Twin stick shooters have started hitting the Community Games channel with Biology Battle being one of those titles. Biology Battle is set in outer space and in it you take control of a nanobot during its mission inside of a target cell. You basically have to avoid everything that is thrown at you for as long as you can similar to how you would play Geometry Wars. You have various weapons at your disposal as you progress through the game. Microsoft does not allow achievements in Community games, however, Novaleaf didn’t let that deter them. They have something called “Trophies” which work exactly like achievements. The only difference here is that unlocking a trophy in the game will not add to your overall gamerscore.

The game controls like every other twin stick shooter, however, it does have some cool additions. By pressing the left trigger you can give your ship a speed boost as you dash across the screen, definitely something other games in this genre could use. You also unlock certain powers and abilities as you progress. They can range from a better gun to a better shield that will protect your ship. There are also some different modes to try out. You have the “global challenge” where your score is compared to everyone else over Xbox Live. You do however need to be an Xbox Live Gold member to use this mode. There is also the versus mode, where you can pick from a variety of different games. There is “Survival”, “Turrets”, “Wire Cycle”, “Lasso” & “Froghop”. Survival is your standard mode where you shoot or be shot. In “Turrets” you kill players for points and you can deploy the turrets with either shoulder button. In “Wire Cycle” you can kill players by using your “tail” which is a long trail following your ship. However, be sure not to fly into it yourself or hit the wall, otherwise you will get killed as well. “Lasso” is a similar mode while in “Froghop” you have to race from one safe zone to another and you accrue points for each lap. Finally there is the “Worms” mode where you have to avoid the worms at all costs. There is no shooting and you will get bonus points for getting close to them. There is also a “local” mode where you can either play by yourself or via co op multiplayer. As you play the game and destroy enemies you will also come across random famous quotes that a lot of gamers should recognize. Once when I was starting out a game I was told, “Live long and prosper.” That is just one of many quotes that should give you a chuckle as you progress.

Overall this is a fun game. If you are a fan of this genre I would definitely give the game a try. It has a free demo available for download on the Marketplace for anyone who is interested. As you continue to play the game you will also have the chance to look at your stats to see where you stack up against the rest of the world. With this being the first Community game that I have reviewed, it shows a promising future for the XNA initiative.

Score: 7/10

Originally posted on Totally Gaming Network