Introduction

Galerians is what happens when you throw Resident Evil, Scanners and System Shock into a blender. Released in 1999 for the original Playstation, Galerians is one of a number of games that attempted to capitalise on the growing popularity of the survival horror genre. While derivative, it was successful enough to warrant a sequel, Galerians: Ash, which was released for the Playstation 2 in 2003.

The story takes place in the cyberpunk future of 2522. The main character, teenager Rion Steiner, wakes up strapped to an operating table with no memory of who he is or how he got there. After hearing a voice inside his mind pleading for help, Rion uses his newfound telekinetic powers to free himself and embarks on a journey to find some answers.

In terms of gameplay Galerians is a survival horror title released in the late nineties. This means pre-rendered backgrounds, lots of CG cutscenes, god-awful voice acting, weird and frequently unnecessary puzzles and, joy of joys, tank controls. What sets it apart from other games in the genre is the use of psychic powers. Rion can use psychometry to ‘read’ certain parts of the environment for information and clues on how to solve puzzles. He can also inject himself with a number of drugs that give him access to pyrokinesis and other offensive abilities. These powers come at a cost however, and can result in a catastrophic meltdown if not managed carefully.

My own feelings about this title are mixed. The game starts out strongly and has a wonderfully bleak, noir-style atmosphere that few survival horror titles manage. The gameplay has a few niggles, but the mechanics around the psychic abilities are far more interesting than the gunplay found in most survival horror titles. On the negative side the game is very short and rapidly goes downhill after the second stage. The plot is porous in places and often dissonant with the gameplay, and it feels like some of the later areas were rushed. It’s a mixed bag, but if you enjoy games like Resident Evil and Parasite Eve then Galerians is a title that might appeal to you.

Table of Contents

01 - Playing with Syringes
02 - Shorting Out
03 - Blood, Brains and Body Bits
04 - Mouths of Babes
05 - Down the Rabbit Hole
06 - Lines in the Sand
07 - Flesh and Steel


08 - Homecoming
09 - A Crooked House
10 - Cruel Inheritance
11 - The Bird Man


12 - Booking In
13 - Black Market
14 - One By One
15 - Rainfall


16 - Tower of the Goddess
17 - Deicide