Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved has always been one of those games that you either "get" or don't. It was also arguably the reason for the initial success of Microsoft's Live Arcade service. The simple but challenging gameplay was enough to garner the hardcore, while the casual titles held over everybody else. The good news is that if you liked the first game, Retro Evolved 2 offers just enough additional content and subtle changes to the series to warrant a purchase. However, if you didn't, then you'll likely still be wondering what all the fuss is about.

The core of Geometry Wars remains unchanged, which may be good or bad depending on your perspective.

Like the previous games, this latest Geometry Wars is a dual-stick shooter. You move your shape around using the left stick and you aim and fire with the right. It's a simple formula that's been done before, but the first Retro Evolved was a game that truly refined the genre for this generation. Retro Evolved 2 doesn't make many changes to this core gameplay, but does provide a few minor improvements over its predecessor. The multiplier system has been completely redone this time around, now relying on pick-ups known as Geoms, which were originally seen in Geometry Wars: Galaxies for the DS. Instead of being dependent on the amount of time you spend alive, your multiplier is now determined by the number of Geoms you acquire from destroyed enemies. When you die, this multiplier does not reset, which definitely makes the experience a bit more manageable if you're gunning for high scores. In addition, weapon power-ups no longer exist, leaving you with only the default machine gun-like weapon to dispatch the geometry. While this omission may be a disappointment for long-time fans, it doesn't have too drastic of an effect on the game, which is still fun regardless.

Retro Evolved 2 also introduces six new modes, five of which are locked from the get go. As you progress through each one, you'll quickly unlock them all. There's Deadline, which provides you with unlimited lives and a three minute timer to destroy as much as you can. Another is King, which revolves around randomly generated spheres that continuously appear and disappear. Since enemies cannot enter these areas and you can't fire unless inside them, there's an interesting strategic element that often forces you to destroy anything that may be blocking your path to the next sphere. The Evolved mode is less interesting, as it's just an offshoot of the original game with the Geom-based scoring system.

Pacifism is the most notable of the bunch, largely because it prohibits you from firing your weapon at all. Instead, success is gauged by how well you can avoid enemies while flying through gates that destroy everything in the nearby vicinity. Waves is the most challenging offering, and tasks you with obliterating wave after wave of (mostly) dart craft. Because darts fly in a straight line (only altering their trajectory after reaching a wall), they spawn in packs, often in areas off the screen. Naturally, this leads to some difficulty, as you need to anticipate, dodge, and shoot with the utmost precision for a high score. Sequence is the final mode, and consists of 20 non-changing stages each with their own thirty-second time limit. The goal is to reach the end without losing all of your lives. Whenever you die or run out of time, you automatically proceed to the next level.

Despite all of the options available, Retro Evolved 2 is still no less challenging than its predecessor. While the new modes offer some variety, most of them are quite difficult to master. Even in Deadline, where you technically can't lose, death temporarily clears all enemies, making it that much harder to score well on the leaderboards. The achievements are no different, though they are generally easier to obtain than in Retro Evolved. As long as you acknowledge that this game is going to relentlessly pummel you into submission beforehand, it makes tolerating this difficulty a bit easier. If this doesn't sound like something you're willing to do, you'll either go crazy or hate playing, whichever comes first.

You can alleviate some of the frustration by playing with up to three other friends either cooperatively or competitively in any of the modes available. Even the ability to assign one player to ship movement and the other to weapons is an option. It's all a ton of fun too, but it doesn't come without a catch, as it's offline only. Unless you're a leaderboard fiend or have a consistent flow of friends who enjoy this type of game, the lack of online multiplayer will damage your long-term enjoyment of Retro Evolved 2.

Things tend to get a bit chaotic in Waves mode.

On the presentation front, Retro Evolved 2 is definitely a step up from previous games, though, in a lot of ways, it's almost too much so. The developers chose to go a little over the top with the neon blur, which can be a bit disorienting until you get used to it. Even the menus are so heavily blurred that you'll initially question if there's something wrong with your eyesight. The particle effects are also radically more elaborate, which at times, can actually make it hard to differentiate what's still alive and what isn't. It looks great and helps make the simplistic visuals work on an artistic level, but when things get hectic, it can also lead to some cheap deaths. Musically, the game features tracks that differ depending on the mode you play, and even include a few remixes from the original Retro Evolved. Graphical hindrances aside, Retro Evolved 2 makes the necessary enhancements to visual and audio fidelity that you'd expect from a sequel.

In the end, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 isn't looking to win you over if you weren't a fan of the previous games. Those who played the original to death will find a lot to like in its sequel, as it provides more of the same fast-paced shooting action that has become a staple of the series. The impressive presentation may be enough to catch the attention of everyone else, but the hard difficulty and lack of online multiplayer likely won't keep them intrigued for long. If you're looking for more Geometry Wars, this is precisely that, so go ahead and check it out. If you've been on the fence about the series and are looking for a good entry point, you could do worse than Retro Evolved 2 - just don't expect a full Live Arcade feature set or anything in the way of compassion.