Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved Achievement Guide & Road Map

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved Achievement Guide

Overview:
- Estimated achievement difficulty: 8/10
- Offline: 30 [1000]
- Online: 0
- Approximate amount of time to 1000: 40-60 Hours [depending on skill]
- Minimum number of playthroughs needed: 1 [mission select]
- Missable achievements: None
- Does difficulty affect achievements: No
- Unobtainable/glitched achievements: None
- Extra equipment needed: Couch co-op partner.

Introduction:
Welcome to Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions! For veterans of Geometry Wars, this entry to the series adds 3D levels and a new adventure mode which can be a little confusing at first. However, the game is still simple in theory; there are only four controls (move, shoot, bomb, super) using the joysticks and triggers. As is the case with past Geometry Wars games, practice makes perfect. Don't get discouraged if you can't beat something right off the bat. This game will definitely test your patience, so be ready to take a break and play something else if it drives you mad (like it did myself and my wife).

Huge thanks to Maka for the video guides and their descriptions.

Abbreviated Walkthrough:
Start off with adventure mode, making sure to level up each drone and super as you progress. Try to get three stars on every level for the "Geometry Warrior" achievement. But have patience. Take the time to upgrade your drones and supers, and replay missions once you have better gear. For adventure mode, certain drones help more than others. I found snipe, ram, and collect to be the best. However, if you are struggling with a level, keep trying drone/super combinations until you find something that works for you. There's a delicate balance between collecting geoms (which drop from dead enemies and increase your multiplier) and staying alive -- try to find it by using what works best for you.

After adventure mode, fire up classic mode, which should be extremely familiar to anyone who played Geometry Wars 2. Practice and patience will be the only things to help get you through them. There is a definitely a certain amount of skill required, but I've seen my friends succeed with practice and luck.

Couch Co-op:
Oh boy -- the co-op section of this game. As tough as it is, I need you all to know that I got my wife, who had up to that point never played a video game, to pick up Geometry Wars 3, coached her a bit, and after a ton of patience and time, we were able to get all 30 stars. So, with that in mind, anybody with a bit of coordination can help you on these. Some levels can be won with just one player (I had to do that a few times), but the three stars will probably take both players contributing to the multiplier to obtain.

Mop-Up:
After beating adventure mode and upgrading the collect drone to max, go back and finish any level-specific achievements you have left.

Conclusion:
I know it sounds like a cop out, but the only real guide for this game is practice and patience. It's not as bad as Trials Fusion in the skill-required department, but it's no cakewalk either. Just keep trying different combos in adventure mode and check out Maka's videos for level-specific help.

[XBA would like to thank Mercury for this Roadmap]

Specialist

15
Upgrade any Drone to its maximum level
(1)
See "Maximise" for more details.
Maximise

40
Upgrade all 5 Drones to their maximum level
(1)
Make sure to invest your geoms in drones that you don't use. There is a secret achievement for collecting 1,000,000 geoms, so this will unlock naturally as long as you remember to upgrade.
Boom

20
Kill 100 enemies with a single Smart Bomb
Just hit (bomb) with a ton of enemies on screen and this achievement will be yours. Again, Level 49, Super Sequence, is great for this.
First Step

20
Earn 3 Stars on any level in Adventure Mode
See "Geometry Warrior."
Geometry Warrior

100
Earn 3 Stars on all 50 levels of Adventure Mode
This one will be a grind. Some levels seem impossible, but can definitely be done. For 95% of this, I used the collect drone with the turret super. The collect drone will be your best friend while going for this achievement. Remember that bosses give you 1,000,000 points when you defeat them, so take that into account when going for three stars on boss levels.
Keen Adventurer

80
Beat the Topaz boss in Adventure Mode
Story related, cannot be missed.
Millionaire

15
Score at least 1 million points on any level in Adventure Mode
This will come naturally during adventure mode. Early on it might seem daunting, but later on, you will easily break the 100 million mark.
Multi Millionaire

40
Score at least 100 million points on any level in Adventure Mode
This will also come naturally during the later levels. I found Level 49, Super Sequence is perfect for this.
Geomtastic

50
Earn a multiplier of at least 1000 on any level in Adventure Mode
Use the collect drone while playing adventure mode and you will eventually unlock this as you progress.
Kill Them All

35
Kill every enemy type at least once
Make sure to play the bonus level The List for the final enemy type. This level will be unlocked after beating the final boss on adventure mode.
Dying Time

35
Be killed by every enemy type at least once
I want to say this is unmissable, but if by some freakish reason you don't die enough in this game, find each type of enemy and let them kill you once. Remember to fire up The List in bonus levels if you're missing one.
Powered Up

15
Activate each Super State at least once
Adventure mode. Super States appear on levels with the verbal cue "Super State." Look around for a design on the map - arrow, rainbow circle, etc - and shoot every dot on it to unlock the super state. If you run out of time you will hear "Super State, Lost." This should come naturally while beating adventure mode.
Best Friends

30
Beat the Garnet boss in Co-op Mode

This is the final boss of co-op. If one player is skilled enough, it can be done solo (with an extra controller).
BFF

