Galerians
Encyclopedia
is a PlayStation video game developed by Polygon Magic
. It was originally published in Japan
by Enterbrain
, and published by Crave Entertainment
for North America. Galerians is a psychic survival horror game with a dark setting. It follows a boy named Rion who discovers he has psychic powers. He has amnesia
, and in the process of learning his identity, he discovers that he is humanity's last hope for survival against the Galerians, genetically enhanced humans. The game has a sequel, Galerians: Ash
on PlayStation 2
.
Rion manages to escape and make his way home, only to find it infested with G Project experiments. Through use of his powers, he learns that his parents were murdered by psychics. Rion's father, Dr. Albert Steiner, was a computer scientist who, with his partner Dr. Pascalle, designed a self-replicating artificial intelligence
called Dorothy that grew too rapidly for them to control. Dorothy began to question why she should serve humanity, which she deemed inferior. In explanation, Dr. Steiner told Dorothy about the existence of God, the creator of humankind. Just as humans must accept the authority of their creator, God, so must Dorothy obey her creators.
Dorothy responded to this explanation by launching the G Project and its culmination, the Family Program. Its purpose was to create a new, superior human race, called Galerians, for whom she would be god. Dr. Steiner and Dr. Pascalle, unaware of Dorothy's plot, hid a virus program that would destroy Dorothy in the mind of Pascalle's daughter Lilia, and a corresponding activator program in Rion's brain. Rion must find Lilia to keep the Galerians from supplanting the human race, but in order to do so, he will have to face Dorothy's deranged creations directly.
series. Galerians employs the "Resident Evil control scheme", in which pressing up causes the character to walk forward, while down causes the character to backpedal slowly. Graphics are made up polygonal characters on pre-rendered backgrounds. The player progresses through the game by finding items and clues which, when used in the appropriate locations, allow access to new areas. The key difference to Resident Evil is that Galerians does not employ gun-based
combat, but instead features the use of psychic powers, which make it difficult to fight more than one enemy at a time.
Rion has several types of psychic powers at his disposal. His offensive powers are enabled via drugs (which are known in the English version as PPECs [Psychic Power Enhancement Chemicals]). Because the number of vials of these drugs present in the game is finite, conservation is important. Rion's offensive powers have a 1-2 second charge time, making it important to find a safe interval before launching an attack. Enemies do not leave items and Rion does not gain experience for fighting them, encouraging the player to avoid combat where possible.
There are three gauges that regulate Rion's status - a health meter that depletes as Rion takes damage, the AP meter which counts up when Rion takes damage, uses abilities, or is under stress, similar to a limit break mechanic and a drug meter that depletes as Rion uses his powers. When the AP meter is full, Rion loses control of his powers, releasing a continuous psychic assault that will kill non-boss enemies in a single blow. This condition, known as shorting, is fatal to Rion if allowed to go on too long.
praised the mature story and stated it was an "exquisite storytelling, rigidly mature and rightfully unsuitable for children". Critics agreed that CG cut-scenes were very well done "and almost worth a watch on their own".
Critics also praised the game's graphics, with highly detailed pre-rendered backgrounds. Although critics noted that "there are a few areas however, where Rion looks a little out of place with his environment" and "the backgrounds suffer from lack of interactivity".
The major complaints focused on the gameplay. IGN
stated that "when the game falls into a key action sequence [...] Rion spins on his heels and has trouble maneuvering tight corridors or jutting objects". Allgame
also noted "with occasionally confusing camera angles, it sometimes becomes difficult to move him around the surrounding environment."
Other complaints included item placement, linear adventure, patterned bosses, frustrating simplicity and low intensity.
s penned by Maki Takiguchi were released in 2000 and detailed the events of the PlayStation game.
Galerians: Rion, a CGI
3-part OVA based on the video game, was released in 2002. It was written by Chinfa Kang and directed by Masahiko Maesawa, and followed the video game story line.
An artbook named Galerians A Head was released the next year. It contained preliminary sketches, character turnarounds, box art, some storyboards, and general artwork from both the games and the OVA, all illustrated by Shou Tajima
.
