Galak-Z: Variant S

It’s entertaining, fun and lighthearted, making it the perfect title to pick up from time to time or to play after a long day when the mind just wants to rest.

While I did enjoy the game, the more missions and challenges I completed, the more repetitive they felt even though they involved different tasks. I felt like less of a fighter pilot and more like an errand boy a quarter through the game because of every mission having a point A and a point B, and nothing to really break the cycle. With that being said, Galak-Z: Variant S is a beautiful game, I just wish it did not feel so repetitive in its gameplay.

As it stands, Galak-Z: Variant S is a simple shooter that is fun in short stints. The controls are fun, the level design is outstanding, but the motivating factors of the game, which include upgrades, needs to be improved a little before it becomes great. As it stands right now, it’s a good space shooter with some potential for improvement in the future.

Galak-Z: Variant S is a more focused and tighter experience than its forerunner, but one that offers surprising depth thanks to the often staggering upgrade opportunities on offer. By taking the freemium route developer 17-Bit Studios has been forced to introduce timers which can be overridden by spending actual cash, but these are thoughtfully deployed and even if you do decide to dig deep in your pocket, you'll still need considerable shooting skills to overcome the increasingly stern - if somewhat repetitive - challenge.

Galak-Z: Variant S is an interesting mobile 2D action space adventure that feels right at home on the Switch as a casual title for playing on the way to work or on the train. Unfortunately, although the art style and gameplay are well put together and fun to play, the microtransactions severely hinder the experience.

It is good for short commutes to and from work and the Nintendo Switch IS both a living room console and a handheld portable. Maybe it will grow on me. But for now, it just leaves me in the Void.

Essentially most of the experience ends up feeling like a grindfest, and how much grinding you have to go through depends on how much money you care to spend. If that wasn’t enough, the developer tracks and stores your gameplay data, IP address and any interactions you have with customer support. Don’t think that playing offline is a clever way of avoiding big brother, you can’t get past the title screen without an internet connection so portable for most is not an option.

Galak-Z: Variant S just feels a bit soulless, as someone who has played the original. Where that game was sleek and well designed, this feels basic and haphazard. The Switch would have been far better served by a port of the first game, and when you add microtransactions into the mix you get a spoiled experience and a somewhat tainted memory of a better time for the series.