Galak-Z wears its heart on its sleeve. The visual style, dialogue, music, and even the credits are evocative of classic 80s anime. What makes Galak-Z such a special game, and where many similar games falter, is that it’s not content with simply being a tribute. It fuses its inspirations with carefully considered mechanics, creating something that’s tense, exciting, and hard to put down.
A large part of what makes Galak-Z so enticing is that it forces players to constantly test and reevaluate their limits. Split into four seasons, each with five missions, the game puts a lot at risk immediately. If you die during a mission, you reset to the start of the season, with all of your scrap—the game’s currency—and acquired upgrades gone. Upgrades and scrap are lost at the start of the season as well. Nothing is more heartbreaking than making it to the last mission of the season, only to mess up in the final moments, losing everything you’ve worked so hard for. Lost health doesn’t recover between missions either, so prepare to wince every time you take a hit. If you consider yourself someone that has a difficult time keeping their anger in check, Galak-Z may not be for you. Yet putting so much at stake is exactly what makes the game so gripping.
The only reprieve comes in the form of Crash Coins, which can drop from enemies. If you have five Crash Coins upon death, you’ll return to the beginning of the mission instead of the start of the season. Crash coins are also cashed in at the start of a new season, used to get a head start on upgrades.
The structure affects the moment-to-moment gameplay as well. On one hand you need to explore the randomly-generated levels as much as possible because finding upgrades and scrap is so important. Entering the final mission of a season under-equipped is practically suicide. On the other hand, the more time you spend in a mission, the more you put yourself in danger. Knowing when to retreat and when to stay and fight is crucial.
Since upgrades are randomly decided for each mission, including what’s in the shop, you’re very much at the mercy of the game. Although it’s fun experimenting with every available upgrade, heaps of scrap isn’t easy to come by. While some may regard the randomness and strict punishment as tedious and frustrating, it’s a bold decision. So many games make character progression feel empty, but since every choice matters in Galak-Z each decision is filled with anxiety as you weigh the consequences.
Of course, progress would be meaningless if the game didn’t feel good to play. Fortunately, it’s so good that even if all of its roguelike trappings were absent, it’d still be worth considerable attention. Your ship starts with basic laser blasts, missiles, a booster, and the ability to dodge and strafe. The dodge is particularly enjoyable since your ship leaps into the foreground, and it’s useful for jumping over enemy fire and charging foes.
Mastering all of the systems leads to dazzling moments like hopping over a lunging alien, stuffing its face full of missiles, and then boosting behind some wreckage, utilizing it as cover from imperial lasers. Even the environment is useful against enemies. Strange plants can knock out enemy shields and balls of lava can destroy entire ships.
In season 2, players get access to the mech, which doesn’t act like a second vehicle but instead is a transformation of the base ship that can be activated at any time. The mech adds an entirely new dynamic to the game. Its laser sword can be used for close-range attacks and can even reflect enemy lasers. A retractable shield replaces the dodge and while it isn’t quite as versatile, it’s easier to use and is perfect for when you’re trying to close the gap
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