Originally released as a hidden mini game in
Project Gotham Racing 2, the Geometry Wars gained cult status with its simple yet addictive gameplay. The sequel
Geometry Wars Retro Evolved comes packaged in
Project Gotham Racing 3 but is also available to download from Xbox Live Arcade for $5, this allows the game to be played by anyone with an
Xbox 360 and an Internet connection. Since the console launced on November 22nd, Geometry Wars has received almost as much attention and play time from players as its $60 cousins. This essay seeks to examine what makes this game so addictive and have such a broad appeal.
The premise of the game is simple enough as the player takes control of a solitary ship, using the left analog stick to control the ship's movements, and the right analog stick to direct the ship's bullets against the attacking enemies. A smart bomb is available for when the player gets into difficult situations that destroys all the enemies currently on the screen. Achieving as high of a score as possible before losing all of your lives is the game's only objective, with points being granted for each enemy destroyed by a bullet. There are no power ups in the game other than being granted a new life every 75,000 points, and a new bomb ever 100,000 points. Every 10,000 points the ship's main weapons have a 50% chance of changing modes from a rapid firing but less powerful form to a slower form that has a wider spread.
A single entity popping onto the playing field is how the game begins. After a few seconds, one or two slow moving enemies pop up that are speedily replaced once theyre dispatched. As the game progresses and more enemies are destroyed, more and more come to take their place, with new more sophisticated enemies being introduced. More is the word here as eventually the entire screen is filled with enemies, bullets and particles from the destruction.
Beneath the abstract exterior of circles and squares lies a virtual universe that follows certain fundamental laws of physics that give the game an extreme amount of depth. The empty galactic setting, at first glance, seems to exist only for decoration, but digging deeper you find that the background in fact gives strong visual indications of how the game is played.
These celestial bodies that try to kill you by ramming themselves obey the laws of this virtual universe. There is conservation of momentum both on your ship while maneuvering and also how the bullets you shoot inherit the angular and linear momentum of your ship, as well as for the enemies. Different enemies have different masses to them and thus exhibit different patterns of motion from slow and lumbering to quick seekers that cant turn sharply. Then there is the conservation of energy, as the black holes suck up more of the enemies increasing in mass, if you dont displace that energy by shooting the black hole then it will eventually burst releasing all the energy it has accumulated. And then the law of gravity, which is visually represented by a grid that warps and bends in accordance to the gravitational forces that surround the area.
In this universe the values have been expertly designed as to give the player the perfect level of challenge. And while pure physical dexterity may get you to a certain point, there exists a higher level of play that takes into consideration the laws of the virtual universe and constructs specific tactics accordingly. There are specific ways that enemies spawn and various patterns emerge that can be recognized and exploited. These patterns are not hard definitions that can be repeated every time since the previous situation may be different depending on your performance. So each time the blue triangles start coming out of the corners you may have a general strategy but must take into consideration any remaining enemies and their types, any black holes that exist and are active, and the bullet mode. The combinations are seemingly endless but the core of the patterns is strong enough that strategies are useful while maintaining the excitation and spontaneity that requires intense concentration.
To compliment these patterns and strategies is the masterful use of pacing that the designers have built into the game. The rate at which enemies spawn follows both a short and long wave pattern; there exists small bursts of enemies that follow specific patterns with each new burst increasing in intensity as the long wave increases. Once all the enemies have been destroyed from a long wave sequence there are a few seconds of rest until the cycle starts again, each time increasing in length and intensity.
With such care and thought going into every aspect of the game, Bizzare Creations has shown that even retro games can be innovative. The refinement creates an experience that is both intuitive and easy to get into, but also offers infinite depth that will never get boring.
