Geometry Wars

Geometry Wars

Developer(s) Bizarre Creations
Publisher(s) Microsoft Game Studios
Distributor(s) Microsoft Game Studios (retail)
Activision/Valve Corporation (Steam)
Designer(s) Stephen Cakebread
Composer(s) Chris Chudley
Series Geometry Wars
Platform(s) Xbox, Xbox 360, Windows
Release date(s) Xbox
November 17, 2003
Xbox 360
  • NA November 22, 2005
  • EU December 2, 2005
Windows
March 7, 2007
Genre(s) Multi-directional shooter
Mode(s) Single player
Distribution Download

Geometry Wars is a minigame created by Bizarre Creations as part of Project Gotham Racing 2 for the Xbox, accessible through the in-game garage. An updated version of the game, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, is available for download on the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. It can also be played in demo form in Project Gotham Racing 3. It has held the record for most-downloaded Xbox Live Arcade game.[1] A new version, Geometry Wars: Evolved, has been produced for mobile phones.[2] A version has also been released for Microsoft Windows under the Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved name on the Steam content delivery network. Another version named Geometry Wars: Waves is available to play in Project Gotham Racing 4. Geometry Wars: Galaxies was released for the Nintendo DS and Wii in November 2007. A sequel, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 was released to Xbox Live Arcade on July 30, 2008. The most recent version of the game was released for iOS devices. On November 25, 2014, Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions was released, adding a 3D aspect to the franchise.

The soundtrack was composed by Chris Chudley from Audioantics who created the music for all of the series up until Dimensions.[3]

Gameplay

The object of Geometry Wars is to survive as long as possible and score as many points as possible by destroying an ever-increasing swarm of enemies. The game takes place on a rectangular playfield and the player controls a claw-shaped "ship" that can move in any direction using the left thumbstick, and can fire in any direction independently using the right thumbstick. The player also has a limited number of bombs that can be detonated and destroy all enemies on the playfield. As the game progresses, the player can earn extra lives and additional bombs at set score increments, and the primary weapon changes at regular intervals (10,000 points). Also, enemies spawn in progressively larger quantities and at greater frequency as the game progresses. If an enemy touches the player's ship, the ship explodes and a life is lost, plus the multiplier worked up by how many enemies are killed in one life is also lost. The game is over when the player runs out of lives.

The Evolved version of the game takes place on a playfield that is slightly larger than the display area of the TV screen, and the camera follows the player's movements. A background grid pattern adds to the graphical effects by warping in reaction to player shots and the behavior of certain enemies. This version introduces new enemies and a score multiplier that increases as the player destroys enemies without losing a life.

Development

The game initially started out as a way for the team at Bizarre Creations to test out the Xbox controller while making Project Gotham Racing.[4] The team included the game as an extra in the sequel not expecting very much. When the creators realized how popular the game was they decided to work on a stand-alone game for the 360's Live Arcade.[4] For the standalone version, which eventually grew to become Retro Evolved, creator Stephen Cakebread initially wanted to make the game have a more linear structure where the players would progress through levels.[4] However, Cakebread soon became aware of the game Mutant Storm and realized that a level-based structure would make Retro Evolved almost identical and thus decided to drop it.[4]

Retro Evolved 2

On July 30, 2008, the sequel, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, was released on Xbox Live Arcade.

Retro Evolved 2 provides local cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes for two to four players simultaneously, and an exclusive "Co-Pilot" mode in which two players control the same ship, with one moving and the other firing. Additionally, the game provides support for worldwide leaderboards in each game mode and, by default, displays the player's ranking against his/her friends during play.

Geometry Wars: Galaxies

In November 2007, Kuju Entertainment and Sierra Entertainment released a version of the game for the Nintendo DS and Wii titled Geometry Wars: Galaxies.[5] This version introduces a single-player campaign and multiplayer gameplay.

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions

After the reopening of Sierra Entertainment's website, on August 12, 2014, a third sequel, Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions was announced.[6] The game was released on November 25, 2014 for Microsoft Windows, OS X, GNU/Linux, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, and on November 26, 2014 for Xbox 360 and Xbox One.[7]

Neither original developer Stephen Cakebread nor Audioantics had any involvement in the production of Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, as confirmed in the credits for the game when demoed at PAX Australia 2014 on Xbox One.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Carless, Simon. "Q&A: Microsoft Discuss Xbox 360 Live Stats". Gamasutra. CMP.
  2. ↑ "Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved Mobile." Pocket Gamer. November 6, 2006. Accessed November 10, 2006
  3. ↑ Chudley, Chris. "Audioantics News". Audioantics. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Welsh, Oil. "Geometry Wars: Retro Explained". Eurogamer. p. 1. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  5. ↑ "Geometry Wars on Wii and DS".
  6. ↑ "Geometry Wars 3, New King's Quest From Sierra Announced at Gamescom 2014".
  7. ↑ "Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Heads to PS4, PS3 this Fall".

External links