Beyond Galaxyland

Drawing on decades of inspiration, Beyond Galaxyland is a heartfelt love-letter to the JRPG genre. Although the game can't quite escape its predecessors' long shadow, it shines more brightly than many of its peers. The synthesis of gameplay elements from Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy to Paper Mario and Pokémon makes this a must-play for genre enthusiasts, and worthy of consideration by other gamers. Increased difficulty in New Game Plus adds to Beyond Galaxyland's replayability, while an interesting story helps it stand out from among other JRPGs.

Despite a disappointing ending and some irritations with the dialogue and combat, Beyond Galaxyland is an RPG that will remind you of the heady days of your first Final Fantasy, mixed with a Pokémon blend.

Beyond Galaxyland is a welcome addition to the RPG cosmos. Its audiovisual mixture is both distinctive and effective, while the gameplay and narrative keeps everything moving along nicely. The combat may get a bit rote towards the end, and there are some frustratingly unanswered story questions when all is said and done, but there’s no denying it’s a positive experience all the way through. It’s a game that’s easy to recommend in general, but for those whom a speedily-paced RPG that offers enjoyable exploration, some engaging sci-fi mystery, and a solid turn-based system sounds appealling, Beyond Galaxyland should be right up their alley.

Beyond Galaxyland shows a lot of potential and has a very good battle system in it. Unfortunately, it is let down by bugs, some poor platforming, and racing. The bugs can be addressed in patches, but a bit more focus and refinement would have helped elevate this experience.