Sammy Studios Galerians - Ash Adventure Review

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Price Paid:  $40.00 from Hastings

Summary:
I don't understand why everyone gives this game such a bad review. I find it absolutely outstanding!!!

Here's the breakdown (please keep in mind, I have not played the first game, but now I plan on buying it).

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

Price Paid:  $5.00 from (rented

Summary:
Ever wanted to PLAY the movie Akira?

In the continuing story to the survival horror/sci-fi/RPG. styled PS1 game Galerians, we find our psychic galerian hero Rion in a not so distant apocalyptic future fighting a war with one of the last galerians named Ash, an especially powerful and insane galerian bent on human extinction and the resurrection of the evil super-computer/galerian mother Dorothy. This game, I'm afraid, was a poor excuse for a sequel though. And if you've never played the original and start to play this one, well you've already ruined the big finale to the original game, which not to mention wasn't even that great. The only real interesting thing about the game was the storyline and even that could have been a little more toned up and original. Seriously, the game was revolving around a battle system that was simply duplicated from the original with a few lame additions, and exploring about only 3 different levels on and off. And some of the characters in it took the least bit of creativity and personality to think up. (Lilith as the sweet helpless girl who Rion must protect because only she could ever care about this sleazy looking addict boy you play, the tough ass general who gives this skinny little punk Rion no slack but eventually learns he should, and Parano as this single minded psycho killer on Ash's team of disciples.) This game could be played by anyone over the age of 9 or 10, mainly because of the whole drug abuse message that some younger kids could possibly take the wrong way.

As predictable as the future?

For a survival horror type of game, it wasn't scary the least bit! And the RPG. element they added to the game where you could talk to random bi-standards was not worth paying any attention to except when you were stuck on a part of the game. Not to mention how boring the few puzzles were in the game that needed little thinking and more of a search-every-inch of that area strategy that leaves you bored and irritated. So overall the game was average at its best and not even really even better than its original, but maybe enough to pull in those anime fans to the video stores. If you'd like to play a redeeming scary survival horror game try Silent Hills or Resident Evils, for a more involved RPG. styled game try Parasite Eves. In fact, you'll find a lot more better games like this if you just look around a little.

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Price Paid:  $40.00 from Software Etc.

Summary:
Galerians Ash: they should've taken the "H" in Ash and replaced it with a "S".
Is the game that bad? Yes and no. No, because the game is playable. It's just incredibly bland. And yes, because it's so obvious to see all the areas where this game could've been improved to be a great sleeper hit.

Galerians Ash is the sequel to the cult cyberpunk hit on the PS1. If you never played it no worries. The manual and the game quickly catches you up on the happenings six years later, where Rion, a Galerian is in a apocalyptic battle against other Galerians created by a renegade computer named Dorothy that believes all mankind should die.

It's like "Akira" meets "The Matrix" meets "Resident Evil". It's a mix of science, cyberpunk, anime and survival horror that works well. But unforunately too much of this game is poorly executed.

The game is very hard, more so for the fact that you will probably have to force your way through it since it's so bland. There is a walkthrough (two actually) for this game at gamefaqs. So if you play this game and you check out their guides (and you will probably need to) you should thank Nojo Jojo (N. Jemison) and Pscion. I only read Jemison's guide, who also wrote a plot analysis. They both must be incredibly tenacious gamers to not only compete the game, but to write guides for them. They both deserve a lot of praise.

Jemison says she's not particularly tenacious at all though, and that she just loved the game. I gladly point you to her review of the game here http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/review/R48683.html since she does offer an opposing viewpoint.