800 Microsoft points. If you were a fan of the original I would definitely say to download this sequel and enjoy. If you are new to the series, download the demo and you will be hooked in no time.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is ondanks zijn simpele opzet een bijzonder goede game. Voornamelijk degene die een uitdaging zien in het behalen van een highscore in de chaotische slagvelden van de game, zullen er lang van genieten. Voor elk fan van 2D-shooters als Ikaruga is deze game een must.

Its failing in the lack of online multiplayer is an inescapable disappointment, and for the expert players the over-the-top explosions may make achieving top scores a frustrating experience far too dependent on luck. But for the average player Geometry Wars 2 is an unmissable title, and for 800 Microsoft Points it really deserves a place in everyone's Live Arcade collection.

In the end, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 isn't looking to win you over if you weren't a fan of the previous games. Those who played the original to death will find a lot to like in its sequel, as it provides more of the same fast-paced shooting action that has become a staple of the series. The impressive presentation may be enough to catch the attention of everyone else, but the hard difficulty and lack of online multiplayer likely won't keep them intrigued for long. If you're looking for more Geometry Wars, this is precisely that, so go ahead and check it out. If you've been on the fence about the series and are looking for a good entry point, you could do worse than Retro Evolved 2 - just don't expect a full Live Arcade feature set or anything in the way of compassion.