Everyday Shooter – PSP – Review

Originally debuting on the
PlayStation 3, Everyday Shooter is a shoot ‘em up that may seem all too
similar to the other titles within its genre. Designed from the ground up by
Jonathan Mak, Sony picked up Everyday Shooter after seeing the potential
it had as a downloadable game for their PlayStation Network. Now a year or so
later, Sony has released this quirky shooter for the PlayStation Portable but
not nearly enough changes have been made to fix the problems that originally
plagued the title.

If you’ve never played Robotron
or Geometry Wars, Everyday Shooter is controlled with input from
two methods – and in this case, it’s the D-Pad and analog stick. This is a
drastic change from the PS3 that had gamers utilizing the two analog sticks. The
change affects the overall quality of the title as it loses a lot of its
precision that the PS3 version had. With the lack of full control that the PS3
version offered, the PSP version won’t sit too well with the hardcore fans of
the original.

Due to that it’s a standard arcade
shooter that doesn’t venture far away from the norm, gamers might not find it an
exotic departure from what they’ve already experienced in the genre. The premise
of the title is based on the fact that you’re a small colored dot and you shoot
your way around the stages to advance via collecting enough points. The minor
problem that you’ll first notice is that collecting points is difficult since
you’re a small dot on the screen. If there was a way to pull in the points
without having to travel around the screen to collect them individually, then we
may be talking a whole different ballgame here. Another issue that won’t sit too
well with newcomers is that when you die, you’ll have to start all over from the
very beginning as there’s no continue system in place to award gamers a second
chance at the level. The only perk they can mess around with is the ability to
give yourself more lives through the menus.

With only eight stages to play
through, there’s not much replay value to hold onto after you’ve completed them.
Each stage is unique with its own style along with enemies, but that isn’t
enough to keep you playing past the first time you complete the game. Sure,
changing up your style and adapting to the stage’s style is almost a must if you
want to stay alive, but you should be able to learn the tricks of the trade
within the first five minutes of each stage.

If you have played the original,
you’ll know the biggest downside of playing it on the PSP is the lack of screens
to show off frenetic action. Since it’s much harder to see your enemies and
projectiles as they fly around the screen, expect some unusual deaths that you
wouldn’t normally experience in the PS3 version. On top of this, there are also
many unexpected slowdowns when the game can’t keep up with the amount of
explosions occurring.

Lastly, and probably the most
important aspect, Everyday Shooter employs an all-guitar soundtrack that
isn’t overly complicated. The sound design is full of great sound effects that
will keep your interest as you blast away your enemies and guitar riffs hit hard
with every explosion. The only real downside of the audio is how repetitive it
becomes beyond the first few stages. Melding the visuals and audio together,
gamers should be able to find enjoyment out of Everyday Shooter.

Gameplay: 6.5
It won’t blow your mind when you first begin playing, but you’ll begin to
appreciate the simplicity of the mechanics soon after.

Graphics: 7.0
While they aren’t astounding when you look at other visceral shooters
currently within the genre, Everyday Shooter at least has the visuals
matching up with the audio.

Sound: 7.2
The sound effects coordinate with the visual effects as guitar riffs are
heard after every kill.

Difficulty: Medium
Varying on how adept you are with shooters, you might find it extremely easy
or overwhelmingly hard.

Concept: 5.8
Porting this shooter to the PSP isn’t too much of a surprise nor was the
standard game mechanics.

Overall: 6.5
Taking Everyday Shooter on the road is a nice attribute for fans of
the game, but it’s not nearly as fun as it was when it debuted in 2007. Without
two analog sticks, it’s not nearly as functional.