Galerians

"Right As Rion"

A unique blend of science-fiction and horror, Galerians ends up being far more interesting than any of the Resident Evil games, thanks to its disturbing subject matter and the developers' adult approach to it. Players control Rion, a 14-year old boy ''gifted'' with some incredibly deadly psychic powers, which he unfortunately has to enhance or attempt to control by the near-constant use of a variety of drugs. Delicate subject matter, especially in this age of 6 year-olds on Prozac and other drugs used to ''control'' their behavior. Of course, like way too many games, books, and films, the plot has a few too many tired cliches added here and there, but the overall experience is one you'll not soon forget.

Rion wakes up in a research lab of sorts, with no memory of who he is and how he got there. He soon discovers that he's part of a larger, more sinister plan, and sets out to escape and find out what has happened to his family, among other things. There are no weapons to use or hand-to-hand combat, for that matter- you're playing as a young boy with the power to kill with a simple thought. This unique approach to problem solving won't appeal to everyone, especially the gore-hungry RE fanatics. In fact, a lot of people will probably hate this game, simply due to the fact that Rion isn't capable of taking a lot of damage, and will often die if you simply rush into combat. Galerians is perfectly designed to teach you how to deal with your enemies, if you pay attention.

Rion can use two types of psychic abilities, one pushes things about, and the other sets things aflame. Continued use of either of these powers also raises his AP, which flashes once the bar is filled. The next time he tries to use his power, his mind suffers a ''short'', bad for Rion, as his HP steadily decreases- but worse for any enemies nearby, as their heads explode in a shower of blood and gray matter. By taking Delmetor (one of the meds in the game) he can stop the short, but smart players will be able to time the shorts so that they happen when there are a number of enemies to deal with.

Rion can also use his powers to see through locked doors or scan certain objects. Usually this can help him figure out to how to open these doors or some other clue, but you'll also view some pretty creepy stuff when you're scanning. A vat full of floating organs, a dead woman with a red clock stuffed into her mouth, some mutated fetuses, and more chilling sights. If that's not upsetting enough, the game has quite a few unsettling CG movies that spell out the story, and are saved to the memory card for later viewing. It's quite depressing to watch some of these, but the game pulls you before you realize it, and you'll want to keep playing until the end.

Graphically, Galerians uses a wide variety of pre-rendered backgrounds, like Alone in the Dark or Resident Evil, but the overall tone of the game is a cross between The City of Lost Children, Silent Hill, and Scanners. There's a definite Cronenberg influence in some of the games's locations and cutscenes, and the game outclasses the awful Scanners sequels that came out a few years back. The scares in Galerians come from at first, the unpredictability of Rion's powers, then, the lack of the proper amount of drugs to either restore his health or recharge his abilities. There are some surprise attacks which will have you jumping out of your seat once in a while, but the overall feeling you get while playing Galerians is one of constant dread. The voice acting and music are generally superior to most other games in the genre as well- the game's use of music make it feel closer to a movie at times.

There are some problems, though- some of the story points seem too familiar, and fighting in some areas is nearly impossible, thanks to some poor camera angles. If Rion is shorting, he can't run at all, and getting trapped behind an object because you can't see where you're going is more than a bit frustrating. Also, finding much-needed drugs and items is way too hard, as they're not highlighted like pickups in games like Resident Evil, or clearly visible like in Silent Hill. You have to scour each room inch by inch, and you might miss something if there's a fast-moving enemy in that same room and you're down to a tiny bit of health or power. But that's where a good battle strategy comes in, I suppose...

Crave definitely deserves high praise for having the guts to release this one here, against all the big guns and ''me-too'' action titles out there. For those gamers with an eye for the truly bleak and disturbing, Galerians is a thought-provoking and intelligent futuristic horror classic. A bit tough to track down these days, but well worth the time it takes.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/08/03, Updated 01/08/03