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GALAK-Z

Galak-Z took the simple, addictive gameplay of an arcade space shooter and built something wonderful out of it. A simple game to get into with an underlying complexity that never gets in the way of the fun of the game. Galak-Z is a must play for absolutely everyone.
GALAK-Z Game Cover
74%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, atmosphere
73% User Score Based on 400 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

LinuxPCPlaystation 5Mac OSPlaystation 4WindowsPlayStation
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GALAK-Z Game Cover

About

GALAK-Z is a single player arcade shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by 17-BIT and was released on October 29, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

GALAK-Z is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game with phenomenal game mechanics and beautiful graphics. It offers procedurally generated worlds, challenging A.I. enemies, and anime-inspired spacecraft. The Void DLC includes endless gameplay, online leaderboards, and a daily challenge for players to compete worldwide. Additionally, Arcade Mode allows players to replay failed missions without losing progress.

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GALAK-Z screenshot
GALAK-Z screenshot
GALAK-Z screenshot
GALAK-Z screenshot
GALAK-Z screenshot
GALAK-Z screenshot
GALAK-Z screenshot
GALAK-Z screenshot
GALAK-Z screenshot
GALAK-Z screenshot
GALAK-Z screenshot
+7
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73%
Audience ScoreBased on 400 reviews
story24 positive mentions
stability12 negative mentions
  • The game features a captivating storyline and intricate lore details that keep players engaged.
  • The combat mechanics are enjoyable, with a satisfying blend of ship and mech modes that allow for varied gameplay strategies.
  • The art style and sound design are impressive, creating a nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of classic 80s anime.
  • The controls can be unintuitive and take time to master, which may frustrate some players.
  • The game lacks sufficient content and variety, leading to repetitive gameplay after a few hours.
  • The difficulty spikes significantly in later seasons, which can feel punishing and may deter casual players.
  • story
    257 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally considered weak and unfinished, with many reviewers noting that it lacks depth and fails to provide a satisfying conclusion. While some appreciate the nostalgic anime-inspired elements and character interactions, the repetitive mission structure and reliance on randomization detract from the overall narrative experience. Players often feel frustrated by the lack of meaningful progression and the abrupt shift to an endless mode, leaving the story feeling incomplete and underwhelming.

    • “Great game, the storyline is good and the more intricate lore details are very interesting to me.”
    • “The story is pretty great and the voice acting is exceptional, and it all reminds me of a 90's mecha anime with its characters and situations.”
    • “The writing is enough to draw some smiles from time to time with some enjoyable characters, and while the story isn't anything groundbreaking, it has fun with it enough to make you enjoy it too.”
    • “The story is unfinished as everyone else has said before, and the game does feel really short and lacking content, which is a shame since what is here is so polished and fun, but after the 10 hour mark you'll probably have unlocked and seen everything there is to see.”
    • “First off, instead of giving an actual end to the story, which isn't anything special to begin with, but still something that should be finished, they decided to throw an endless mode at you that finishes nothing, main characters die out of nowhere in a summary cutscene, and nothing is wrapped up.”
    • “The missions are not very interesting, the procedural generation isn't great, having to start each chapter weakened chafes, missions are overly laden with story dialog you have to hear over and over, and there's a lot of dead space and tedious searching you're weaker if you don't do every time.”
  • gameplay
    117 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is generally praised for its tight mechanics, fluid controls, and engaging combat, appealing particularly to fans of classic arcade shooters and roguelikes. While many reviewers appreciate the depth and skill required to master the game, some criticize the lack of enemy and mission variety, as well as the punishing difficulty that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of enjoyable mechanics and aesthetic charm, though it may not cater to all players due to its hardcore elements.

    • “The gameplay is very tight and mostly fair; it rewards precise play, and most of the time when things go wrong, it is because of a mistake you made and not because the game was being unfair.”
    • “This game is certainly not for everyone, but this is a fun, frenetic shoot 'em up that mechanically feels fantastic. The gameplay has a strict easy to learn, hard to master style that more than makes up for the lack of variety in its mission structure.”
    • “The gameplay is awesome; both the ship and the mech handle great, and any move you try with them feels just right within the in-game physics.”
    • “The gameplay is broken down into components - inside the honeycomb where the action is, and outside the honeycombs where there is nothing but asteroids.”
    • “It has its faults; and I think it needs rebalancing, though I know there are a lot of people who don’t think that, and that’s fine, but just for me, I felt the extremely punishing nature of the gameplay was just pushing me away.”
    • “The gameplay and mechanics seem fine, and I would probably have kept playing if it wasn't for the fact that the game is an unoptimized mess, that keeps crashing and in general suffers from poor performance, even though it's not that great looking.”
  • graphics
    77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received praise for their vibrant, retro-inspired aesthetic that blends 8-bit and anime styles, creating a visually appealing experience reminiscent of 80s and 90s cartoons. Many reviewers highlighted the impressive pixel art, colorful environments, and attention to detail, although some noted technical issues and a lack of variety in assets. Overall, the art style and graphics are considered standout features, enhancing the game's charm despite some gameplay frustrations.

