Don't stop blasting!
This is the original game to which Frantis: Mission II is the sequel and what is interesting about this pair of freeware games is that they are quite different in terms of style and gameplay. They are both shooters but where the sequel is a side scrolling actioner like Trantor, this one is a top down scrolling blaster and while neither is exactly a classic, they both make for an entertaining time. As usual, there's probably some sort of science fiction-themed, aliens-destroying-the-world plot to enjoy but also like usual, it's entirely inconsequential in terms of the actual gameplay and you can safely ignore whatever efforts have gone into creating a backstory. Instead, you can focus on the game which is where the fun is. What the game basically boils down to is a top down shooter where you must pilot your dinky little ship blowing seven bells out of turrets, enemy fighters and command centers until there is no one left. That really is all there is to the game, and over the course of its nine levels you are bound to end up with an aching trigger finger and the action doesn't let up. There are quite a few handy powerups to help you out so as invisibility and shields and you're going to need everything you can get as this is quite a tricky one, even for genre veterans. Frantis is far from being a genre classic but if you're in the mood for an undemanding shooter, this should fit the bill. The action comes fast and furious, the visuals are decent if unspectacular and the controls intuitive and responsive, so if you just want to blow stuff up, then take a look here.
