Spirus

It's pretty much assumed that if humanity ever has a close encounter of any kind with an alien race, it isn't likely to be a friendly one.

Whether our new-found foe is attacking our cities with tripods, blowing up the White House, or we're segregating them and interning them in camps, few are the visions of the future that depict man and extraterrestrials living in harmony.

Spirus is no different. In fact, this is an alien encounter built upon almost every space odyssey you've ever seen. You're put in control of a ship watching over a series of star gates, shooting down any alien pirates that seep through before they have a chance to attack your superiors, the Alliance.

It's never going to win an Oscar - its mesh of influences results in the kind of plot that's as familiar as it is forgettable - but its setting doesn't really matter. This is a game that's all about reaction times, picking off scores of foes in quick succession before they have a chance to do you any damage.

Your ship spins around the edge of each stargate, enemies bleeding through and heading up towards you. Using two buttons on the right of the screen to swing left and right, the trick is to line your own craft up with them and shoot. You don't have to take out each and every enemy, but there is a set number that have to be obliterated before you can move on.

It's a repetitive process, like all shoot-'em-ups, though Spirus tests your ability to keep on the ball and take out the enemy whilst avoiding taking hits of your own. A couple of hits are enough to bring the game to a close.

On the one hand, such repetition is essential and at the very core of its appeal. The constant flow of enemies puts you in a zen-like state, and switching left and right in speedy but smooth transition is the game's bread and butter.

Spirus is also served by the fact that your ship is tied down to the edge of the gate, so positioning is never more complex than simply lining yourself up with your target.

The fact that Spirus is so rigid is ultimately limiting. This is one-dimensional gameplay - if you're not on board in the first few seconds, you're going to lose interest fast, whether you're good, mediocre, or just plain terrible.

It's worth mentioning that, for those who fall into the latter category, their experience with Spirus will be a very short one indeed, the game very unforgiving if you're unable to get to grips with what, it has to be said, is an imperfect control scheme.

Even taking some intricacies into account, it's hard to view Spirus as anything but an also-ran, a average yet solid shoot-'em-up that strips its appeal back a little too far. The lack of leaderboards doesn't help, either.

With a fairly generic setting, little sparkle in play, and with more than a slight nod in Tempest's direction, it's hard to recommend Spirus much, but by the same sentiment, it's no space disaster either.