    • “The art style grabbed me right away—it has this cool mix of retro 8-bit vibes and anime-inspired aesthetics that make it stand out.”
    • “A fun rogue-like with a beautiful aesthetic, the pixel art, vibrant colors, and synthwave soundtrack transport you straight to the 80s.”
    • “The graphics are stunning and the audio does its job remarkably, with touches of styles like the pilots' intercoms during the fight, and the game is sprinkled with humor and references.”
    • “The only good thing I can say is they really nailed the old-school anime VHS aesthetic they were going for (right down to the cheesy Saturday morning cartoon voice acting), but taken as a game in and of itself, minus all the costume frills, it's not a game I can really recommend to anyone other than a masochist.”
    • “This could have been a great modern game with a throwback aesthetic, but instead it is a repetitive game with almost no variety in assets, enemies, or missions.”
    • “Oh yeah, and after launch the Steam tablet at the bottom right glitches and I have graphic artifacts in the bottom right of my screen sometimes.”
  • music
    33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers highlighting its synthwave influences and 80s aesthetic. While some players found the soundtrack to be occasionally average, it generally adds excitement and atmosphere, complementing the vibrant visuals and engaging gameplay. Overall, the music is considered a strong point, contributing to the game's charm and immersion.

    • “And music, it can change slightly in real-time when you get close to certain objects, that's some nice sound design.”
    • “A fun rogue-like with a beautiful aesthetic, the pixel art, vibrant colors, and synthwave soundtrack transport you straight to the 80s.”
    • “The music is awesome, the art is awesome, the voicework is really good, the sounds are cool, and the whole idea is fantastic.”
    • “It's a shame though that the amazing game mechanics are dressed up by some horrible looking art designs and boring music.”
    • “This just goes to show you that no amount of style, music, or polish can help if your actual gameplay is unfun and unfair at its core.”
    • “2 - soundtrack could be much better;”
  • replayability
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game boasts high replayability due to its randomized level layouts, diverse unit combinations, and challenging gameplay mechanics, including rogue-like elements and daily challenges. Players appreciate the engaging core gameplay, beautiful art style, and the complexity of stealth mechanics, which encourage multiple playthroughs. While it may not reach the extreme replayability of some titles, it offers enough variety and challenge to keep players returning for more.

    • “This, with the randomized level layout and combinations of units and the challenge they offer, is what makes this game so amazingly replayable.”
    • “Most importantly, the core gameplay is absolutely brilliant, but the art style and voice acting are very good on top of that. Replayability seems infinite with random level generation, infinite mode, daily challenges, and a very good AI. I mean seriously, the AI is great, and thanks to that, stealth mechanics are actually very complex. You could finish pretty much every level without firing a single shot if you wanted to.”
    • “The goal of randomly generated levels, upgrades, etc. is to increase replay value.”
    • “The rogue-like elements mean you're constantly running into new encounters, making for a ton of replayability.”
    • “Brevity of the game; it's not the longest game, but as previously stated, there is some replay value here. At the very least, I'd recommend doing a playthrough of each game mode.”
  • stability
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting significant glitches that prevent mission completion, control lock-ups, and freezing issues during cutscenes. While some users noted that the game is "almost bug free" and enjoyable overall, the prevalence of these technical problems has led to disappointment and a lack of recommendations from many players.

    • “It's almost bug-free, and you will enjoy the laser effects, upgrades, an easy-to-understand storyline, and Japanese manga-like animation.”
    • “3rd mission the game glitches out, no mission marker, can't complete it and can't save.”
    • “Coupled with some frustrating glitches that stop me from being able to complete a mission, and thus ruining an entire 'season'.”
    • “I want to enjoy this game, it's fun but every mission in season 2 I can't even beat because all control locks up and I cannot attack due to mech mode glitches.”
  • atmosphere
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in the game is generally praised for its engaging art, excellent dialogues, and immersive sound design, which effectively draw players in. While some missions lack character interactions that could enhance the experience, key missions compensate for this shortcoming. Overall, the atmosphere is described as campy and soothing, contributing to a solid and enjoyable gameplay experience.

    • “The art, the atmosphere, and the dialogues are truly excellent and really draw you in.”
    • “If you think you'd enjoy a challenging and arcadey space shooter with visceral combat and a great atmosphere, Galak-Z may very well provide a good 10-15 hours of solid entertainment to you.”
    • “The music and game atmosphere is very soothing, and the voice acting is spot-on.”
    • “Game lacks in interactions between characters during some missions, which kind of disrupts the atmosphere, but key missions usually make up for that.”
    • “It could have been a lot more, with each season having its own distinct atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere?”
  • humor
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the funny dialogue, character interactions, and humorous references to anime culture, while others find the comedic elements inconsistent and sometimes overshadowed by gameplay frustrations. Overall, the game features a lighthearted tone and campy humor that enhances its vibrant aesthetic, though not all players find it consistently effective.

