Galactic Glitch Review

Galactic Glitch, by Crunchy Leaf Games, is a sci-fi shooter with a roguelike progression system. You’ll be blasting your way through space, getting blown apart, and then returning to action stronger and ready to progress just a little bit further.

The game attempts to differentiate itself from other roguelikes through its physics-based combat. You’re able to lift destructible space debris and even smaller enemies, and bombarding opponents with them.

All of Galactic Glitch’s sci-fi shootouts take place in wibbly wobbly pockets of space. As you duck and weave around the environment, you’ll end up colliding with the edges of the map, whereupon you'll be bounced back into the center of the action like a wrestler springing off the ropes, ready to fight again. This makes combat feel hectic and emphasises offensive action. The compact arenas ensure that you can’t avoid your enemies forever, and the best way to stay safe is to confront danger head-on.

With a variety of different ships and weapons, there’s plenty of variance here to ensure that each run feels different from the last. All of these weapons are not created equal. The initial gun fires slowly and deals unimpressive damage. After unlocking several new guns, there’s a noticeable difference in power, and you’ll be taking on challengers far more effectively. Subsequent weapon unlocks continue escalating rapidly in power, leaving what came before in the dust.

While the game’s more impactful weapons will satisfyingly cleave through swarms of enemies, it can make progression feel murky. After a successful run, it’s not always clear whether you’re developing skill and mastering the game, or you’ve achieved victory because you now have more powerful weapons loaded into your arsenal.

A roguelike can be made or broken by its boss battles. Fortunately, the bosses in Galactic Glitch have all the pulse-pounding difficulty that a bullet hell fan could ask for. There’s also a lot of variety amongst the bosses on offer. Multiple paths can be taken across the galaxy, allowing players to tactically tailor the bosses they choose to confront and the levels they enter based upon their current build.

Fortunately, contrary to its name, Galactic Glitch doesn’t have any immediately evident bugs and runs seamlessly. There won’t be any frame drops or errors preventing you from shooting your way across space.

A Galactic Aesthetic

Graphically, Galactic Glitch adopts the neon sheen of a laser hockey table. The brightly coloured explosions arcing across the foreground pleasingly contrast the muted shades of purple, blue, and black in the background. Crunchy Leaf has effectively captured its intended retro visual style; the game wouldn’t feel out of place installed alongside Galaga or Asteroids at an old mall arcade.

The game’s luminous 1980s atmosphere is completed by its sound design. The tempo rises from subdued to blood-pumping as the action on screen escalates, and a satisfying burst of sound accompanies every laser blast. The only flaw in Galactic Glitch’s otherwise stellar presentation is that some rapid-fire weapons repeat the same sound effect every time they go off. This can become grating and throw off the rhythm of your attacks.

This spacefaring tale has a minimalistic plot that features few characters, but enough to tell the story it’s here to tell. You are guided through cyberspace by Siren, a mysterious benefactor who clearly doesn’t have your best interests at heart. With time, you begin to learn more about Siren and her motivations, as well as the nature of the universe that you inhabit.

A Cosmic Conclusion

Galactic Glitch is an explosive journey through a galaxy that’s as colourful as it is chaotic. You’ll be darting around danger, bouncing off walls, pelting enemies with asteroids, and kitting yourself out with a selection of increasingly devastating weapons.

If you’re looking for a new action roguelike to keep your fingers busy during the long wait for Hades II's emergence from Early Access, then Galactic Glitch offers more than enough to keep you satisfied.