5 Inexpensive Shoot ‘Em Ups Worth Downloading
For when you need to shoot down planes and enemies on a student budget.
Shoot ‘em up style games are one of the major gaming genres that were present at the dawn of gaming. However, fundamentally speaking, they haven’t changed all that much, save a few cosmetic upgrades and slight gameplay gimmicks.
However, why try and fix something that isn’t broken?
Games like Galaga, Asteroids, and Gradius epitomised the shoot ‘em up genre and since then, the formula that these games followed has been repurposed to make even better shoot ‘em ups.
Nowadays, the shoot ‘em up genre takes a far back seat to third party, blockbuster games with cinematographic cut scenes and storylines.
Nonetheless, there are still tons of entries into the genre overall. Shoot 'em ups are well and truly still alive and well, and in many circumstance can replace bank breaking titles in lieu of relatively cheap, easy-to-pick-up fun.
5. Blue Rider
Blue Rider might be one of the most casual and visually inviting shoot ‘em ups on this list. The visuals presented in the game are similar to a stop-motion animation featuring clay. It’s easy to get lost in the vibrant colors and rounded edges which give the game its appeal. Blue Rider uses a top down perspective and control scheme a la the vehicle missions in the Lego Star Wars series.
The game has a simple upgrading system that is accumulated and equipped through in-game power-ups. It is worth noting that, throughout the games progression, it has a satisfying and healthy increase in difficulty due to the new enemies presented as well as the level ending boss.
The only vice of Blue Rider is that the player has to attack all these enemies and rival forces alone as there is no co-operative mode unfortunately. This game’s list price is $10.00 USD but can be picked up for less than five bucks during sales.