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You’ll play the game as A-Tak, a daring and somewhat brash fighter pilot with plenty in common with Robotech’s Rick Hunter. In particular, an ability to get his way out of sticky situations. Piloting his ship early on you’ll be stuck in fighter mode, taking on new enhancements one by one to allow you to get used to them. In particular your ability to quickly dodge will be essential to your survival, though effective strafing can also be handy depending on how you like to do your dogfighting. Eventually earning the ability to convert into robot mode, you’ll lose your ability to fire your lasers or missiles, but you’ll gain the use of an ability to grapple and grab objects as well as an energy shield and laser sword. Learning when it’s most advantageous to be in either mode ends up being the cornerstone of the gameplay as each has its strengths and weaknesses. To help you out you’ll work with the somewhat shady Crash to heal up, replenish your missiles, or buy upgrades to your weapons. If you’re a determined explorer your efforts to explore each level to the fullest will be rewarded with additional gear, but you’ll always need to be cautious not to push yourself too hard and risk being destroyed. Especially as you get to the game’s later episodes (each has multiple chapters and they play out roughly like a television show in terms of the plot) trying to get everything is a matter of risk and reward, especially if you’re playing in the game’s all-or-nothing roguelike mode. Your first time through I’d suggest the Arcade mode instead, which has the same content, just not the touch consequences of being destroyed. With its exploration focus, diverse combat options, and pretty unique gameplay Galak-Z is a favorite indie of mine that has finally come home to the Switch and it feels like home. Beware, the bigger aliens and enemy mechs you’ll encounter along the way will make for quite a challenge, but if you make effective use of your ship’s abilities and arsenal (and maybe a little bit of luck) you can do quite well. Definitely worth a look for fans of classic sci-fi anime, laser fire, and big-ass robots.
Justin Nation, Score:Nindie Choice! [8.0]