Not Your Everyday Shooter

Everyday Shooter: a name that screams unique qualities.  Source  

Everyday Shooter
PS3, PC
2008

Some of you may be wondering why I'm taking the time to review a nearly four year old game instead of something newer. Well, the reason for that is that I not only want to touch base on a modern classic, in this case Everyday Shooter, but I also want to briefly discuss the beauty of simplicity.

Those who have played Everyday Shooter know it is anything but another arena shooter. Developed by one man from start to finish, it is a pretty unique title. From its bizarre, cartoon-like, graphics, and its pretty much all guitar soundtrack, ES provides a relaxing break from the norm. From the moment I picked up ES my favorite aspect of the game was the music. Remaining mellow for the most part, it never feels overwhelming, and every enemy destroyed plays a "riff", meaning that when combos of enemies are destroyed, it gives a discordant, yet pleasant, series of notes to go along with the music.

Four years later and I'm still not sure if that's supposed to be an eye. Source

Another aspect of ES I really enjoy is that every level is different. Combos, or ways of destroying chains of enemies, change with every level, forcing you to keep an eye out for the best way to clear each level. ES utilizes a simple dual stick control method, one stick moving the "character" (which is just a large pixel), and the other fires in the direction pointed. There is no ammo, or bomb function, but they're really not needed. Any strategy to be found in ES may really only amount to trying to destroy enemies in a convenient location, for picking up the point blocks that appear upon destruction. My only major gripe about ES actually comes from this: moving from one spot to another is slow. While this doesn't get in the way of destroying enemies, it can make picking up points, necessary to unlock extra lives and other bonuses, very difficult. The only time I felt myself frustrated with this title was when I was trying to scoop up points, only to see them fade away because I couldn't reach them in time. A frustrating experience if you're only trying to unlock a few more lives, or anything else for that matter.

A lesser, yet possibly more important, gripe I have with ES is that the control doesn't always feel spot on. Sometimes while shooting I swear I'm aiming spot on at a cluster of enemies, or bullets, or whatever, only to be slightly above, or to the right of an enemy. While the control is good, it's not great, and in a game where you only have two things you can control, direction of movement and weapon fire, that can be a source of frustration.

It looks a lot cooler when it's moving.
Unless you plan on buying it, you'll just have to trust me. Source  

While a relatively short title, and one that has some flaws, ES has had me coming back for years. Why you ask? Simplicity. Everyday Shooter never tries to be something its not, and never tries to shoot for the limelight with dazzling graphics, complex patterns, or even a complicated soundtrack. No, ES is simplicity in form. While there are games that are even more simplified (Canabalt, Nano Ninja, etc.), ES seems to have a near perfect balance of simplicity and form. Too often games try to dazzle and amaze with sharp graphics, orchestral soundtracks, and complicated control schemes, and lets face it, they do their job well. On the other hand though, sometimes you want to just sit back and relax, turn off the brain, pick up a controller and just shoot. Which is what ES provides. Sure, it's not rocket science, and yes, anything that simple can get repetitive and old, but when the world gets crowded, and you don't want to spend hours figuring out a new system, you'll probably find yourself swinging back to simple titles like ES for your gaming fix.

While I won't say ES is the best shooter I've ever played, or even the most simple, I will say it's a great fix for those days when you just don't want to think anymore. If you haven't played it yet, give it a whirl, and for those who already have, I'm sure you'll be seeing it again.

Everyday Shooter gets a 3.75 out of 5 stars for it's fun concept, simple premise, and large amount of replayability.

Until next time, game on.

Editors Note (4/3/12): The score on this was originally a 3.5, this was an accident. I left a 7 out of that equation, which makes quite a bit of difference coming from a grading curmudgeon like myself. It has been corrected to the score I originally wished for it to have, a 3.75, and is now properly represented here on Gaming Cuisine. Thanks for reading,
-Ryan Huff