Galak-Z: The Dimensional is a 2015 top-down space-shooter roguelike developed by 17 Bit for the PS4 and (eventually) the PC. Players take on the role of Adam "A-Tak" Takamoto, a rookie space pilot who is enlisted to aid the Axelios science vessel in Earth's war against the Imperials.
Throughout the game, players will contend with the evil Imperials, the insane Void Raiders, and nasty space bugs as they explore procedurally generated mazes, completing objectives and retrieving power-ups.
Years later in 2018, the game was adapted to the Nintendo Switch as Galak-Z: Variant S, a Free-to-Play game published by Gungho Online. This version of the game was actually a sequel to the events of the "The Void" DLC. However, it made several changes to the gameplay, including removing the ability to switch between fighter and mecha modes during levels. Support for this version was ended in January 2021.
This Game Provides Examples Of:
- Adjective Noun Fred: The game's (grammatically correct) Japanese title, "Uchuu Senshi Galak-Z" (Space Soldier Galak-Z).
- Animesque: Galak-Z is a deliberate pastiche of Seventies and Eighties anime like Super Dimension Fortress Macross and Space Battleship Yamato, featuring cel shaded characters, Transforming Mecha, and a Gamilas-expy empire as the main villians.
- The Berserker: Void Pirates usually rely less on defense and have the primary tactic at charging full speed at the player, guns blazing. This is contrast to the more defensive and evasion minded Empire.
- Canon Welding: A loading screen tip states that Admiral Akimoto is the descendant of General Akimoto, the main character of 17 Bit's previous game; Skulls of the Shogun.
- Cool Ship: It can also turn into a Humongous Mecha.
- Downer Ending: Season 4 ended ambiguously. The post-launch Void mode acts as a fifth Season, but considering that it is an Endless Game mode where the only end is in the player's death, Earth's fate is looking quite grim...
- The Empire: The villains of the game.
- Endless Game: Introduced post-launch, "The Void" is an additional game mode where the objective is to fight your way through an endless series of levels, racking up a high score before inevitably dying.
- Grappling-Hook Pistol: The Galak-Z gets one of these in mech form.
- Humongous Mecha: The Empire and the Void Raiders both have these on their side. Eventually, the Galak-Z can transform into one.
- Laser Blade: Your primary weapon in mech-form.
- Macross Missile Massacre: It wouldn't be an 80's Anime homage without it.
- Mêlée à Trois: The Empire, Void Pirates, and Bugs are just as aggressive towards each other as they are to the player. It's not uncommon to come across a situation where two or all three of the factions are fighting each other, serving as a great distraction. And if the player wants they can join in.
- Moby Schtick: A Moby Dick-esque monster appears in the game as a giant albino space bug called White Tusk.
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Nintendo Hard: As a roguelike game, expect to die often. Doubly so in Rogue Mode, where death means starting over from the beginning of the season. - Retraux: The game is styled after old, 80's style Anime such as Macross/Robotech, complete with procedurally-generated title cards and an options menu that looks like a VCR settings screen (which even has "12:00" blinking in the upper-right corner).
- Roguelike: The game uses Procedural Generation to generate levels, and resets the player's progress after dying in each level (or each season in Rogue Mode).
- Space Pirates: The Void Raiders, a group of raiders who went insane after being exposed to excess "void radiation".
- Transforming Mecha: Prevalent throughout the game, right down to the player's ship.
- Why Did It Have To Be Bugs?: A-Tak is squicked out by bugs, and is especially fearful of the infamous White Tusk.
