Despite it being a new release into an already bloated genre Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is a mesmerizing and fresh experience. It compels with vibrant visuals and keeps you captivated with addictive gameplay.

In keeping with the Geometry Wars tradition, this second outing is the same dual stick 2D shooter of breezy simplicity. The left stick controls your movement while the right controls the direction of fire. As a single ship facing a few enemies at first, more foes are sent in progressively and, with them, the difficulty ramps up considerably.

Visually, the game is simply staggering. Flooding the screen are lively pixelated explosions and enemies popping up every which way. The effects melt the brain while a minimalist approach is taken with the other objects, each of plain geometric shape. If Pythagoras went clubbing, this explosive orgy of geometric form might just be the experience of his evening, materialized.

The addictive nature of the experience is strengthened considerably by the high score structure on which it’s based. Imagine the days of retro arcades, in which a hundred smelly teenagers would bunch in to try and overcome the latest high score in their favourite game. Geometry Wars 2 allows for a similar experience, but without the manly odours – though the sound of smack talk might remain. In each game you’re always shown the score of the person holding one rank above, as well as your current score. It culminates as an incessant incentive to keep going and a goal to overcome. But once you reach said score, the next one in rank is displayed and you’re on the chase once again.

Despite it being a member of the two dimensional XBLA shooter of the week, Geometry Wars 2 is a fresh experience. The developer, Bizarre Creations, melds simplicity with a fluid design. Everything fits together pleasantly, from the way your ship moves to the way enemies slowly appear. There aren’t any level breaks to be found, which allows for the experience to be never ending. And each play is unique, as the game dynamically sets its difficulty to your performance. The game is indeed a sequel. Bizarre could have simply made the original game with a couple more modes, better graphics and it even would have done well. Instead, they went all out and created a proper sequel.

The one mode ideal from the first game has been fleshed out into a six mode offering. And each provides a unique experience ranging from shorter games, to unique firing conditions and even to not being able to fire at all. The shooting style has changed from a three-weapon offering into a single one that seemingly encompasses aspects from the three previous styles. One of the biggest changes, however, is the introduction of geomes. When an enemy is destroyed they will drop the small green geomes which – when picked up – will increase your score multiplier. This mechanic changes things considerably from the first game. Bizarre also added a local multiplayer mode where up to four players can participate in any of the six modes either cooperatively or competitively.

There are relatively few, if any, faults with the game. The original had some complaints lobbed its way about the action being too slow to get into, and it can be an issue here – adding the option to start in the heat of the action would have settled this. The learning curve can be steep at first as it takes time to be able to see through all the busy colour work and explosions. The distractions are also far too apparent in multiplayer, as it is very easy to mistake another player as yourself and lose sight of your little geometric ship. The exclusion of online multiplayer is noticeable, but it logically couldn’t be included considering the nature of the split second gameplay matched with inadequate internet available today. All small details though, and despite them Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 provides a fully formed and compelling experience, more so than any other shooter out there on XBLA.