Schizoid's minimalist approach to presentation is similar to Geometry Wars. All of the on-screen objects are either red or blue and stick to basic, animated outlines. The only time the game shows any sort of "over-the-top" pyrotechnics is during explosions, such as in the accompanying screenshot. Sure they look cool, but they become more of a detriment the deeper you get into the game. It isn't uncommon to see upwards of 15+ enemies on-screen at once, and they have a tendency to bunch up.

Sound is equally low-key and made up primarily of guitar riffs accompanied by a few drum beats. Chances are you'll drown the background music out either with your own talking or because of the amount of attention paid to getting out of each level, but it's nice to know that it's there.

Schizoid is a great example of a simple concept exploding into a deep and entertaining game. There are two ships, a blue one and a red one, and they are swarmed by similar-colored enemies with their known behavioral tendencies. Some bounce, while others follow or run away. The catch is that the red ship can only kill red guys and the blue ship can only kill blue guys, so the two must work together in order to make it out alive.

While it is customary to start with the single-player aspect and move on to multiplayer, Schizoid reverses things. There's a single-player, Bot-training Mode, though you'll probably only want to spend a few minutes with it before moving on to Co-op, which is the only way to really experience the game. Similar to N+, there isn't much of a "natural" progression between levels; instead each is themed around a name, like "Breeder" where you have to take out an enemy laying eggs that will eventually turn into new enemies or the Pac-man inspired "Wakka-Wakka".

If you insist on being anti-social, you can try Uberschizoid, where each ship is tied to an analog stick. If you've ever wondered what it would feel like if you're brain were being torn in two, this will give you a comparable feeling. The only issue I came across with the mode was the blue and red lines that appear on-screen. I know they're supposed to act as guides, but I found them more confusing then helpful.

Team-work is key to any sort of success and the reason you're not likely to spend much time with the Bot-training mode. It isn't that it is particularly "dumb", but it doesn't go that far beyond reasonably competent. It will always go for the nearest "red thing", even if you're in trouble or there's a "blue thing" right next to it. It also has a tendency to get caught up on walls and, on one occasion, it wouldn't move an extra couple of pixels to reach the last enemy on the screen, forcing a restart.

Lives are shared between partners, and the goal is to make it through seven levels before your lives are refilled. It doesn't sound that hard, but levels get pretty complicated the further you get. If you can make it through a level without dying, you'll "Gold Star" it and can skip it on your next go through. It's a nice motivational tool and helps with the replay since you never feel "stuck".

The control mechanics are just as simple as the core gameplay. Unless you're playing Uberschizoid Mode, in which you use both analog sticks, you only use the left stick to pilot your ship. Even though there aren't any complex key commands or button combinations to memorize, the control scheme still leads to complicated gameplay once you throw the other player in the mix.

Co-op games can be played either Locally or over Live. Of the two, Local games tend to be more enjoyable given the simple fact that you have someone there to talk things over with. Live play is still fun, but I rarely came across someone with a microphone. However, playing with mic-less players made for a pretty cool experiment in communications. Even though we couldn't verbally speak to each other, we would develop our own visual communication tools like slowly nudging a ship in one direction to say, "This way" or pulling back just a bit to say, "You lead".

Though effective communication is important when clearing levels, it is equally important when it comes to power-ups. Some levels are sprinkled with power-ups like a bomb, speed boost or razor wire. The trick with power-ups is that you can't just activate them and be done; you have to wait until the right moment. When playing with the A.I., this element is absent since it has little idea about how to effectively use them -- especially the razor wire since it will continue to go for the nearest red and ignore the long strand of rope between the two ships that can destroy everything it touches.

One of the more common things I've heard about Schizoid is that it is a game you just have to play to understand -- and I couldn't agree more. However, it is one that you have to experience with a friend, otherwise the entire point is lost. If you're a social player, either online or off, Schizoid is a great purchase. If you're more of a loner, your 800 points would be better spent elsewhere.