Jamestown feels like a good step toward a modern shooter, even if slightly lacking in length compared to games outside the genre. The game's mechanics feel like a simplified renovation of other games of the genre, and does away with a lot of mechanics that would punish players for being bad at the game (no persistent power-ups that require collection of items and is lost on death). That said, it does take a lot of hint from other games - from a focus mode to firing patterns for your ships. The bullet patterns feel fine, mostly. The game provides bonus levels that are pretty fun if you're into some short challenges that require effort. There are a good amount of bonuses in the shop, including unlockable ships, but the game is perfectly playable with your starter ship (in fact, I find myself only using the starter ship because it's not crazy like all the other ships).
The game, overall, feels very well designed (for new players to the genre at least) - there's only one type of pick-up (in various sizes) that comes in a colour that's not shared by any bullet (gold), making them very, very easy to discern and easier to avoid accidental death, the bullets are set to a speed not too fast yet still feel challenging, the levels are available for individual challenge outside of gauntlet with the same two credits (read: 9 lives) so content can be relatively easily unlocked, the vaunt (read: bomb) system is easily abusable at a pretty massive cost of point to further that effect without making skilled players feel like all their efforts were for nothing, your bullets travel in a large enough path such that you won't miss a target with your special if you stand below it - in fact, the only gripe I have with this game is the last level at the legendary difficulty, which makes use of moving objects in the level. While the final boss feels very, very fun to fight against, the level before him was a nightmare as it basically combined platforming with bullet-hell. While the treacherous corridor is certainly not impossible to traverse (I traveled through it just fine after multiple tries), the respawn feature basically spawned me in very, very narrow safe spots were I to die in these segments. Given that the safe window is very short or the safe area very small in these sequences (and I'm one of those players that are always moving in the fodder section of a level), I find myself giving up entire credits at these sections and feel very hurt about it. That said, it is possible to traverse these sections with a calm mind (and remembering to stop holding down to special so you travel faster), the game just doesn't tell you that very well.
Overall, jamestown is a competent shooter that feels just slightly short compared to games outside the genre at the same pricepoint, but is extremely competent and is very, very easily recommendable tor people with interest in shmups but has always been scared away. I can't speak for more hardcore fans of the genre, but if you're the sort of guy that finds other games too unforgiving and impossible to finish, jamestown is probably for you.
(Do note that "legendary" in jamestown would probably constitute "normal" in most other shooters, and that there are two difficulties after it, divine and judgement)
