PowerUp Forever is a multi-directional shooter released for Xbox Live Arcade, and is also downloadable on PlayStation 3. Those familiar with Geometry Wars will instantly recognise the basic controls, with the left analogue stick controlling your ship’s movement while the right stick aims and shoots your weapon. You fly your ship through a unique and infinite 2D space-themed world (the game’s original title was in fact “Infinitum“) which is peppered with wild and varied alien life-forms.
In a “Circle of Life” kind of a way, the environmental beings range from tiny bugs that flee frantically your ship’s path to avoid being crushed in its path, to huge creatures that won’t blink an eyelid as you fly around them or even shoot at them, since they consider you far too insignificant to be even concerned with. The game world is quite a stunning environment, with fluid and ever changing backgrounds that ripple and deform as you fly through them or fire your weapons. Advancing levels brings palette changes, with levels range from dark and cold, to vivid and water-colour like. I found the worlds mesmerising, although I am sure they will seem a little garish to some.
The object of each game level is to destroy enough parasites (you will find them feeding off the larger creatures) to anger their Guardian (ie. the boss). Once the Guardian has been angered, it will appear for the disappointingly easy boss battle. At the conclusion of each level, your ship grows in size so that previously huge enemies are brought down to size, and previously same-sized enemies are suddenly dwarfed by your ship and no longer represent a threat to you. The game camera appears as if to zoom out as this change in proportions takes place. In this way, level progression is very logical to follow – you take on progressively larger enemies as you yourself grow in size.
Given this game’s title, most people will be interested to know what “PowerUps” are available in the game. Unfortunately, it is a shocking misnomer. On beating each of the first 15 levels, one of your abilities or weapons is upgraded. However, there are only a small set of weapons you will receive in the game. Furthermore, upgrades cease after 15 levels. So don’t be fooled by the “Forever” in the game title. You will be let down.
Aside from the main game mode, there are 4 unlockable modes that will hold the interest as long as this sentence will. The game screams out for a multiplayer mode, and the lack of one in any form is almost an absolute deal-breaker.
This game does have a lot going for it. The levels are beautifully crafted to high production values, and the techno background music is in keeping with the trippy theme. Gameplay is simple at heart yet hard to master at the higher difficulty levels. Achievements on XBLA are reasonably interesting and somewhat challenging. And there is a decent “risk-reward” cherry for proficient gamers – playing the game on the normal and hard difficulties enables a higher in-game multiplier (advanced by clearing levels within a set time limit) than the easy difficulty. On the other hand, some may find the gameplay repetitive, especially given the forced solo nature of the game.
You will probably have a good idea by now whether you would enjoy this game. If you are interested, playing the demo first should help finalise your purchasing decision (800 Microsoft Points).
Good points: Unique and satisfying visuals. Game premise is interesting for a while.
Bad points: You can’t PowerUp Forever! Strategy rarely needs changing during the game so some will find the gameplay repetitive. No multiplayer.
ButtonMasher verdict: If you like space shooters, then it is worth checking out the demo for this game, but don’t be surprised if it doesn’t hold your interest “forever”.
