...on the demo. I got it off of XBL earlier this evening. I can't afford the full game just yet because I just got back from a long trip in northern MN and...hey, where are you going?

Ok, ok. So I got the demo and let me tell you: Take everything you know about Geometry Wars and throw it out the window! Because Geometry Wars 2 turns the idea of Geometry Wars...on its head!

Ok, not really, but it does tinker with the formula a little bit. First of all, the visuals are incredible. I was sitting about 3 feet in front of my 37" LCD like I always do, and my eyeballs almost fell out of my skull with that first flash of light where the ship appears in the beginning of the game. Its absolutely blindingly gorgeous to look at. After playing GW2 for 15 or 20 minutes or so I went back to the first Geometry Wars, which, along with RezHD, has always been the game I whip out when my non-gamer friends come over and start hitting the peace pipe (because of the crazy visuals). And I am here to tell you that it looked like pan-fried shit compared to where I had just been.



Geometry Wars 2 has an assortment of new games modes. Only one of them is available in the demo. This game mode is called Deadline. In Deadline, you get 3 minutes to raise hell on as many tetrahedrons and rhombohedrons and...um, circles as you can in 3 minutes, with unlimited lives. The nice thing about this mode is that your multipliers do not die when you do. As soon as you respawn, you can keep on building combos. Which, I would imagine would lead to some ridonkulous scoring possibilities. Seriously, check the leaderboards in like a week and you will see scores in the billions.

In addition to new enemies, another new aspect of the game is the introduction of "Geoms" which are basically these little green things that you can to drive your ship into before they vanish from the screen. They appear from the debris of your enemies, and when you pick them up, the add one point to your multiplier. No more depending on killing lots of enemies to build combos; and as I said before, no more having to stay alive to rack your score up. This is nice, however chasing those fuckers all around can lead you into some dangerous areas. Luckily, smart bombs are still intact in the Geometry Wars sequel.

I almost wished I hadn't already paid for the first Geometry Wars because this one is so amazing visually and really builds on the gameplay by adding new modes. I do not know if there are any modes in Geometry Wars 2 that mirror the original, but I almost hope there aren't so I can go back to it every now and then, with all of its antediluvian graphics withstanding. So one of you go buy that shit and do a review or something. I would like to read that. My fingers are tired now. That's what she said.