After “Vampire Survivors” made a big splash in the indie scene, it should be no surprise that a wave of copies with their own spin on the formula would show up. “Geometry Survivor” is one of those copies as it ditches its twin-stick shooter roots in favor of trying something new.
Similar to other auto-shooter survival games, this game is all about dodging enemies and upgrading weapons as your character sends out attacks on a timed loop. It shares the same visual design as old “Geometry Wars” games, and even though the gameplay might seem similar at first, it feels very different. Weaving through enemies and getting weapons like drones, black holes and beams is fun. You can also use currency gathered in games to unlock permanent upgrades.
The game isn’t too difficult, so surviving for the whole 20 minutes is doable after a couple hours of play. It does make for a good entry point to the genre.
The main issue with the game is its lack of replayability. While you can unlock other ships that change some gameplay elements, the game still feels very limited because there’s only one level. Once you beat the game you’re pretty much done, there’s just not enough variety to keep you playing.
While the game is only a few bucks to buy, players will inevitably compare it to “Vampire Survivors,” which has way more variety by comparison. Is it worth the money? Sure, but if you’re going to play a game like this, you have to consider there are titles that just do it better.
The game is fun, and it also makes me wish there was just a new “Geometry Wars” game to play. The last notable release was in 2014, and even though this scratches a similar itch, it’s not the same thing. It’s understandable that someone would want to take the series in a new direction, but the hard truth is that there are better survival games out there, and unless this adds a decent amount of new content for free, it can’t stand amongst its competition.
If you’re someone who has played every other survivor game to death and you need something new, then “Geometry Survivor” will get the job done. If you’re a fan of the series who wants another “Geometry Wars,” then this will only get you so far.
This game needs more content to keep it replayable; otherwise, it’s only worth a handful of hours before you drop it for something else. “Geometry Survivor” earns three stars out of five.
