Strayfire is a very fun, very good-looking shareware vertical shooter powered by OpenGL and DirectX. The combination of jaw-dropping graphics and fast-and-furious gameplay makes Strayfire one of the most visually pleasing shooters to come along in a long time. Let’s start with the obvious: Great backdrops, outstanding special effects (especially for weapons), a rockin' techno soundtrack, and very nice 3D models for enemy ships make Strayfire a very immersive experience. There is also a nice gameplay variety that sets it apart from similar games: your ship can use shields to deflect incoming fire or attack enemies, and you must also avoid obstacles in some levels in addition to shooting everything that moves. With attention to detail, Strayfire is a very polished product that boasts better production values than many full-priced games. You can customize your binds and even play the game with your own MP3 playlist. The only gripe I have is that the registered version contains only four levels, although admittedly quite large ones. If you enjoy great shooters, though, Strayfire won’t disappoint. Highly recommended! Reviewed by: Underdogs |