Developer: Inti Creates
Publisher: PQube
Genre: Action Adventure
A spinoff of the Gal Gun franchise that is inspired by the first few Castlevania video games sounds like a strange thing. It is! It also works rather well, playing a lot like the Bloodstained series with some characters from Gal*Gun. Without the characters, you wouldn’t be able to tell that this is adjacent to Gal*Gun which is probably a good thing.
Let’s get this out of the way first: This isn’t a Metroidvania. Anyone who has played the first three or so Castlevania games will know what to expect. It certainly looks like a Metroidvania game, but the levels are linear and there isn’t much room for diverging paths. It’s more of an action platformer, which is certainly fine for most players. Not every game needs to be intricate, right?
Once players can get past that, they will realize that this is another tight, clean action game by the developers. It feels great to play, with responsive controls and solid-level design. The bosses are exciting and fair to battle against too, making this a well-rounded experience. It’s also not completely by the books and allows for the player to switch between the game’s two characters on the fly.
If you have a friend, there is no switching necessary. Gal Guardians: Demon Purge features cooperative play that actually feels good. It’s not just tacked on and adds more depth to the experience, especially if a player has already enjoyed it solo.
Visually, Gal Guardians: Demon Purge looks excellent. The sprites are fun and every design is neat. The backgrounds and environments could be improved somewhat, but this is a minor nitpick. It’s a short ride, but it looks great throughout.
