Gal Guardians: Demon Purge

Grim Guardians has a few issues, but ultimately is a fantastic retro style platformer that fills the Castlevania shaped hole in my heart.

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In "Gal Guardians: Demon Purge," players join forces with a team of magical girls to defend against demon invasions in a modern-day city. Customize your character, develop skills and bonds with teammates, and engage in strategic combat with various demonic enemies. Save the world from destruction and uncover the truth behind the demonic threats in this captivating action RPG.

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Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 271 reviews

gameplay22 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

The game features beautiful pixel art and a fitting soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
Gameplay is fun and engaging, with a solid character-switching mechanic that allows players to utilize the strengths of both characters effectively.
The game offers a good balance of challenge, with well-designed boss fights and a variety of subweapons that encourage exploration.

The game is not a true Metroidvania, as it consists of linear stages rather than a cohesive interconnected world, which may disappoint some players.
There is no in-game map or collectible tracker, making it difficult to keep track of progress and find all items during replaying stages.
The voice acting can be overly repetitive and annoying, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.

gameplay
77 mentions
29 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a blend of classic Castlevania mechanics with modern elements, featuring a level-based structure that allows for character swapping and cooperative play. Players can explore stages multiple times, unlocking new subweapons and alternate pathways, while the overall experience is enhanced by solid controls and a variety of mechanics, though some reviewers noted a lack of enemy variety and depth in certain systems. While the game appeals to fans of the genre with its tight platforming and nostalgic feel, it may not satisfy those seeking a more explorative metroidvania experience.
- “While the gameplay is level-based, new subweapons are unlocked with each stage, which opens alternate pathways within each stage upon replaying it.”
- “But the gameplay itself is just top-notch, just off the charts.”
- “Top-notch visuals and sound accompanied by some of the best gameplay in any classic Castlevania-style game or even just 2D platformers in general; it's also very balanced difficulty-wise and there's an insane amount of replay value.”
- “The enemy variety is incredibly poor and there are loads of mechanics that are not very well fleshed out.”
- “It felt designed against the player, not designed around mechanics.”
- “The two characters aren't fleshed out well enough to justify the character switching mechanic.”
story
46 mentions
26 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The story of the game is a quirky and humorous journey that takes unexpected turns, particularly for players familiar with the Gal Gun universe, which influences its narrative style and themes. While the plot serves as a backdrop for character introductions and gameplay, it is often seen as nonsensical or overly reliant on fanservice, making it less appealing to those unfamiliar with the franchise. Overall, the story is entertaining and self-aware, but players may find it more enjoyable if they embrace its absurdity rather than seeking a deep narrative experience.
- “The story takes a huge left turn after your first run through these eight levels, which may be a bit of a deal maker/breaker for players.”
- “The story is an interesting one, with a more serious tone than the Gal Gun series in general, but not without some of its humorous roots at points.”
- “Bosses are tough and fun, and the story is just goofy but in a good way.”
- “The game has a total of eight levels, and to progress through the story, you must play through these levels multiple times.”
- “I'm slightly annoyed by the fact that the characters and story are related to another game that is massively different in genre and heavily focused on fanservice, which is Gal Gun.”
- “There is a story, but it's more of an excuse to introduce you to the characters and the game; nothing to die for, but it's not a slog.”
music
36 mentions
42 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The music in the game, led by Ippo Yamada, effectively captures a spooky, gothic atmosphere reminiscent of Castlevania, though some players find it overshadowed by excessive voice acting and sound effects. While the soundtrack is generally praised for its quality and fitting ambiance, many reviewers note that it lacks memorability and can be easily drowned out by in-game chatter. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's aesthetic, but its impact is diminished by competing audio elements.
- “The music is fitting, with Ippo Yamada heading it up and making appropriate spooky gothic themes befitting a Castlevania-inspired game.”
- “The flavor, music, and everything can be heard, tasted, seen, and felt from a screen.”
- “Music creates that spooky Castlevania-ish atmosphere.”
- “Their constant battle-prattle is incredibly obnoxious, to the point I can't even hear the background music.”
- “My biggest complaint is that the voices get annoying really fast, with Japanese and English dubbing, to the point where I don't even really remember what the soundtrack sounds like.”
- “Also, this is probably the most forgettable OST of just about any platformer I've played.”
graphics
31 mentions
35 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the art style and fluid animations that evoke a nostalgic 16/early 32-bit aesthetic reminiscent of classic titles like Castlevania. However, some critics find the pixel art generic and uninspired, lacking the depth of the games it aims to emulate. Overall, while the visuals are considered polished and appealing to fans of the genre, they may not resonate with all players due to their specific anime influences and design choices.