    • “Great ship designs, good soundtrack, and some funny dialogue.”
    • “The graphics are stunning and the audio does its job remarkably, with touches of styles like the pilots' intercoms during the fight (a nod to the anime material the whole game is inspired from), and the game is sprinkled with humor and references (one of the enemy pilots is dressed like the protagonist of Guacamelee).”
    • “The game doesn't take itself seriously and some of the campy dialogue is pretty funny.”
  • character development
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is characterized by a blend of cartoon and anime influences, resulting in visually appealing designs for characters, factions, and ships that pay homage to classic space operas. While some players appreciate the lively and comedic style, others find the overall execution lacking in detail and coherence, with a nostalgic nod to 80s-90s anime aesthetics that may not fully resonate with everyone. The simple storyline complements the vibrant character design, though opinions on its effectiveness vary.

    • “The character design seems to be a mix between cartoons and anime, and while not detailed, they are good enough in my opinion.”
    • “Simple storyline, lively and comedic character design, and very responsive action gameplay.”
    • “Ship and character designs are a nice homage to other space operas and shows.”
    • “Besides that, I find the visual style and character design kind of off-putting.”
    • “With elements of old-school space shooters like R-Type, Gradius, and perhaps a bit of color from Pop'n TwinBee, it is put in the mix with manga character design spiced with a lot of references to the art style of series like Transformers or Saber Rider.”
  • optimization
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance and appealing visuals, while others criticize it as an "unoptimized mess" plagued by crashes and poor performance. Although there are reports of ongoing efforts by developers to address certain issues, many users feel the game does not justify its price due to these optimization shortcomings.

    • “Runs smoothly, looks gorgeous, and the control scheme is reminiscent of the game it took inspiration from, with enough of a modern twist to make it relevant in today's age.”
    • “Some performance issues on the cutscenes, but it is a known issue that the devs are trying to fix.”
    • “Performance-wise, I haven't found any problems.”
    • “Very poor optimization; the game itself is not worth the price.”
    • “The gameplay and mechanics seem fine, and I would probably have kept playing if it wasn't for the fact that the game is an unoptimized mess that keeps crashing and generally suffers from poor performance, even though it's not that great looking.”
    • “Cons: unoptimized garbage that keeps crashing.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, as missions lack variety and are bogged down by repetitive dialogue and excessive searching. The requirement to start each chapter weakened and the loss of upgrades after missions detracts from immersion and enjoyment, making the overall experience feel more like a chore than a rewarding challenge. While some unique boss encounters provide moments of fun, the overall grind is seen as overly burdensome.

    • “The missions are not very interesting, the procedural generation isn't great, having to start each chapter weakened is frustrating. Missions are overly laden with story dialogue that you have to hear over and over, and there's a lot of dead space and tedious searching. You're weaker if you don't do everything each time.”
    • “The difficulty ramps up to a level that is a bit more tedious than some would want, and the idea that you always have to search for your gear again kind of ruins the immersion for me.”
    • “Even after repetitively grinding my way through randomly generated missions in a near-dead ship, gathering whatever upgrades the game would allow me to get (but not keep if the mission failed) and defeating the grueling end-season boss encounters (the only unique and genuinely fun parts of the whole game), I was 'rewarded' by inexplicably having every single one of my hard-earned upgrades stripped away and being forced to gather salvage to repurchase them all again in a ship that has been completely reset to default while still having to face bigger and tougher enemies.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers express a desire for fair pricing in gaming, advocating against high costs for minimal content, particularly from major publishers. They emphasize the importance of supporting games that offer value without excessive monetization, suggesting that success can be achieved without relying on traditional pricing models.

    • “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend more just to enjoy basic features.”
    • “It's frustrating to see so many paywalls in a game that should be accessible to everyone.”
    • “The constant prompts to purchase in-game currency really detract from the overall experience.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional impact of the game appears to be minimal, as one user expressed a lack of engagement, completing only a few missions before losing interest entirely.

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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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70h Median play time
53h Average play time
20-86h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

GALAK-Z is a arcade shooter game with science fiction theme.

GALAK-Z is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 53 hours playing GALAK-Z.

GALAK-Z was released on October 29, 2015.

GALAK-Z was developed by 17-BIT.

GALAK-Z has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

GALAK-Z is a single player game.

Similar games include EVERSPACE, Chorus, Flinthook, Ghost 1.0, Everspace 2 and others.