Genre: Shoot-'Em-Up
Publisher: Bizarre Creations
Developer: Bizarre Creations
Release Date: August 6, 2008

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 offers six gameplay modes: Deadline, Evolved, King, Pacifism, Waves and Sequence.

In King mode, you can only shoot when your ship is located inside of dynamically generated circles. The circles disappear, so you'll have venture around and locate another circle from which to renew your attack. An achievement in the prior title, Pacifism, is now a full gameplay mode. You must avoid shooting, so you kill enemies by leading them through gates, which will close after you pass through them. If you time it just right, the gates will explode at the opportune moment and take out a few enemy vessels. In Deadline mode, you're given three minutes and infinite lives to achieve the highest score that you possibly can.

In the old Geometry Wars, a common tactic was to hug the walls to avoid conflict, but in Waves mode, staying close to the walls will guarantee your demise. Based on what we saw, enemies spawn from there and attack you in rows up to two deep. To increase your score multiplier, you should also pick up the Geoms, which are the "seeds" that are left behind when you destroy enemies.

We didn't get a chance to look at the two remaining gameplay modes (Evolved, Sequence), but if the other modes are any indication, Retro Evolved 2 will be even more frantic, fast-paced, colorful and fun than its predecessor. The screen was swimming in colorful lights and orderly mayhem, but Scott Austin from Xbox Live Arcade mused about how intense the four-player multiplayer mode would be. Our eyes started watering at the thought. You can play in versus, team, and co-op across four-player multiplayer.

Get ready to blast off with Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 next month.