When the iPad launched on April 3rd, one of the big exclusive launch games was Geometry Wars: Touch. Many iPhone owners wanted to have that game in their pocket, but PewPew 2 is a great replacement.
Graphically, PewPew 2′s layered vector graphics look much like those found in Geometry Wars: Touch. The game runs at a silky smooth frame rate, even when the screen is full of particle effects from exploding enemies. While the soundtrack seems a little too downtempo for our tastes, the eye-popping visuals easily make up for this.
There are two game modes in PewPew 2. The first is a survival mode, which includes six variations on staying alive as long as you can. These range from your classic ‘kill as many enemies as possible’ to ‘collect boxes while avoiding enemies in your turret-less ship’. Each variation has its own dedicated online scores, and you can watch replays of your games. The replays themselves are quite cool, as you can manipulate your view of the playfield 360 degrees.
The other game mode is a campaign, which is made up of ten exceptional levels. Each is completely different from the last. One level has you connected to a spring in the center of the screen. In order to complete it, you must avoid the swarming enemies for a minute, and then destroy them all when you get your gun back. Another level has multiple colored circles and enemies. In order to destroy enemies of a certain color, you have to turn your ship the same color by entering one of the circles.
Each level is very short, lasting five minutes at most. We were able to beat the entire campaign in about 30 minutes and were craving more afterward. This came as a major disappointment, and we hope more levels are added in the future.
It’s also important to note that PewPew 2 doesn’t run on the iPad. When you open it, the screen blacks out. If the iPad is your only device, you unfortunately cannot play PewPew 2 at this time. Of course, you could always pick up the more expensive (but still fun) Geometry Wars: Touch.
Short campaign aside, we can see ourselves playing the survival levels and possibly even revisiting the campaign for some time to come. It’s a beautifully made package and an absolute steal at $1.99. We’d also recommend checking out the original version of PewPew, which is a free download on the App Store.
It’s also important to note that PewPew 2 doesn’t run on the iPad. When you open it, the screen blacks out. If the iPad is your only device, you unfortunately cannot play PewPew 2 at this time. Of course, you could always pick up the more expensive (but still fun) Geometry Wars: Touch.
Short campaign aside, we can see ourselves playing the survival levels and possibly even revisiting the campaign for some time to come. It’s a beautifully made package and an absolute steal at $1.99. We’d also recommend checking out the original version of PewPew, which is a free download on the App Store.