Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Blasting Through PAX With Geometry Wars 3
After a hands-off demo of Geometry Wars 3 at Gamescom, we've finally had a chance to go thumbs-on with the twin-stick shooter. Sierra's coming out party is likely to delight fans of the previous entries, as developer Lucid Games (made up of many Bizarre Creations team members) looks to score a hat trick.
Our demo was an extended look at the single-player content, across multiple geometric shapes (spheres, cylinders, cubes, and a peanut) blasting enemies and building a multiplier for killer scores. After our last demo, many readers were curious about the two-dimensional play of the first two titles.
As we mentioned, that's back, and it's seen some improvements. Those maps twist and undulate, making for a visual delight. My fear was that they would feel bland after zipping around the blind curves of the other levels. Instead,the flatter planes present their own challenges.
We also played around with two different drones. One fires at incoming enemies, while the other darts out to ram incoming foes. In addition to smart bombs, your drones can be tasked with special abilities, like a map filling turret blast and a series of explosions.
Geometry Wars' signature difficulty is certainly intact. Even when competing for a high score against the clock with unlimited lives, the penalty of wiping out nearby enemies (and losing the multiplier burst) hurts.
It was hard to get into the bullet hell zone on the PAX show floor, but when Geometry Wars 3 is out later this year, I suspect I'll have no problem. A headset, a darkened room, and working through the single-player and separate co-op campaign with a friend should solve that problem.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
