ESRB rating: E
Publisher: Sierra Entertainment
Reviewed on Xbox One, also available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Xbox 360
Overall Review:
Video games first rose to prominence as arcade machines. People gathered in dark smoke-filled arcades to chase high scores in games like Pac Man, Galaga, and Donkey Kong. This was, arguably, the heyday of video game and every once in a while it is a good idea to go back for a visit. Geometry Wars 3 is exactly the sort of brief visit to those bygone days that we need. It is clean, bright, and very exciting.
The elevator pitch for Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is simple.
“Fly a neon-colored spaceship around maps of various sizes and shapes shooting at other moving objects and collecting the things that they drop to raise your score.”
I’d like to say that I could spend another thousand words explaining it better, but that minimalist description is all but perfect. The reality is that Geometry Wars cuts all of the fluff and leaves us with a neon rendered ball of insanity that is hard to stop playing. The compulsion to play just “one more game” will be hard to ignore.
The game may be a score chase, but you will have to adapt to various game modes to progress in the game. This includes a pacifism level where you have no weapons and have to weave around enemies and dodge them. The only way to score points is to pass through small gates that blow up everything around you.
All in all, this is a small game that will sit on your consoles hard drive and find regular play. This is especially true if you are in a competitive family. Chasing that next high score will be something you just can’t resist!
Geometry Wars 3 Dimensions is all kinds of neon.
Family Gaming Assessment:
The title “Geometry Wars” might sound concerning, but ultimately the game play is more akin to Asteroids and Space Invaders than Call of Duty. There is nothing to worry about here.
Playability Assessment:
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is not a simple game. Success depends on the players ability to remember the movement patterns of the different enemies and attack them in the correct sequence.
The controls are straight forward. It is a “twin stick shooter” so the left stick on the controller is used for moving the spaceship around the playing field. The right stick, on the other hand, controls which direction the ship shoots in. This makes it possible, for example, top move to the left while firing to the right.
Players will fail a lot. This requires a lot of practice. If your children are easily frustrated then Geometry Wars might not be for them.
If your family enjoys passing the controller back and forth while chasing high scores then this is a great game to add to the collection.
Full Disclosure: A code of this game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.
