The ocean blue backdrop of Everyday Shooter's title screen lends itself to the average first impression one may have of the title, which may seem non-assuming at first, but continues to surprise with each new level. It's almost the top-down shooter which we've always wanted: borrowing elements from classic shoot-'em ups that older gamers grew up with while still mixing in elements of recent aural/visual gameplay experiences such as Every Extend Extra's chains, Geometry Wars' control scheme, and synching up music to gameplay as Rez and Lumines have both succeeded at. It's for this combination of elements that Everyday Shooter caught a few double-takes when it was shown at press events, and rightfully so.

Games like Uncharted have shown us that pulling from successful gameplay elements can lead to great mechanics in an original IP, but it takes more than just knowing what to borrow from. A developer must also know how to evolve this gameplay, and that is where Everyday Shooter shines.

Each level exists as more of a music track, almost creating an album out of the entire level set. Players shoot their way through each stage, learning the unique chaining system of all eight levels, and working to survive until the end of the track. Essentially, each track lasts for about three-and-a-half minutes, leaving the game somewhere close to a half hour in total play. This doesn't mean that it's going to be easy to play through all of those levels on your first run: the game is extremely challenging. More challenging than most players may be used to, in fact. Good for those people that Mr. Mak included a system based on collecting points in each level, where not only do certain increments accumulate lives, but the total score can be used to unlock special filters, buy extra starting lives, or even unlock levels which gamers may have trouble reaching in normal play sessions. Heck, you can even shuffle levels so that things don't get too repetitive.

The joy of Everyday Shooter comes exactly where it should: from the little things. Discovering what sort of chain it takes to get your favorite guitar loop to play or the small boost of speed your ship attains when you stop firing, or maybe just noticing the tiny touches of beautiful animation on the smallest enemy explosion. This is where the pleasures of life exist for most people, and it's obvious that great care was taken in programming this bite-sized, yet infinitely-replayable game.

Everyday Shooter comes together in a welcome surprise in indie gaming and downloadable titles, as well. It doesn't struggle to be the best, and will stand in the PSN store as a pleasant discovery for those who shell out the ten bucks it costs. It's a great title to chill out to or play with your friends, as it's both dazzling to watch and the guitar-lead soundtrack is one of the best game music in ages. For a game that includes a section on its history and the creator's personal high scores for you to measure up to, it's clear that Everyday Shooter wasn't trying to make a difference-it just wants to hang out and have a good time for a while. Most of us, however, will appreciate a game that we can relate to sometimes. After all, it's not every day that we'll get another shooter like this, but it's a good one for every day we don't.