Tyrian 2000

This is basically Raptor with some added features - the enemies are very identical in behaviour. Worth what I paid for it - which is nothing.

Classic Vertical scroller shooter. Not the best mechanics in the world but compared to Raiden it has a decent story behind it and cozy atmosphere. Not a fan of fixed upgradeable guns off battle and no powerups.

While the game is good, it permanently spams the right key on some systems. 1/5.

good

Tyrian 2000 is okay, I guess. I has it's merits and flaws, but is otherwise quite generic in most regards. The most interesting feature is Campaign Mode, where the normal arcade style shoot-em up is adjusted so that instead of gathering power-ups during the level, you collect credits which are used to improve your ship. This provides a more linear progression of power, rather than requiring the memorization and/or luck Arcade style seems to feature. However, Campaign Mode does have a few flaws, which makes it hard to play. The first of these is that while there is some choice on how to progress through the levels within each episode, this is quite limited. It is also easily overridden by finding a secret level, which doesn't just provide an extra choice of what level to play after the next one, but actually forces you to play the secret level, even if the level is actually harder then the level it replaces (and it normally is). With no way to go back to earlier levels, unless you are highly skilled or have a powerful ship - which isn't always the case - this can actually get in the way of a decent game, and force backtracking to an earlier save point - assuming you have one. Another flaw is that the game doesn't allow you to keep any of your progress, even if you fail a level, so you can't just brute force your way through each level. While this increases the difficulty level of the game, it renders any attempt which you die pointless, and some of the levels can be quite long, where a single mistake on the boss could make the whole endevour a waste of time. Secondly, it means that you can't just keep playing a level you are having difficulty with just to improve your ship, in the hopes of making future runs easier - so if you find you don't have the skill, power, or credits to complete a level, the entire game can be over. It's not quite a phyrric victory - completing a level never depletes your credits, but it is certainly possible to end up without the funds needed for a weapon or ship required for the next level, because of this factor. Hardcore shoot-em up fans will probably enjoy this, whatever mode they prefer. Others may find it's either too generic, or that the flaws get too tedious - but at least it is free, so many will give this a go at some point.