60
Achieve 3 Stars on all 10 levels in Co-op Mode

Have patience with your partner, or be fortunate enough to have a really good partner. As mentioned above, my wife is a non-gamer. I was able to take her, teach her how to play, and accomplish this after a lot of time.
Gatherer

35
Collect 1 million Geoms in Adventure Mode

THE SUPER GEOM GRIND. Even after getting all three stars on adventure mode I was nowhere close to this. For the easiest method, upgrade the sweep drone to the maximum and load up Level 49, Super Sequence. Keep the button pressed using a penny and some tape before you head to bed or work and let this method grind it out for you. I got roughly 1,100 geoms every round (always made it past the blues, which is kind of amazing if you watch it). Make sure your controller is plugged in so it doesn't automatically shut off. The achievement is secret but will show your percentage if you're curious how far you've come.
Beat Craig

30
Beat the Developer high score of 11,261,635 on Peanut Dreams

Adventure Mode - Level 11: Peanut Dreams
Ship Configuration: Collect + Black Hole (Preference)

This is all about the geoms, as is almost every other achievement. This also heavily relies on memorizing the timed spawns of waves of certain enemies. Near the beginning, clear the enemies, pick up the geoms and pick up the super structure on the top. Go back to the other side and pick up the next super structure (green) right as the first wave of important enemies spawns. There will be a ton of blue diamonds spawning from the top and orange triangles on the other side. Take out as many of these as possible, building your multiplier to 500, then using a bomb and collecting the remaining geoms to get to 650x. Now the goal is to stay alive, work quickly and keep your eyes (and ears) on the large enemy spawns on the top and bottom of the peanut shape.

After the second wave, your multiplier should be around 1,200x. Repeat the processes above, by staying alive and working quickly to kill enemies, using black holes whenever necessary to speed up the process. The last wave of enemies will spawn with about 0:09 left on the clock. With enough geoms, you should be able to milk 2,000,000+ points off these enemies within the last couple seconds of the game as long as you can stay alive. View the video for a more detailed step by step visual tutorial of the best methods for this level.
Beat Col

30
Beat the Developer high score of 4,769,150 on Gate Dash

Adventure Mode - Level 12: Gate Dash
Ship Configuration: Collect

You are allowed to die while getting this achievement, but doing so makes attaining this score extremely difficult. The first 10-20 gates are VERY important. If you are very unlucky and they spawn very far apart, restart the game as this wastes too much time. Keep in mind that there are a limited amount of gates screen at any given time, and you will need to pass through one in order for the next ones to spawn. With about 20 seconds left, the game will begin to spawn yellow gates which are incredibly important as they give 10 times the amount of points that a normal gate does. These gates are on a timer, and will disappear rapidly if you do not get them. If you are able to go from gate to gate to gate very quickly while also picking up 5+ yellow gates along the way, you should be able to reach this high score which is the easiest out of all the other developer score based achievements. I was able to get 6.7 million points, but it should be noted that almost half of them were attained within the last five seconds of the game.
Beat Phil

30
Beat the Developer high score of 21,478,525 on Nufo Flow

Adventure Mode - Level 24: Nufo Flow
Ship Configuration: Collect Only

This game mode can be a little confusing but is easier once explained. This is a pacifism game type where you can only use the mines (+) to cause explosions. Everything else will kill you. As always, geoms are a priority and they can ONLY be earned by destroying the pink circles which yield 20x. These are your main focus while the yellow enemies should act more like bystanders. Keep in mind the base score for a pink circle is 2,500, while the yellow ones only give 300 base. I recommend making sure that you get the first 10 or so pink circles without letting any through, or else the achievement/trophy becomes significantly harder.

Learning the flow and pattern of enemy spawns is extremely important, and you should use the audio cues provided by the game in order to time your explosions. After you build up your multiplier, your focus is to stay alive as long as possible and set off a chain of mines whenever possible.

With a bit of practice, you should be able to beat this score, which I was almost able to double in the video.
Rocket Destroyer

10
Destroy 10,000 Rocket enemies in total
(1)
This will unlock naturally as you play.
Deadliest

50
Complete Deadline Classic without losing a life

For this achievement, you'll want to play the beginning of the level like you are in a Pacifism game mode, and DO NOT shoot any enemies. Just slowly move around the level dodging any enemies for the first 90+ seconds. If you do not kill any enemies, it will take significantly longer for new and harder enemies to spawn. Once the blue diamonds and green diamonds spawn, you'll have to start shooting to protect yourself. Make sure to kill any enemies that are an imminent threat, but don't overdo it if possible. Remember, the less you kill, the easier it is! With about 1:00 left on the clock the pace will begin to pick up and more enemies will spawn.

