Geometry Survivor Switch Review
If you owned an Xbox 360, it was highly likely you had Project Gotham 3, and if you had Project Gotham 3, then you have most likely played Geometry Wars, which was a part of the loading screen of the game. Geometry Survivor is developed by Brain Seal Ltd, and is not a continuation of the series made by Bizzare Creations, it certainly draws heavy inspiration from both Geometry Wars and the incredible Vampire Survivors. What’s It Like? Open your textbooks to page 64… no wait, that’s the wrong geometry. Let’s just dive right in.
Geometry Survivor is a bullet hell game in which you must survive 20 minutes against a variety of enemies who will stop at nothing to destroy you. You can take 4 hits before it’s game over, and that’s a screen you will see a lot at first, but as you go on you will earn credits to help upgrade your skills and abilities to do better next time. It’s a fast and frantic battle where you will feel like every second you survived is hard-earned. The gameplay loop consists of one simple objective: survive. I was actually put off at first by the description of the game as it’s not a twin-stick shooter, you simply move with the control stick and it auto-fires and deploys weapons on a cooldown basis. Thankfully, the game works very well due to its customisations, weapons, and addictive gameplay.
When you defeat an enemy, they drop an XP orb that you can pick up to level up. With each level you obtain, you select a new random weapon or choose to upgrade an existing one. There’s not as much depth with layering weapons like Vampire Survivors, but there are some combos that go hand in hand like a force field that slows enemies and a tail bomb that drops every 10 seconds or so. You get 4 levels per weapon, usually adding more projectiles or shortening the cooldown. You then get a final upgrade which modifies the selected weapon in a unique way. There’s also a chance to pick up a weapon helix, which further alters them making them incredibly powerful. You won’t be able to stay still and soak up the XP however, as the final 5 minutes of a round will have you on the edge of your seat, constantly planning escape routes and strategies to make it to the end.
Graphically, Geometry Survivors is a visual feast despite the simple-looking vectors. It reminded me of an old Mac game called “Spectre Challenger” crossed with watching a fireworks show. It’s bright and colourful, the weapons and effects are varied and interesting, and there are a lot of little details you miss in the first few rounds. Things like the vectors actually being 3D shapes that slightly tilt when moving, or debris that bounces off your… ship? The debris system means you can flick pieces of wreckage around and it seems like a silly thing to bring up, but while I was playing I didn’t notice it for my first hour and when I finally did, I started messing about more just for fun. With all of the action going on, the game maintains a steady framerate, and I only had a framerate slowdown once in my 7 or 8 hours of playing, mainly in the final minutes of a round while setting off multiple mines and big attacks. All of this is backed with a funky 80’s power wave synth soundtrack that changes up tracks during your rounds to keep everything fresh.
For my vision-impaired geometry people, there are no accessibility options, and towards the latter moments of the game, it may be hard to keep track of everything happening all at once. That being said, the colours are bright against a dark background, so further research may be required to see if Geometry Survivor is for you. The simple control scheme means it is accessible for handicapable gamers as well.
Geometry Survivor is an incredibly fun game for those looking for that Vampire Survivors fix. It looks bright and colourful, has the same addictive gameplay, and whilst it has a similar gameplay loop to Vampire Survivors, it has its own unique spin that keeps it fresh and exciting. Since it will only set you back $7.50 AUD when it drops on the E-shop tomorrow, there’s exceptional value due to the replayable nature of the game. I had an absolute blast playing Geometry Survivor, and really had trouble peeling myself away from the screen to make sure I got my review out in time for launch therefore, it’s an easy recommendation for fans of the bullet hell genre.
So, What’s It Like? Geometry Survivor is a fantastic blend of Geometry Wars, and Vampire Survivors.
A Review Copy was provided by the publisher, but this doesn’t affect my score.
