Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved
- November 26, 2014
- Aspyr (Linux)
- 225h median play time
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved is a frenetic, arcade-style shooter with 3D grids and intense action. The game features a campaign mode with 50 stages, classic modes, and online cooperative play. With a wide range of upgrades and customization options, Geometry Wars 3 provides a challenging and engaging experience for fans of the series and newcomers alike.
Reviews
- Incredibly addictive gameplay with a variety of modes and levels.
- Stunning visuals and a great soundtrack that enhance the gaming experience.
- Includes classic modes from previous Geometry Wars games, providing nostalgia and familiarity.
- The game can feel unfair due to enemy spawn mechanics and visibility issues in 3D levels.
- Some players find the difficulty curve steep and frustrating, especially in Adventure mode.
- Limited online multiplayer options and lack of co-op in classic modes disappoint fans.
- graphics282 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics in Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions are widely praised for their stunning visuals, vibrant colors, and fluid animations, creating an engaging and visually appealing experience. However, some players have noted issues with visual clarity and performance, particularly in high-action scenarios where the flashy effects can become overwhelming or obstructive. Overall, while the game showcases impressive graphical enhancements, it has sparked mixed feelings regarding its impact on gameplay clarity and performance.
“Visuals and sounds are very cool and definitely the biggest thing this game has going for itself.”
“The visuals are really good and the gameplay is very fluid.”
“Stunning visuals and fast heart-throbbing pace.”
“I love twin stick shooters... but what were the developers thinking with these visuals?”
“This PC port is broken and literally unplayable on anything other than low graphics.”
“On low graphics at 1080p I'm able to play, but everything blurs and nothing sticks out, making it hard to see enemies and overall makes this game completely unenjoyable.”
- music266 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its energetic techno soundtrack that complements the vibrant visuals and fast-paced gameplay. However, some players feel that the soundtrack lacks the memorability and intensity of previous installments, describing it as repetitive or generic at times. Overall, while the music enhances the gaming experience for many, others prefer to mute it and play their own tracks for a more personalized experience.
“The music is very fitting to the game's atmosphere and makes you feel very tense and in the heat of the action while playing.”
“The soundtrack is amazing and the insane amount of levels will keep you busy for a while.”
“Geometry Wars 3 is a fun arcade style shooter with a colorful retro art style, great gameplay, and a pretty dope techno soundtrack.”
“The overall sound design is pretty poor along with the music not being that great on top of that.”
“The music is blandly average and doesn't really ramp up with the intensity of the levels.”
“The only real downside I have with this game is that the classic mode music tracks don't have quite the same addictive appeal that GWRE2 had.”
- gameplay254 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Geometry Wars 3 is characterized by its fluid mechanics, addictive arcade-style action, and a variety of modes that cater to both casual and hardcore players. While the visuals are praised for their stunning graphics, some players find the 3D elements can complicate gameplay, leading to frustrating moments with enemy spawns. Overall, the game offers a mix of classic and innovative gameplay experiences, making it engaging and challenging, though some mechanics may feel overwhelming or unclear at times.
“The gameplay is great, the music is just awesome, the colors and graphics are still amazing to watch all these years later!!”
“The production values are top-notch and the gameplay is finely tuned and addictive & varied enough to keep you playing for hours and continue coming back to it.”
“Geometry Wars 3 is as revolutionary as the original game, bringing all sorts of gameplay changes, awesome music, sweet visuals, and an outstanding game to play.”
“I went from the old reboot to the new one, and going back and forth between the two games... there are a few key mechanics that force you to put yourself in danger and then enemies instantly spawn on you. The graphics also become very muddled, with enemies exploding into shards that look like enemies instead of just sparks... it's just a bit of a frustrating mess.”
“Wish they would make this game into a sequel with true roguelike gameplay, and enemies that don't spawn on top of you (instakilling you in the process).”
“The gameplay changes made since Geometry Wars 1 make Geometry Wars 3 unnecessarily frustrating and artificially difficult.”
- story82 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is largely considered minimal or non-existent, with many players noting that it consists mainly of numbered levels rather than a cohesive narrative. While there is a story mode featuring various challenges and boss fights, it lacks depth and is often described as frustrating, with some players expressing a desire for a more engaging storyline or context for the gameplay. Overall, the focus remains on gameplay mechanics and mission variety rather than a traditional story experience.
“The nature of story mode might seem a bit head-scratching at first, but its execution makes it feel like a natural extension of the game's experience.”
“Their is a story mode with a wide variety of different challenges as well as boss fights that are quite challenging if not done properly.”
“As well as an array of classic modes found in past games, dimensions has also included a story mode.”
“The story is... what did you actually expect a story?”
“There's no story.”
“It's quite a simple game, with no story to speak of.”
