Galactic Glitch | PC Early Access Review
It seems that every year, I’m searching for another roguelike that satisfies even better than my favorite from the year prior. Last year, it was Ember Knights, which I adored. This year, Galactic Glitch from Crunchy Leaf Games currently holds that cherished spot for me. It scratched my itches for a twin-stick shooter and proper progression in a way that makes it difficult to put down. If you’re a fan of either of those genres, this title is totally worth your attention.
A Glitch in the Matrix
I’ll start with the downside, as it’s very minor and did nothing to negate the fun I had playing Galactic Glitch. There’s barely a story here, but I’m completely OK with that. I come to these titles because I prefer to focus on the tight, inventive gameplay. That’s something that’s delivered in spades here, but more on that later.
Your only dialogue comes from a female character who goes by the name of “Siren.” All I can gather in terms of plot is that you’re trapped in some kind of simulation, and Siren needs your help to escape. In order to do that, you make your way through various nodes in an unexplained technological structure. If there’s more to the story, I’ve yet to see it. Admittedly, I haven’t made my way to the end just yet, but that’s not for lack of trying.
As with most twin-stick shooters, you move with one stick and aim with the other. In this case, you pull a trigger to fire your primary weapon. You also have at your disposal a secondary weapon, as well as a dash. What’s new here is that your ship comes equipped with the ability to grab onto rocks and hurl them at enemies or use them as a shield. To be completely direct, this is something I used rarely myself, but I can see the benefits of its use, especially with the available upgrade paths.
Each level is randomly generated, offers upgrades along the way, a shop, and plenty of arenas full of enemies to destroy. This all leads to a large boss that guards your path to the next area. As you unlock new weapons, you can select whichever primary and secondary weapon you like for each run, adding variety while letting you play to your strengths.
A Positive Spin
If all of this sounds a bit “same old song and dance,” I would completely understand. But there are several components of Galactic Glitch that set it apart from feebler attempts. First is the absolutely tight controls at play here. Your ship moves exactly the way that it should, and your attacks are impactful in an incredibly satisfying way. There’s a certain slickness to navigating each arena that just feels right.
The game also has an element of physics that makes it seem special. Your ship and the enemies you’re fighting have momentum, so they don’t stop on a dime. Once you get used to this, you can use that momentum to your advantage in unexpected ways. Instead of just moving in a certain direction, you can slingshot around other ships to attack them from behind for bonus damage. This movement adds an air of lightness that is completely refreshing. That, combined with the gorgeous psychedelic scenery, makes traversing each area a complete delight. Each area has a liquidity to it with the outer edges having an elastic bubble-like texture to them. It’s unique and oddly calming, even amongst the chaos of bullet hell.
The upgrade path also has its unique qualities. Sure, you’ll collect currency along the way that you can spend on permanent upgrades in between runs. That’s pretty standard. but the upgrades on each run function in a truly unique way. Four different colors of computer chips randomly drop on occasion or can be purchased at shops. These are what you’ll need to unlock whichever upgrades you have to choose from in between each level. The catch is that those upgrades are tied to specific colors of chips. That means you have to decide which chips to pick up based on your play style. But you could get unlucky and end up with upgrades that don’t match with your available currencies. It might sound frustrating, but it adds an element of excitement to each run and forces you to experiment a bit more outside of your comfort zone.
Galactic Glitch Demo Final Verdict
Very few games have clicked with me as hard this year as Galactic Glitch. Despite the lack of a meaningful story, I found the gameplay to be exactly what I wanted from the genre. It’s one of those rare titles where it’s incredibly easy to jump back into even if you’ve stepped away from it for a while. The music vibes perfectly with the visuals as well, completing the package. It’s insanely fun to play and very easy to drop in for another run after each failed one. I can’t recommend this one enough, as it might be one of the most underrated games of 2024. Do yourself a favor and check it out, even if you’re mildly interested.
To hear me talk more about Galactic Glitch, be sure to listen to our July 17th, 2024 episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 1:10:39 time stamp.
This review is is based on a PC copy of Galactic Glitch provided by Jesus Fabre for coverage purposes. As of this writing, the game is exclusive to that platoform.
