I get a little frustrated with the PlayStations store's launching of paid content minus the free trials. I want to know what a game is like before I invest my $5-to-$15.

This weekend I took a leap of faith and purchased "Everyday Shooter" based on pre-release hype alone.

I'm glad I did.

'ES' is one of those games that destroys your expectations. From the get-go everything is so understated. The menu is completely utilitarian... to the point of it being comical. There's no flashy intros, no over-designed junk, no space giraffes, just simple text to help you start your game. And what a game it is.

You play as a square. Really. You're a square that shoots in all directions... kind of like 'Geometry Wars'... kind of like 'Asteroids.' Enemies trace across the screen in seemingly random fashion, and you begin take them out. Sounds like every other arcade shooter, huh?

But here's where it gets good: there's some groovy music playing in the background and I soon noticed that shooting the bad guys adds to the music... with guitar chords, riffs and what not. It reminded me of Sega's brilliant 'Rez' on the PS2. The improvised music score is very cool indeed; it's like half game, half musical instrument.

The graphics are hypnotic. They seem ultra-simple at first, but become more artistic and strange as the levels deepen. It's amazing how cool simple graphics can be.

But, the best part of 'Everyday Shooter' is the gameplay. Not content with straight-forward rules, this shooter make you watch closely to discover how to ultimately cause enemy-destroying chain reactions. It's different for each level, so you have to pay attention if you want to rack up points. Seriously, you can't earn a lot of points until you learn how each particular level operates. Very neat.

And once you've earned enough points, you can use them to buy stuff when the game ends. The in-game store offers extra lives, different graphic styles and numerous gameplay enhancements. So, in addition to a cool game, there's increased motivation to keep playing... you want to unlock everything!

I commend Sony for taking a chance on 'Everyday Shooter,' it's a marvelous addition to the PlayStation store. It's already also one of my favorite games of the year. A wonderful return on investment!