- replayability40 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, particularly for players who enjoy chasing high scores and competing on leaderboards, with many maps and power-ups enhancing the experience. While some users note a medium level of replayability and occasional frustration with difficulty, the overall consensus is that the game provides ample opportunities for repeated play and long-term engagement.
“This iteration of the series has a couple of features that really extend replayability.”
“Arcade shooter at its finest: quick but intense gameplay, crazy neon lights and geometrical forms to shoot at, leaderboard madness and replayability.”
“It's replayability isn't quite as strong as GW2.”
“This makes replayability time basically infinite.”
“The best part of this game and the main reason for replayability was always the leaderboards.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
Players note that while some light grinding is necessary for upgrading drones and achieving high scores, it can become tedious, especially when trying to collect stars for progression. The lack of meaningful achievements related to completing challenging levels adds to the frustration, as players may find themselves repeating levels for minimal rewards unless they invest significant time in grinding. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a mixed bag—necessary for progression but potentially annoying for those seeking to maximize their experience.
“Not much to complain about, except that the achievements are kind of badly done - there's none for 3-starring the ultimate and hardcore levels, and there's one for just grinding a lot!”
“The classic play types are still there, and the rest of the game is fun, but you'll spend hours grinding the same levels for just a few more points so you can get enough stars to continue the game.”
“This can be annoying, as sometimes you probably can't finish a level with 3 stars unless you spend time grinding geoms to upgrade your stuff (and you will have to do so unless you're highly skilled).”
- stability14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 57 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed; while it runs smoothly on Windows 10 and less powerful machines, players report significant visual glitches and in-game bugs, such as unexpected auto-restarts and issues with fullscreen mode. Additionally, controller support is noted to be inconsistent, contributing to a generally buggy experience.
“It runs great on less capable machines (I have a Surface Pro and I can run it at 1080p on medium and get a very smooth framerate, if not 60 fps). It supports the DualShock 4 out of the box, and it has a pacifism mode.”
“Runs great for me.”
“Runs great on Windows 10.”
“This makes the player die occasionally not because of their own error but due to visual glitches.”
“This is a buggy game; the fullscreen mode is broken, but you can fix it by playing in borderless window mode.”
“Controller support is buggy.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, including stuttering and FPS drops, even on high-end machines. However, others report smooth performance without any noticeable problems. Overall, there appears to be a lack of consistency in optimization across different systems.
“I didn't have any performance issues even at high levels.”
“Performance-wise, I am noticing some odd FPS drops here and there.”
“There seems to be an issue with performance and optimization.”
“There seems to be an issue with performance and optimization.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by a blend of dark comedy and absurdity, as players are met with a laughing boss who mocks their failures, creating a humorous yet frustrating experience. Special stages featuring quirky shapes add to the comedic elements, though they can lead to unexpected challenges. Overall, the game is noted for inducing "hilarious" rage moments, making it both entertaining and exasperating.
“And while your fingers bleed on the controller and the hole in the wall gets bigger, the boss just keeps laughing at you and reflecting on your life how you couldn't even achieve a single thing in a simple game.”
“Warning: can cause (hilarious) rage fests.”
“The special stages it has, where you play on funny shapes such as a cube, look nice but it limits your field of view and you get easily blindsided if you stay close to an edge.”
- character development4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a consensus that the game suffers from insufficient character development, with players expressing a desire for deeper narratives and more engaging character arcs. Despite the game's other appealing features, the lack of character growth detracts from the overall experience.
“No matter how fancy and badass my other games are, with their open worlds, wild story arcs, and insane character development, I always default to hitting play on Geometry Wars.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is described as surreal and trance-inducing, characterized by fluid, fantastical stage designs and vibrant colors that leave a lasting impression. The accompanying music enhances the tension and immerses players in the action, requiring intense focus and reflexes. Overall, the atmosphere creates a captivating and memorable experience that lingers long after gameplay.
“Playing it requires such intense focus, swift reflexes, and an almost psychic level of intuition that it puts you in a trance-like state, enhanced by the surreal atmosphere of the liquid-fluid metamorphoses of the stages, each shaped in fantastical ways and littered with vividly colored shapes that burn their way into your brain and remain visible behind your eyelids long after you've finished playing.”
“Playing it requires such intense focus, swift reflexes, and an almost psychic level of intuition that it puts you in a trance-like state which is enhanced by the surreal atmosphere of the liquid-fluid metamorphoses of the stages, each shaped in fantastical ways and littered with vividly colored shapes that burn their way into your brain and remain visible behind your eyelids long after you've finished playing.”
“The music is very fitting to the game's atmosphere and makes you feel very tense and in the heat of the action while playing.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players consistently highlight the emotional aspect of the game as evoking a strong sense of nostalgia, providing a heart-warming experience reminiscent of retro gaming.
“The most heart-warming nostalgic feeling of retro goodness.”