Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2

It’s tough being a fan of Geometry Wars. Not just because if you blink you usually end up dying, which can lead to some very dry eyeballs, but also from a monetary point of view. This year has already seen two versions on DS and Wii, and now just six months later a ‘proper’ sequel has been released. Buying them all at full price would amount to over £55, which is a fair old whack for a game often referred to as asteroids on steroids.

You might be alarmed to find that Activision are charging double the price of its predecessor, (£6.80, as opposed to £3.40) but don’t let that put you off – there are plenty of new modes, enemies and such to make it worth your while. It’s a much more varied game this time round too.

At the start of the game only one mode – a three minute infinite life affair entitled Deadline – is available, with more being unlocked as your skills improve. Each are suitably different to one another and have with their own background music. In Pacifist mode enemies can only be killed by flying through explosive gates that detonate when you pass while. Then there’s King mode where you can only shoot while inside a bubble, which gets smaller and smaller before reappearing somewhere else on the map. A few ideas from Galaxies have been included too, including collectible geoms that boost your multiplier, and the graphics are a bit slicker with a new neon colour scheme.

One nice idea is that achievements are linked to different modes; if the game notices that you’re going to get an achievement a tracker bar will appear to chart your progress. There’s also a four-player mode, but sadly it’s not online. A feature no doubt held back for Evolved 3. But until then pour yourself a big strong coffee, pull the curtains, turn up the volume and play this until your eyes turn into goo.