After a several year absence, Geometry Wars returned with an all new entry, Dimensions. This time around, the twin-stick shooting features a 3D perspective, while keeping all the frantic high-scoring madness intact.
If you keep dying in Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, our beginners tips will keep you alive a bit longer while your score stretches into the hundreds of thousands.
Use Bombs Wisely
As you progress through the game’s Adventure mode (or jump right into Classic mode), you’ll gain access to bombs. These little beauties are capable of clearing most of the screen with one well-timed blast. The problem is that you only have a few per round depending on the match rules.
When it comes to using bombs, save them until absolutely necessary. The cannon on your ship packs plenty of gunfire, so you can destroy multiple enemies when they get close to you. However, if you become surrounded or find the odds don’t work in your favor, a bomb will certainly do the trick.
One thing you’ll want to avoid doing is tapping the bomb button. You’ll accidentally drop two as a result, and leave yourself short-handed in the middle of the round. Just hit the button once and watch the fireworks.
After you destroy all of the enemies, take a second to fly around and pick up the little green orbs left behind. The more of these you collect, the more your score multiplies!
Battle for Position
One thing you’ll learn with Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is that you shouldn’t sit still for very long. Even if you try and set yourself in the center of the stage, you could easily miss an enemy coming your way, which will result in the loss of life. The idea is to keep moving and fire in the direction you’re going so you can clear enemies out in front.
Of course, you can stop to gather yourself for a second if the enemies are at a distance, but try not to do it on the corners of an enclosed map. There are two reasons for this. One, it’s easier for homing enemies (like blue diamonds or the little triangular hornets) to close in on you, which could create an inescapable situation. The second is that enemies randomly pop up on each stage, and you could have a flood that pours in behind you.
The best thing you can do is just keep moving around the stage as you see openings. Look for open spots where you can glide along without hitting anything (like enemies or lethal objects on a stage) and keep firing away. It helps to fly towards enemies you’re shooting, as you can pick up the multiplier orbs.
Watch out for Bosses
One new element introduced to Dimensions is the boss level. You’ll run into these after completing all the stages in a section, and have to destroy them across four different waves – with each one making them stronger.
There are some tactics to keep in mind for bosses. First, they’ll drop smaller enemies behind you, so make sure you concentrate just as much firepower to take them out as you do when the boss is unshielded. Otherwise, you’ll face a quick death.
Second, when you defeat a certain wave with a boss, it’ll explode and prepare for the next wave. Stay out of the proximity of this explosion. You’ll lose a life in the process. Also, be prepared – they may be moving much more quickly with the next wave, and most of the time, they’ll pursue you.
Finally, be on the lookout for power-ups. These pop up in the form of little peg formations on the stage, in which you have to shoot them all to acquire the power-up. It’s more than worth it, as the boost in firepower (whether it’s a spread cannon or rapid fire) will really give you an edge. If you see an opportunity, go ahead and get it. The boss will still be there afterwards, and you’ll be primed and ready to bring it down!
Leaderboards
Our last section will discuss how you can interact with others on the leaderboards, no matter what version of the game you’re playing. Actually, your score is kept track of after each stage automatically, across a three-star tier. You’ll have a basic goal at first (one star), with two more advanced goals to shoot for after you meet it. However, don’t hesitate to retry a stage. You could do better the next time around, and you’ll get an Achievement or Trophy for doing this.
Once your round is over, your score will automatically be uploaded to the leaderboards, and you’ll be able to see how well you did against your friends on that particular system. If you wish, you can go right back in with Quick Retry and see if you do better. If you’re satisfied, move on to the second stage.
Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the secondary aids you can use in battle, as well as how to unlock new ones and level up your skills!
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is available now for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.
