Shooter Fans: Platypus and Operation Blockade
Two new PC shooters have been released (found them at www.gamedemo.com), one traditional, the other not.
Platypus (Demo can be downloaded here) is gorgeous, full animated (everything) in clay, the game is a wonder to watch. As a shooter, it is generally basic fare, and focuses on tons of enemies over tons of bullets. Side-scrolling horizontal, it is quite nice but I don't like the powerup system very much, as they give you a time limit on the special weapons. In any case, you should at see it in motion. The demo is the first two areas, not terribly long.
For something quite different, Operation Blockade fits the bill (Demo here) as it's a shooters view during a WWII style gunfight. You play as the gunner on a beach (at least from the two areas I played in the demo, I haven't beaten it yet), holed up and required to keep the enemies away. You have ammo limits and at least three different guns and grenades (they get useful once soldiers start storming the beach), and must shoot down enemy aircraft as they fly by and attempt to kill you. It's very nice and quite fun, although does get rather hard in the second level once you have two-three soldier boats storming you, along with numerous aircraft all gunning for you at once. I started feeling rather panicked once that started happening, as you can only hear bullets smacking all around you, it gets difficult trying to pin everyone down. I definately recommend this one.
[edit]Gah, forget to mention that from the screenshots of Operation Blockade, you will also eventually be the gunner inside a plane trying to shoot down other planes. Don't know if that's in the demo, though.
