Don’t let the braggadocious pilot, the soaring Saturday morning cartoon soundtrack, or that evocative red spaceship fool you—these are all hallmarks of 17-Bit’s anime-inspired heroic space shoot-’em-up, Galak-Z: The Dimensional. Yet, beneath the gloss, this is a game of catastrophe, as eloquently described by Christian Donlan. It’s not about the momentary thrill of laying waste to Imperial fighters to the sound of a Joe Satriani-esque guitar solo. Instead, it’s about the heart-stopping tension of navigating the nooks of some space cavern, health bar flickering, wondering how to survive the harrowing journey back to the Axelios mothership.
Galak-Z shares an aesthetic with classics like Gradius, but structurally and philosophically, it’s akin to Spelunky, imbuing the experience with unparalleled challenge. Much of your time is spent excavating the depths of vast asteroids, a labyrinth of corridors and chambers, in pursuit of treasures. Not gold chests, but remnants of space debris, collected from downed foes or hidden caches, used to purchase upgrades for your vessel.
Galak-Z is a roguelike, where each stage’s layout, items, enemies, and asteroids vary with each attempt. To triumph, you must learn principles rather than memorize maps. Your ship is agile, capable of flying in all directions, boosting, strafing, firing lock-on missiles, and leaping over enemy bullets. Customizable with diverse shot types and flexible upon clearing the initial stages, the key is mastering the response to each scenario.
GALAK-Z PS4 Launch Trailer
Space is perilous, with threats like patrolling Imperial drones, taunting freelancers, alien blobs, and sneaky foes luring you into traps. But the game’s difficulty extends beyond tangible threats. Structural obstacles hinder easy progression. Galak-Z is divided into five seasons, each comprising five random stages. Death resets you at the start of the season, discarding progress and upgrades.
Thankfully, you can recover from this harsh design through ‘Chase’ coins, which grant 250 credits per coin on death, allowing you to retool your ship. Collect five coins and you can pay to retry a stage without losing progress, though you must reclaim your weapons and items first—a rare concession to the game’s unforgiving nature.
Catastrophe games thrive on balancing planning and luck. Galak-Z achieves near-perfect harmony. Some pickups significantly boost your chances, but challenges demand skill and dexterity. However, Galak-Z doesn’t quite reach the heights of genius. Its strict nature, while challenging, is offset by the randomness that complicates the experience further than necessary.
Galak-Z captivates with its highs and lows, elegance in its singular vision. But few will have the opportunity to explore its full depth.
