My analyse/review on "Everyday Shooter"

I just got PS3 recently (well, a few months ago). I’m not going to lie I’m mainly bought my PS3 for Metal Gear Solid 4 as I’m a big MGS fan. As the PS3 is still new to me, I’ve just been checking out a PSN game called “Everyday Shooter” (its been out for a while now) and I would recommend you to check it out as it is such an interesting unique well executed title both in gameplay and visuals (art style which is similar to Rez) departments which is very rare these days. For those who haven’t played it yet (which I would say to stop reading this and start playing it and read this later!) the closest I would describe this game is blend of “Rez” meets “Geometry Wars” although this isn’t fair description as it’s pretty unique but the closest one I could up with. This game is made by one man crew by the name of Jonathan Mak, I truly respect this dude as he hasn’t just made a game with good programming and art but also with good game design understanding what makes shoot em’up fun following the foundation rule sets. Here are I shall go through these rules:

1.) Simple mechanics - Pick up and play mechanics with hard to master learning curve, players need to be able to continuously learn and develop their own play style through progressive playing. Games like “Tony Hawk” series are good with this method allowing diverse playing styles adding depth to otherwise simple core game.

2.) Score system - the sense of challenge and achievement via the element of risk and reward, more daring you play the better the score.

3.) Kill reaction/ feedback – Player needs to receive a good feeling when he/she kills an enemy via cool sound effect or big over the top explosions, etc give the player a feeling that everything in the game has a impact and consequence on the game logic (of the game’s world) as well as gameplay.

4.) Enemies and their bullet patterns - the challenge of surviving danger/ outwitting enemies, learning the lesson of always keeping your eye on your ship. This is also referred as “meta-game” which are elements of complex pattern memorization and the use of power-ups and other benefits provided by the developer to survive the game. This term is normally referred more within manic Japanese shmups like 1942.

5.) Game balance/logic of the game world – Players need to be able to trust/understand the game system/world that game is presenting to the player without player feeling mistreated or cheated by the game’s logic. For an example, Geometry Wars is set within retro techno neon style box where enemies shaped as basic shapes such as squares, circles, triangles, etc who spawn in huge numbers anywhere within the perimeter of the square sized level. The player never questions this logic of why the enemies can spawn anywhere and accepts it apart of the game’s universe/mechanics due to creativity of the art style and also the fact the player can easily and quickly understand the principles of this game world in terms of gameplay and visuals. This also includes minor game mechanics (which are pretty important peas and carrots elements of a shoot’em up to create the feel and mood of the player’s experience) such as spawn positions, spawn time and rate, enemy’s movement speed, enemy’s function/purpose etc. Most people would argue that this is the same thing as game mechanics but I believe this element is a combination and understanding of both game mechanics/design and creativity/art. This is the hardest element to achieve within a game well, and only small percentage of games actually achieve this especially within shoot’em up genre.

What I think is so interesting with Jonathan Mak’s approach to this game isn’t the fact that he follows these foundation rules for a shoot’em up creation but the fact, he plays around with these rules. For an example, the player doesn’t receive points for killing enemies but only for collecting dots from the deaths of these enemies (sounds like platform game doesn’t it?) which only appear if killed by combo explosion/radius from other certain enemies which blow up. Jonathan Mak has full strong understanding of what works for shoot’em up for these unusual ideas to work like they say “You need to understand rules, before you can break them”.

What I personally also treasure about this game isn’t just playability (mechanics) but the game’s feel and logic. He has really thought about what “feel” and “Mood” he was trying to achieve throughout the game. For an example, enemies are never menacing or daring like “Geometry Wars” but feel enchanting and spiritual but always remains to be challenging like most shoot’em ups especially old skool Japanese shmups like “1942”. Although you could argue that “Geometry Wars” and “Everyday Shooter” have similar design ideals via their enemies that share same geometry of basic shapes but they express different moods giving the player completely different experience. Although the Mood is hugely created by the music and music/sound effects created via killing enemies and also of course unique visual style fitting within the game’s universe/logic. As a player you can tell that “Rez” was a big inspiration towards the game/art style but the game remains unique through own identity of its own ideals.

One of these ideals would be the level structure of this game (which I was going include within the list of rules but I don’t think it is required to be all good shoot’em ups) where each level is length of the song which is stated via the song length bar at the bottom of the screen (like media player software) which adds to the concept of blending music with game interactivity similar to “Rez”.

Jonathan Mak also has a good understanding of the shoot’em up genre’s typical weaknesses or areas which are lacking compared to other genres. For example, he has included lots of unlockables where you use the points you gain from gameplay giving extra incentive for high score for otherwise typical extra life bonuses adding extra lifespan and sense of achievement where typically shoot’em ups lack.

To conclude my analyse/review I would say that this game is an amazing achievement giving some well deserved fresh air towards an old tired genre lacking modernization of today’s gaming ideals and new ideas boost this game with it’s own identity/take on shoot’em up genre. With this game it shows that “Art conquers all” how a simple idea can so beautiful.

http://www.queasygames.com/

(P.S this is his website, where you play the PC version for free and all his other games check it out now!)

Written by: Jonesy