Sure, the *bang bangs* and the *pew pews* are solid, but the music of Tyrian is a defining feature for the title. Even by today's standards it's an action-pack title and there really are few things in life as pleasurable as having hoards of enemies mowed down before you by your awesome firepower. You really feel a sense of accomplishment from completing a level. The fast paced gameplay prevents you from ever using the word "boring". Tyrian isn't so hard that you want to rage quit, but it certainly isn't easy. Many top-down shooters originated in the arcades, so they're inherently difficult designed to eat up your coins. ![]() When joined together, they form "Steel Dragon", where player 1 controls the ship whilst player 2 controls the turret. They also have abilities and power-up unique to each other. Dragonhead is the small and maneuverable, yet fragile ship while Dragonwing is, naturally, the big, slow heavily armored ship. Both players essentially control half of one ship, designated "Dragonwing" and "Dragonhead". Additionally, the multiplayer (2-player co-op) is a fun, not to mention different, experience. There aren't as many weapons as story mode and you can't upgrade armor, shields or generator, but in this respect you're outfitted with a decent ship from the beginning. There are many game modes, including Arcade Mode which takes out the plot elements and shopping for upgrades with money turns into in-game instant powerups. Trying out every weapons combination in one playthrough is near impossible. The weapons and sidekicks can range from mainstays like vulcan cannons and homing missiles to crazy omnidirectional star bursts and flamethrowers. They also don't have to be the same as each other you can purchase left and right sidekicks separately. They're not firing all the time, however, and have dedicated buttons for firing them (Q and E). The sidekicks fly next to you and have limited ammo. You have one forward weapon, one rear weapon and two "sidekicks". Like others in the genre, you can upgrade your ship and its weapons. Enemies will be able to take (and dish out) heavy damage as well. That said, don't expect to fly through (get it? FLY through? Eh? Ehhh?) this game with little effort. Your shields, power source and hull are upgradable, so later in the game you'll be able to weather some serious punishment. ![]() Your shields, which recharge at a rate depending on the strength of your ship's power source, need to be depleted before you take hull damage. Odd for this genre, you can actually take some heavy damage before you go down. Amongst the plot driven transmissions, you will run into ads for silly future products as well as reference to other games from Epic like One Must Fall 2097 and Jazz Jackrabbit. If you DO follow the plot, you will really get an appreciation for this game's humor. So whether you're a "story guy" or not, you're set. ![]() ![]() Following the plot is entirely optional and doesn't affect the gameplay at all. The plot itself unfolds through transmissions you receive between missions. Said corporation kills your best friend and parents, at which point you embark on a lengthy adventure featuring revenge, escapes, twists, backstabbing and stuff blowing up spanning 5 episodes. Taking place in the distant future, you play as Trent Hawkins, an ace pilot working for a huge, evil corporation. It's also quite possibly the best top-down airplane/spacecraft shooter of all time. It has a flawless mix of action and humor with excellent replay value. It's possible to consider Tyrian the perfect game.
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