The clue is in the name, really. Geometry Survivor takes Geometry Wars glowing vector aesthetic – traceable to the dawn of gaming, with 1977’s Space War – and introduces an auto-shooting twist inspired by the far more recent Vampire Survivors. Resembling Geometry Wars was clearly intended to be the initial draw, but it plays vastly differently, essentially transforming a twin-stick shooter into a single stick one.
There’s also a larger emphasis on avoiding enemies instead of rounding ‘em up, sheep dog style, and letting rip – and all because shooting is handled automatically. Upon levelling up, a new upgrade, shield type or projectile attack can be acquired from a choice of three, and you’ll need to pick carefully to balance these. That said, the number of defensive options is a little low, leaving you to shrewdly invest in extra firepower to help thin the waves of geometrically-shaped enemies – some of which are rather brazen not just in their design, but in their colour schemes too. I guess it’s difficult to claim ownership of an orange triangle.
You’re tasked with surviving for 20 minutes while waves of enemies become larger, and new types are gradually introduced – including a pesky exploding type. Every enemy drops an XP shard, and you’ll need to loop back around and grab these. For a good five minutes much of the rectangular playing field can be ignored, surviving by simply dwelling within just a corner or by remaining in the centre. It isn’t until breaching the ten minute mark when things become hectic, with rows of enemies appearing that span the entire playing field, forcing you to dash from corner to corner. You’ll also have to contend with blocks of enemies and spiral formations that quickly close in.
Only three hits can be withstood, and health drops – handily indicated by a chime – are restricted to one every five minutes, or thereabouts.
For the first hour or so, you’re likely going to be experimenting with perks and new weapons, while laying out a permanent upgrade path. These include increased speed, extra health, reduced upgrade costs, and a bigger mine blast radius. New ships can be unlocked by meeting criteria, with the first choosing upgrades automatically, making for a faster flowing (but more random) experience.
Over time certain upgrades begin to stand out and become favourites. The black hole swallows up enemies and leaves a glut of XP shards behind, while the AI ally ship targets enemies and fires missiles. Guardians of the Galaxy fans may be able to draw a comparison with the yellow dart that whizzes around the screen, attacking enemies with precision. The more you play, the more you’ll realise how important it is to choose perks carefully, as the starting ship can only carry six upgrades. The loot magnet is handy, but it takes up a valuable slot that might be put to better use.
The difficulty level is well balanced, and by the time the waves become hectic, you’ll likely be well equipped to wipe them out in a matter of seconds. With every run (bar a few false starts) I was able to become closer to the 20 minute mark by investing in the permanent upgrades. For those looking for an extra challenge, one of said upgrades makes things more difficult, while one of the unlockable ships increases the game’s speed.
While the presentation isn’t particularly stylish, the menus are clean cut, bold, and easy to navigate. The action is backed by dance/trance music that fails to linger in your mind, but nevertheless suits the experience and becomes more upbeat around ten minutes in. The mixture of neon colours, moderate bloom, and particle effects is pleasing on the eye, and while I can’t vouch for the Switch version, the framerate never faulters on Xbox Series – which runs at 4K/60fps.
Although Geometry Survivor isn’t quite able to recapture the energy and excitement of Geometry Wars, it comes pretty close, and for something yet to receive a single update it feels remarkably refined. The lack of score chasing and variety may harm it in the long run, but as a short term shooting fix it more than suffices.
Brain Seal Ltd’s Geometry Survivor is out Feb 21st on all formats.