Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions

Lucid Games

Industry	Video game development
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is a multidirectional shooter released in 2014, developed by Lucid Games and published by Activision under the Sierra Entertainment label. It debuted on November 25, 2014, across Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4 platforms. The following day, it became available on Xbox 360 and Xbox One, with subsequent launches for iOS and Android devices occurring in 2015.

Serving as the follow-up to Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, this installment represents the franchise's initial release on Sony consoles. It is also the sixth entry overall and the first developed after Activision shuttered the original studio behind the series, Bizarre Creations.

Gameplay

Players pilot a claw-shaped craft capable of firing independently from its movement direction, aiming to eliminate various enemy formations that aggressively target the player’s ship. Depending on the chosen mode, accumulating points can grant extra lives and powerful abilities known as supers. These supers—selected prior to gameplay—are consumable special powers such as automated turrets or sweeping bullet waves. Furthermore, players can deploy drones that assist by gathering geoms or attacking foes.

A central feature is the score multiplier, which increases through collecting green diamond-shaped items called "geoms." Skilled players can reach multipliers numbering in the tens of thousands.

Development

The game was created through collaboration between Sierra Entertainment and Lucid Games. It launched across multiple platforms including Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. This release marked Sierra’s return to publishing after a hiatus since May 2009’s Zombie Wranglers, signaling their renewed activity in the gaming industry.

Release

The worldwide release occurred on November 25, 2014 for PC, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4 users, followed by Xbox 360 and Xbox One releases on November 26. On March 31, 2015, a complimentary update titled Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved was introduced, adding 40 additional levels, new boss encounters, and extra gameplay modes. This update was provided free of charge to existing owners and included with all new purchases.

A physical edition of Dimensions Evolved for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One was subsequently released on October 11, 2016.

Reception

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions garnered generally favorable reviews. On aggregators such as GameRankings and Metacritic, the PlayStation 4 version received scores of approximately 87.36% (from 11 critics) and 85/100 (20 critics), respectively. The Microsoft Windows edition earned ratings around 78.00% (4 critics) and 79/100 (4 critics), while the Xbox One version scored about 85.26% (19 critics) and 83/100 (21 critics).

Brett Makedonski of Destructoid gave the game a perfect rating, praising its precise shooting controls, distinctive level design within the adventure campaign, innovative game modes, and a "classic mode" reminiscent of Retro Evolved 2. He emphasized that Dimensions advances the series considerably while staying faithful to its roots, describing it as the true evolution of Geometry Wars.

Conversely, Christian Donlan from Eurogamer offered a more reserved assessment, suggesting that while competent, the game did not fully capture the essence of its predecessors or exhibit a deeper grasp of what defines the series, resulting in an adequate but ultimately unexceptional shooter experience.