Cracking slice of sci-fi action
There's nothing quite like a vertically scrolling shooter for some pure old-school, arcade thrills and in Baryon we have what is perhaps finest on the best examples of the genre, that stands comfortably alongside the likes of Raiden and Tyrian. It's not exactly brimming with originality but it doesn't matter too much as everything in it is simply so well done and put together that the game is just pure entertainment from start to finish. As you'd expect, it's a fairly typical science fiction themed shooter which simply involves scrolling up the screen blasting everything that comes your way with an array of nicely destructive weapons. To kick off the game, you have the choice of two ships, each with their own weapon types and which adds to the replay value somewhat while the upgradeable weapons include the likes of shields, missiles and bombs. There's not much else to discuss to be honest and anyone who's ever played a scrolling shooter will be right at home here. Fortunately though, even newcomers to the genre will be able to pick things up pretty quickly and the game features a decent difficulty curve, without the fiendish frustration that comes with other similar games. Visually, Baryon is pretty slick stuff, with some well designed sprites, enemies and explosions, while environments are varied and also interesting to look at. The controls are tight and responsive but a special mention must go to the soundtrack which is superb and adds a immense amount of atmosphere to an already exciting game. If you love shooters, then this is a must play but even if you don't, do yourself a favour and check it out anyway.
