Being an 80’s baby affords me some fond memories of the classic sci-fi era, where every alien was just a guy in make-up and puppets were the norm. I’m talking Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, The Last Starfighter, the kind of adventures full of weird locations and wild situations.
The opening few moments of Beyond Galaxyland brought me straight back to that era, an immediate reflection of a time now overshadowed by modern visual effects and big, brand name sequels. A time I’m more than happy to revisit whenever I get the chance.
Poor high-schooler Doug has his world turned inside-out when he’s attacked by a monstrous entity one evening outside his home. In an attempt to escape, he tumbles into a dark cave only to discover an unusual, not at all dangerous portal inside. Before he knows it, the portal pulls him in, and Doug awakens in a completely different place and time, far away from home. Sure, it sounds familiar, the classic fish-out-of-water situation, but there’s a few moments even in the early stages that makes Beyond Galaxyland fresh and intriguing despite the obvious premise.
Boom Boom is going to steal this show, no doubt
Beyond Galaxyland combines a few key tricks to craft its otherworldly setting, mixing a 2.5D landscape with turn-based, RPG mechanics. You’ll be building a party of unusual characters around Doug’s confused human frame, beginning with his pet hamster transformed into a humanoid with a gun. Said hamster, appropriately named Boom-Boom, is already my favourite character without even speaking a line of dialogue. Others will join you on your crusade, travelling the galaxy across a variety of planets to find a way home and discover the truth behind ‘The End’, an entity destroying all before it.
The first few hours of gameplay set the tone, covering the basics of combat and traversal. There are some interesting ideas here early on, namely the ability to capture creatures you come across and use them as summons during combat. It’s not clear how challenging the capture mechanic may become as fiercer creations get in your way, but it’s a neat little Pokemon-like addition to what’s otherwise the traditional assortment of combat abilities you’d expect from such an RPG.
Visually there’s a lot to like here too, a mixture of traditional 2D textures with layers of modernity, not unlike Oxenfree. Characters remain pixelated but show a fair amount of detail and colour, and of what I’ve seen of what’s to come there’s some very large bosses and amusing creature designs to uncover as the story unfolds. I should also call out the soundtrack, which so far has surprised me with its piano blues and varying tones rather unlike the visuals on display. It’s strangely enjoyable, and I’m keen to hear more.
Dreamcast 2 confirmed
It’s early days yet, but I’m enjoying my time with Beyond Galaxyland so far. It has the potential of tapping into the kind of story I enjoy, the underdog hero’s journey, but I get the feeling there’s some twists and turns baked into the campaign that will hopefully shake things up enough Sea of Stars style to keep you guessing.
Beyond Galaxyland launches September 24 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Switch and PC.
Previewed on PC // Preview code supplied by publisher
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