Remember that you have three bombs at your disposal do don't forget to use them. Because of the limited time, I recommend using them if there is even a small chance of an enemy killing you. Just move around the map in circle shooting the enemies and using bombs for the reminder of time on the clock and the achievement should unlock once you complete the level without dying. Using this method will result in an extremely low score though.
Bossman

20
Defeat any boss in Adventure Mode without using a Drone Super or a Smart Bomb
Adventure mode. Simply beat a boss only using your guns. Easiest done on the Sapphire Boss (Level 5).
Retro

50
Score over 10 million on Evolved Classic Level before losing a life
Classic mode. This one took me the longest to get. In my opinion, this is probably the most heavily skill-related achievement in the game. There is no perfect strategy; surviving while collecting geoms should be your main priority. Use your bombs when you need them, and never, I repeat NEVER look at your score to see how far you've come. I can almost guarantee 9/10 times you will die within 10 seconds of looking. Keep your eyes extremely focused on the screen, and if you find your score is steadily decreasing game-to-game, take a break for a while. I managed to get this after quitting the game for a week and got it on my first try.
Beat Andy

30
Beat the Developer high score of 21,468,350 on Pacifism Classic
(1)

There isn't much to this other than practice. Learn the movements of the blue diamonds, collect the geoms to the best of your ability, be aggressive when necessary, and use gates to clear your way when possible. Make sure a large group of the enemies does not close you off in the corner of the area, and lure the enemies to the middle of the map in order to quickly dart back and go around them on the outside whenever possible.

This LINK shows how quickly your score can go up.
Sharp Shooter

30
Score over 500,000 on Twisted Blister without moving

Adventure Mode - Level 3: Twisted Blister
Ship Configuration: Collect + Homing

You will have to sit in the center of the map without moving and get 500,000 points, and it is ok if you are moved by a gravity well as long as you don't touch the left analog stick. Near the beginning, just take care of the enemies around you and allow the drone to pick up geoms for you to build your multiplier. When rows of orange rockets begin to appear, mainly focus on the 1-3 rockets that will strike you, and you can ignore the rest until later as they do not pose a threat. Keep an eye out for blue diamonds, green diamonds and small orange circles, as these pose the largest threat.

Keep in mind that you have one bomb, which I recommend using when a lot of enemies spawn or when the special super shape appears in the center as it will give a significant advantage for shooting. Keep in mind that you get a total of three lives. You'll want to reach 150,000-200,000+ in your first life, this will give you a good chance at reaching the target score. Just keep playing and once you reach 500,000+ and die, you will unlock the achievement.
Survivalist

25
Survive for 30 seconds on Pacifism Classic without going through a gate

The most important aspect of this achievement is learning how the blue diamonds move. Imagine that you ship is a magnet and that these ships are attracted to you. They are slower than you, which means that you can turn around them quite easily if there aren't many on screen. A good tactic is to pull the largest group of enemies to the center, and then quickly dart to the outside of the area, and fly around them trying to reach the middle again and repeating the process. After steering your ship through the level without hitting a gate or dying for 30 seconds, you will need to finish the game for your achievement to unlock.
Stationary

25
Score over 500,000 points on Waves Classic without moving

Classic mode. For this one, you cannot touch the left stick at all. Just watch your screen for a glow as to where the waves are spawning. Shoot out a small hole right in the center of the wave for yourself, making sure to let them get as close as possible so the Geoms can drift to you and increase your multiplier.
Bullet Proof

25
Score over 2 million on Maze without dying

Adventure Mode - Level 7: Maze
Ship Configuration: Collect + Miner

For this achievement, it is all about geoms and speed. The spawns for the enemies will always more of less be the same, and the only dangerous waves are the ones with rapidly moving enemies or homing enemies. You get one bomb and one super. I recommend using the bomb to speed up a wave near the end, and the super can also help when running low on time. The hardest wave is the one that includes the exploding pink squares as they move quickly and explode spawning more enemies. Just focus on killing enemies, collecting geoms and staying alive. You should be able to reach 2,000,000 points eventually, and just make sure you reach the end of the level without dying. The level end when the timer runs out.
King Killer

25
Spend 60 seconds outside of the safety King Zones in King Classic
(2)

This is a "pacifism" achievement, gained for playing a large portion of a game mode without the ability to shoot. It is also recommended that you shoot the minimum amount of enemies necessary to stay alive as this will allow you to drag the timer a little longer before tougher enemies spawn. To get this achievement, you'll have to spend a total of 60 seconds outside of the circles in this mode. Keep in mind, you cannot shoot while outside of the circles, but you can shoot while inside one. Once inside a circle, it will change color and begin to shrink until it disappears. Do not be inside the circle when it disappears or else you will die.

Just go around the map dodging enemies to the best of your abilities, and use the zones to protect yourself and take out "homing" enemies like the blue diamonds, green diamonds and exploding purple squares. The snakes can also cause a problem if not taken care of, but these spawn in much later in the level. If you are able to spend 60 seconds outside of the zones, the achievement will unlock once you die.
Peacekeeper

20
Survive for 60 seconds on Deflector without shooting and pass the level

Adventure Mode - Level 45: Deflector
Ship Configuration: Ram + Homing (Preference)
Cleaning Up

10
Destroy the cleaner
(1)
On the bonus level The List, make sure to completely destroy the name Mary Roddy.