Tyrian / Tyrian 2000 [Archive]

thordog

Feb 25th, 2007, 08:34 PM

There are - in my worthless opinion as a newbie gamer - 2 problems with today's games. First, the graphics seem to outweigh gameplay. Why find a rocketlauncher? Let's start with it, so we can enjoy the huge explosions (which would, in real life, obviously blast you out of your shoes as well) and other stunning weapon effects? And second, games are meant for enjoyment and relaxation, not for tricking gamers into smashing their keyboard after the 328'th failed attempt to finish that one single puzzle. That being said, It's clear that my favorite games are those a few years old at least. One game with wich I still tend to destroy any social life I might have left is Tyrian, or Tyrian 2000 (2K). Tyrian is a arcade-like top-scrolling shooter like many others, but it is still one of the best around. GAMEPLAY: 10 out of 10, how else could I? Controls are easy to handle, Difficulty is low (although you can increase it, see Cheats) but the game won't get boring. One huge plus is the Full Mode, which lets you buy ships, upgrades, and weapons between levels. You earn money by killing enemies, so evading every single enemy you encounter won't be a solution. You can choose for different kinds of weapons: Front, Rear, and 2 sides. With around 20 (or more) weapons in each category, you can play through this game 5 times without ever getting the 'been there, done that' feeling that eventually kills all games around. One downside is the fact Full Mode is not playable with 2 players, while Arcade is. In arcade mode, you must collect power-ups and weapons instead of buying them. GRAPHICS: Not much to be said here. It's colorful, fun, but nothing top notch. Then again, It even wasn't when the game was just released, nut like I said, Gameplay goes first. With your weapons fully upgraded and blasting away at the dozens of enemies coming at you, it might be a little hard keeping your head at it, But that's hardly a downside of any kind. MUSIC: A huge jukebox ensures that you'll hardly hear any tune twice during the entire game (provided you only finish it once), but the music tends to be a little on the boring side, and listening to the practically same computer-generated beeps will get tedious in the end. Just turn it down, and play one of your favorite CD's with it. Heavy Metal goes especially well with this game ORIGINALITY: Just a 5. Why? The plot is nearly non-existent, and doesn't go much farther than: Megacorporation threatens the solar system, fly out and finish them off. On the other hand, no plot means no puzzles, which means no frustrations, which makes a very relaxing game. OVERALL, I gave it a 9 out of 10. The minor downsides, such as the music and the lack of 2-player Full Mode can't change my opinion that this is one of the most enjoyable games I've ever played. Great Mind-Stunning graphics aren't the thing that makes a game, and Tyrian proves it. Tyrian 2000 is a 2000 remake of the original Tyrian. There are no changes whatsoever, but Tyrian 2000 has a few more levels to play through and a few more weapons, which don't really add much to the game, but does give it just a little bit extra. Tyrian is abandonware, and Tyrian 2000 is freeware, so although these games can be pretty hard to find, they're free and legally available for download, as far as I know.