Fans of Xbox 360 Arcade may cherish fond memories of Geometry Wars, a beloved series of top-down bullet hell shooters that have transcended platforms over the years.
And now, it seems to be making a return, albeit in an unexpected form. A demo featured in Steam Next Fest showcases Geometry Survivors, which unofficially captures the series’ signature neon aesthetic and injects it into the gameplay of Vampire Survivors.
Geometry Survivors bears a striking resemblance to the Geometry Wars titles etched in the memories of Xbox Live Arcade players. The familiar claw-shaped ships navigate through slow-moving projectiles against a backdrop of plain black. However, in this iteration, players relinquish control over shooting and instead focus solely on surviving for a five-minute stretch.
True to the genre’s conventions, players can upgrade their ships by collecting shiny blue resources dropped by enemies. While the selection of abilities isn’t groundbreaking, featuring typical options like boomerangs, area-of-effect projectiles, and auto-shooting bullets, the inclusion of a persistent currency between runs hints at potentially game-changing upgrades in the final version.
My experience with Geometry Survivors proved to be engaging, offering a more refined take on the addictive loop found in Vampire Survivors. The precision of the ships, coupled with their slender design, adds a thrilling element as players deftly maneuver between enemies, narrowly avoiding the perilous spinning blades of death.
However, despite its visual appeal, Geometry Survivors feels somewhat derivative in a subgenre that has seen a plethora of entries in recent times. Perhaps hewing closer to its spiritual predecessor, such as granting players control over the direction of their projectiles, could inject fresh energy into the gameplay. For now, titles like last year’s Cursorblade, also featured in Steam Next Fest, remain the pinnacle of the genre in my opinion.
In a nostalgic twist, the lineage of the Geometry Wars series traces back to Microsoft before transitioning to Vivendi, which later merged with Activision to form Activision Blizzard. With Microsoft’s recent acquisition of the publisher and subsequent layoffs affecting nearly 2,000 employees, it’s a full circle moment for Geometry Wars, marking yet another chapter in its storied history.
