Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions

Lore & Background

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is a multidirectional shoot 'em up from 2014, developed by Lucid Games and published by Activision under the Sierra Entertainment label. It launched in November 2014 across Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One, with mobile versions for iOS and Android arriving in 2015. As the follow-up to Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, it marked the series' first appearance on PlayStation consoles. This is the sixth entry in the Geometry Wars series and the first created after Bizarre Creations, the original developer, was closed by Activision.

Players control a claw-shaped ship that can fire in any direction independent of its movement. The goal is to destroy various enemy shapes while avoiding contact with them. Extra lives and supers can be earned by reaching certain point thresholds, depending on the mode. Supers are powerful, one-use abilities chosen before a session—like turrets that attack enemies or a massive bullet wave. Drones can also be selected to assist, such as collecting geoms or shooting foes. The score multiplier is key to high scores; it increases by gathering small green diamonds called geoms, and skilled players can push it into the tens of thousands.

The game was developed by Sierra Entertainment and Lucid Games for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. It was the first Sierra-published title since *Zombie Wranglers* in May 2009. Worldwide release dates were November 25, 2014 for PC, PS3, and PS4, and November 26 for Xbox 360 and Xbox One. A free update called *Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved* arrived on March 31, 2015 across all platforms, adding 40 new levels, fresh boss battles, and new gameplay types. Existing players got it as a free update, and new purchases included it. A physical disc version of *Evolved* hit PS4 and Xbox One on October 11, 2016.

The game received positive reviews. Aggregators GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PS4 version 87.36% (11 reviews) and 85/100 (20 reviews); the Windows version scored 78.00% (4 reviews) and 79/100 (4 reviews); the Xbox 360 version earned 85.26% (19 reviews) and 83/100 (21 reviews). Brett Makedonski of Destructoid awarded a perfect score, praising the responsive shooting, distinct level design in the adventure campaign, new modes, and a classic mode reminiscent of *Retro Evolved 2*. He said the game improves as much as possible while staying true to the franchise’s core, calling it where Geometry Wars truly evolved. Christian Donlan of Eurogamer was more cautious, feeling Lucid Games didn't fully grasp the series' mentality, resulting in a serviceable shooter when the lineage demanded something more.

Reader's Guide

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions received positive reviews. Aggregating review websites gave the PlayStation 4 version 87.36% on GameRankings and 85/100 on Metacritic, the Microsoft Windows version 78.00% and 79/100, and the Xbox 360 version 85.26% and 83/100. Brett Makedonski from Destructoid gave the game a perfect score, praising the responsive shooting mechanics, distinct level-design of the adventure campaign, inclusion of various new modes, and a 'classic mode' with similar gameplay to Retro Evolved 2. He stated that the game improves as much as possible while staying true to the core of the franchise. Christian Donlan from Eurogamer was more reserved, feeling the game was not up to par with its predecessors, saying he was not sure if Lucid really gets the mentality behind the series, and that it makes for a perfectly serviceable shooter when the lineage requires something more. A free update titled Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved was released on March 31, 2015 on all platforms, including 40 new levels, new boss battles, and gameplay types; it received a physical disc release on PS4 and Xbox One on October 11, 2016.

Did You Know?

• It is the first Geometry Wars game developed after Bizarre Creations was shut down by Activision.
• A free update titled Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved added 40 new levels and new boss battles.
• The game was published under the Sierra Entertainment brand name, which had not released a game since 2009.