I had an absolute blast during my time withBeyond Galaxyland, a shockingly expansive RPG that borrows and remixes elements from every corner of science-fiction. From Douglas Adams toMass Effect, stopping viaReady Player OneandThe Last Starfighter, this is a rich and beautifully written adventure that fans of the genre owe it to themselves to check out.
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Beyond Galaxylandbegins on Earth as Doug and his pet hamster find themselves transported off-world to be saved from an impending apocalypse. The titular Galaxyland is kind of like a sci-fi Noah’s ark; an assortment of various biomes recreated to make various alien races feel at ease as they’re scooped from their homes and told to settle into their new lives.
Exploration and combat take place across a striking pixel-art 2D world, and some gentle platforming and puzzle solving accompany turn-based battles. Navigating between waypoints can sometimes be a little frustrating thanks to a fairly naff map system, and the nature of the game’s aesthetic sometimes makes it a little tricky to work out what you can and can’t interact with.
Platforming is also quite fiddly at the best of times, which means you’ll be wrestling with the controls and navigational systems when you’re supposed to be enjoying stunning alien vistas.
Combat is fairly straightforward, with the option to sneak up on enemies in the world and get a stealth attack in for an early bonus eliminating much of the malaise that can creep into turn-based RPGs. The meat of encounters revolve around a kind of rock-paper-scissors approach, with certain attacks from Doug and his allies working better against specific enemies.
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Another fun quirk to combat is the ability to catch and befriend certain alien monsters after you’ve beaten them, which can then be used in future battles and trained up to learn new moves. It’s a wonderful nod toPokémon, and I was surprised to see how muchBeyond Galaxylandactually scratched my itch for a new creature collecting game.
Some minor issues aside,Beyond Galaxylandis easily one of 2024’s best surprises. I confess this is one game that wasn’t on my radar until I started playing it, but if you have any passion whatsoever for classic science fiction literature, games, and movies, I can guarantee you’ll have an absolute blast with this one.
Pros:Beautifully written, gorgeous worlds, creature collecting is a blast
Cons:Fiddly combat and rough navigation systems
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For fans of:Mass Effect, Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, Cyberpunk 2077
8/10: Excellent
Topics:Reviews,Steam,Mass Effect
