Galerians: Ash

by Playstation

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00008BR9Y
• Item Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: February 4, 2003
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,950 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

A futuristic horror/sci-fi game geared towards anime fans, Galerians: Ash places you in a weird future where a sentient computer with delusions of godhood genetically engineers and manipulates humans with telekinetic abilities. The premise and storyline blatantly--and effectively--mimic The Matrix and Dark City (and even Johnny Mnemonic); the graphics, sound, and style fall somewhere between Akira and Silent Hill.

To those unfamiliar with the original Galerians, this game will make little sense, and unfortunately the frequent cutscenes do little to clarify the storyline. In a nutshell: You are a boy endowed with psychic powers, and your brain contains a program that can save humanity from the computer-god. Unfortunately, you suffer from amnesia. And frequent migraine attacks. Or something like that.

For the most part, you make your way through the labyrinthine city, solving elaborate puzzles and collecting pharmaceuticals that enable your telekinetic powers. When the baddies appear, you can use a variety of cool attacks to repel them: conjure fire, levitate your adversaries, throw up a psychic shield, etc. However, if you overuse your abilities, you begin to "short"--a crippling psychic overdose that leaves you invulnerable to outside attack but slowly kills you if you can't find the necessary antidote.

Since you battle enemies by manipulating your psychic powers, the game's controls are not exactly intuitive, and the comparative potency and range of your various abilities takes a lot of figuring out. But if you're worn out on games that rely on guns, swords, or jujitsu, this one offers some unique and inspired twists on first-person combat. And the creepy graphics and grating sound effects create an atmosphere that will either draw you in... or drive you mad. --Maile Bohlmann

Pros:

• Attacks and maneuvers are unique--and bizarre
• Cinematic style will appeal to fans of anime
• Memorably weird environments

Cons:

• Thoroughly perplexing storyline
• Action constantly interrupted by cutscenes
• Controls and abilities difficult to figure out

Product Description

Galerians: Ash is the sequel to the Playstation game Galerians, and has you once again filling the shoes of psychically-endowed, dog-collared Rion. The original game pulled few punches with a plot that made heavy use of flashbacks and drugs, and was an interesting alternative to the Resident Evils of the world. The developers of Galerians: Ash promise the sequel will be longer and more violent to boot. The game will also be in full 3D, and do away with prerendered backgrounds. There are some serious Galerians fans out there, and Galerians: Ash looks to be the much needed fix they need.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Galerians: ASH is not too bad..., September 25, 2004

By 

Jamie L. Fisher "Pirate George" (Elkhorn, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Galerians: Ash (Video Game)

I rented this game a short time ago and found it to be rather entertaining. The box caught my eye with it's anime-like style and the description on the back sounded interesting. So I rent it from Blockbuster and take it home. After loading it up in my ps2 and watching the intro, I realize something.

I have no clue what's going on.

I had no idea there was a game before this (Galerians for the Play Station) and was already at a huge disadvantage from the get-go. Never the less, I treaded onward.

The game play was kind of confusing. The first time I played I died in about 10 minutes, tops, from shorting. Reading the manual is a must, as it explains little things like that to us newbies.

After getting further into it, I got really bored. The 'boss' battles are a lot of fun, and the characters are really interesting, but the game play in-between boss' is repetitive and boring. I got sick and tired of going through the same tedious process every time I wanted to get from one level to another. Most of it is 'Go get a key, crap the key is missing, find key, kill a lot of things, keep running up and down stairs, finally you might be able to open the door, if a boss doesn't stop you first'.

The cut scenes are beautiful, if a little sparse. Most of the time the characters are shown against a plain white background, which is a little discouraging.

I'd say more, but I really can't think of anything else that stands out in my mind. I suppose the ending is a little open, but it covered enough that I wasn't confused.

3 out of 5. Could have been better, but it was still well worth playing.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Galerians returns, but can it hang with the newcomers?, August 16, 2004

By 

Half-Breed (MN, USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:2.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Galerians: Ash (Video Game)

Our reluctant artificial human with the psychic powers returns from the dead for the awaited sequel to the PSX Galerians game. Although, much like the game's hero, this sequel itself awakes to a changed world. This changed world comes not only from improved standards in gaming, but now other titles using the "power of the mind" element. Yes, Galerians may have had the idea first, and delivered it in an original story that still may be the most interesting; but this will only take it so far.

What's good about the game:
Interesting story.
Bosses are evil computer created children that are psychic powered psychos.
Great looking cut-scenes and characters (very Japanese CG looking)

What's bad about the game:
Psychic powers are your only weapon, and you must use them sparingly.
Missions can become "find this, go here, get that, low on power, run".
No player based elements (e.g. combos, performance-acquired items/features.

--Story--
For those new to the Galerians world, here is a very short rundown of the story:
Rion, the character you play, is an artificial human with psychic power given to him when he was created by the supercomputer Dorthy. Dorthy decides that she will make a race of her own so she can be a god. This race is called the Galerians. Rion slowly realizes that he is more than human as he fights other Galerians that are sent to kill him. Rion will soon learn that Dorthy wants to kill all humans, and he and a girl named lillya are the only ones that can stop her. Together the Rion & Lillya duo seem to destroy Dorthy at the end of the first game.

--Game type & Game play--
This game plays some-what like a survival horror game due to the limited items that need to be rationed and the difficulty of the game itself. Although this type of game can be very challenging and rewarding for those who put in the time, it seems to be at odds with how you would like to play this game. This is almost entirely because every time you use your powers, you get closer and closer to Shorting (overloading), when this happens you either use a rare item to stop it, or you slowly die. This factor of the game may encourage players to use more strategy than powerhouse tactics, however, this will cause players to do so much running and rationing that you just wish you could duke-it-out with your enemies (which is not an option) and forget the whole psychic power ordeal.
Now this may seem to be blown out of proportion if it were not for other very good titles like Midway's Psy-ops, where you are encouraged to unleash your psychic abilities in the most creative or plain-out destuctive ways you can; giving the player a sort of new found freedom in game play. Galerians on the other hand, not only has less powers and less manipulation of those powers, but then throws on the shackles with the whole Shorting element. As far as the controls go, nothing special: attack, roll, shield, lock-on, switch power. If you can avoid attacks enough to point toward an enemy and charge up an attack, you've got the combat system down. Overall the game is better as a movie.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, February 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Galerians: Ash (Video Game)

I've been waiting for this game forever since getting the first game. The first was one of the best games I have ever played, a tad short on playing time but an innovative, original story which is severely lacking in today's generic worn-out survival horror genre. I got my copy of Galerians: Ash today, and as soon as the intro started playing I knew that this was worth the wait and more. The graphics are obviously better than its PS1 counterpart, and the story is just as good and has fresh touches. It's not a long game, like the first one, but is a few hours longer. The shortness may turn some people off, but it -is- an action game. The story and characters more than make up for it. The character designs by Sho-u Tajima are top notch, the movies scattered throughout the gameplay are better than the first game's as well. And the best extra is that you can view all the movies you've seen so far during the game via the movie player. If only more games had that feature. This is a slick, seductive and unusual action/survival horror game for the thinking man. It may not appeal to everyone, but do give it a chance. And besides, in what other game can you have a cool-looking protagonist with psychic powers?