- “I loved both the art style and how fluid everything felt.”
- “Visually and aesthetically, the game is an absolute treat.”
- “Gorgeous pixel graphics.”
- “The graphics are generic and uninspired pixel art that pale in comparison to the legacy of the great games this fails to emulate.”
- “Graphically, the game is fine, but I keep fixating on the character sprites' faces.”
- “The pixel art is great, although this might be the first problem this game has; the art style is not for everybody.”
humor
14 mentions
93 % positive mentions
-14 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a defining feature, characterized by a blend of sexual innuendo and quirky, often risqué jokes that align with the "gal" franchise's style. While many players appreciate the lighthearted and pervy humor, some find certain themes, like tentacle references, to be in poor taste or unnecessary. Overall, the humor contributes to the game's charm, complemented by likable characters and engaging gameplay.
- “All in all a very fun game and the humor of the plot gradually becomes true to the 'gal' franchise.”
- “The humor, likable characters, and creative boss encounters add to the overall charm.”
- “In short: fantastic vania with a wonderfully pervy sense of humor.”
- “The humor in this game falls flat and often feels forced, making it more cringeworthy than entertaining.”
- “I expected some clever jokes, but instead, the humor is juvenile and lacks any real wit.”
- “The attempts at humor often distract from the gameplay, leaving me more annoyed than amused.”
replayability
12 mentions
25 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability through its linear stages filled with alternate routes, secrets, and challenges that encourage exploration after the initial playthrough. Players appreciate the expanded gameplay elements that unlock new paths and upgrades, reminiscent of metroidvania mechanics, enhancing the overall experience and replay value. Overall, the combination of engaging gameplay, balanced difficulty, and hidden content contributes to its high replayability.
- “It's all about replayability too, with secrets to uncover and challenges to tackle.”
- “Stages are linear but are filled with various alternate routes and secrets to discover and explore, giving a ton of replay value to go and hunt for them after the first playthrough.”
- “But since then, I've learned that the real strength is its replayability.”
- “That game used multiple routes that could be accessed by certain characters, sometimes only on certain playthroughs, as a means to make the game more replayable and also as a reward for keeping characters alive; the design was brilliant in both improving the game and adding some flavor, granting the levels an extra degree of mystique.”
emotional
11 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players have expressed that the game delivers a deeply emotional experience, with certain moments evoking strong feelings and even tears. While the gameplay mechanics are somewhat limited, the narrative and emotional depth resonate powerfully, making it feel more like a transcendent experience than a traditional game. However, some lament that this impactful journey may not be accessible to everyone.
- “That part truly made me shed a tear.”
- “And especially at 6:34, that part was just so truly heart touching; words cannot describe the series of emotions I felt.”
- “It is a tragedy that this, it can’t be called a film, but a transcendent emotional experience, will be inaccessible for most.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly tedious, with backtracking and combat feeling monotonous and unengaging. The lack of a map or completion indicators exacerbates the frustration, making it difficult to track progress and locate collectibles. Overall, the requirement to repeatedly traverse stages and defeat bosses for optimal rewards contributes to a sense of boredom and fatigue.
- “Either enemies become too tedious to fight or are a joke that you slowly and boringly turn to dust from a distance.”
- “If you want to get the best ending and best equipment you have to run through each stage multiple times and fight the boss each time; this is just too tedious.”
- “Other metroidvania games tell you a percentage of map completion and show minimaps, but this game is totally dark, making it tedious to achieve and know where you might have something missing.”
optimization
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for delivering excellent performance, particularly on the Steam Deck, with no stuttering or lag reported. However, there are concerns about frame rate issues in other titles from the same developer, indicating inconsistency in optimization across their games.
- “This was the most legendary performance by any chip I have ever watched.”
- “Performance: excellent (played on Steam Deck).”
- “It runs fine, no stuttering or lag.”
- “This game has successfully wasted 16 hours of my life, and I still have a handful of achievements and probably several hours of exploration to get my other two endings. The optimization is lacking, as I experienced garbage frame rates on Curse of the Moon 1 and 2, despite the game running fine without stuttering or lag.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is generally praised for its creepy music, which effectively contributes to a spooky, Castlevania-like ambiance. However, some users feel that the plot does not align well with this atmospheric tone, creating a dissonance between the narrative and the overall mood.
- “I really like the atmosphere, especially the creepy music that can be heard at times.”
- “The music creates a spooky Castlevania-like atmosphere.”
- “I think that the Galgun plot doesn't fit with the Castlevania-esque atmosphere.”
- “The music creates a spooky Castlevania-esque atmosphere.”
stability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players report a high level of stability in the game, with very few glitches encountered, contributing to a smooth gaming experience.