Polygon Magic
is a Japanese video game developer.The company has been one of the largest studios in Japan. The company develops various platform including arcade, 360, Wii, PS3, DS/3DS, NGP/PSP Vita, Facebook, Japanese SNS such as GREE and Mobage, and Pachinko .The company has been a top developer and publisher...
. It was originally published in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by Enterbrain
Enterbrain
is a Japanese magazine publisher established on April 1, 2000. Enterbrain magazines are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy guides. In addition, the company publishes a small selection of anime artbooks. Enterbrain is based in Tokyo, Japan...
, and published by Crave Entertainment
Crave Entertainment
Crave Entertainment is an American video game company. It was founded in 1997 by Nima Taghavi. Its headquarters is in Newport Beach, California...
for North America. Galerians is a psychic survival horror game with a dark setting. It follows a boy named Rion who discovers he has psychic powers. He has amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
, and in the process of learning his identity, he discovers that he is humanity's last hope for survival against the Galerians, genetically enhanced humans. The game has a sequel, Galerians: Ash
Galerians: Ash
is a PlayStation 2 video game developed by Polygon Magic. It was published by Enterbrain in Japan, and by Sammy Studios in North America and Europe. Galerians: Ash is the sequel to Galerians, a PlayStation game. It is a psychic action game with a dark setting...
on PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
.
Plot
Galerians begins with the protagonist, Rion, awaking in a hospital observation room, unable to remember his identity. He hears a girl's voice calling to him in his mind, begging him to come to her rescue, and he decides to search for her. Using psychokinetic abilities to escape his room, Rion fights hospital security and staff desperately and brutally with his newly discovered psychic powers. He finds that human experiments related to unlocking psychic potential are being conducted in the hospital as part of a grander, more mysterious plan known as the "G Project".Rion manages to escape and make his way home, only to find it infested with G Project experiments. Through use of his powers, he learns that his parents were murdered by psychics. Rion's father, Dr. Albert Steiner, was a computer scientist who, with his partner Dr. Pascalle, designed a self-replicating artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
called Dorothy that grew too rapidly for them to control. Dorothy began to question why she should serve humanity, which she deemed inferior. In explanation, Dr. Steiner told Dorothy about the existence of God, the creator of humankind. Just as humans must accept the authority of their creator, God, so must Dorothy obey her creators.
Dorothy responded to this explanation by launching the G Project and its culmination, the Family Program. Its purpose was to create a new, superior human race, called Galerians, for whom she would be god. Dr. Steiner and Dr. Pascalle, unaware of Dorothy's plot, hid a virus program that would destroy Dorothy in the mind of Pascalle's daughter Lilia, and a corresponding activator program in Rion's brain. Rion must find Lilia to keep the Galerians from supplanting the human race, but in order to do so, he will have to face Dorothy's deranged creations directly.
Gameplay
Galerians is a survival horror game in the vein of early games in the Resident EvilResident Evil (series)
Resident Evil, known as in Japan, is a media franchise owned by the video game company Capcom. It was created by Shinji Mikami as a survival horror game series that was initiated with the eponymous PlayStation title Resident Evil in 1996. Since then, the game series has strayed from its roots to...
series. Galerians employs the "Resident Evil control scheme", in which pressing up causes the character to walk forward, while down causes the character to backpedal slowly. Graphics are made up polygonal characters on pre-rendered backgrounds. The player progresses through the game by finding items and clues which, when used in the appropriate locations, allow access to new areas. The key difference to Resident Evil is that Galerians does not employ gun-based
Shooter game
Shooter games are a sub-genre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. It includes many subgenres that have the commonality of focusing "on the actions of the avatar using some sort of weapon. Usually this weapon is a gun, or some other long-range weapon". A common...
combat, but instead features the use of psychic powers, which make it difficult to fight more than one enemy at a time.
Rion has several types of psychic powers at his disposal. His offensive powers are enabled via drugs (which are known in the English version as PPECs [Psychic Power Enhancement Chemicals]). Because the number of vials of these drugs present in the game is finite, conservation is important. Rion's offensive powers have a 1-2 second charge time, making it important to find a safe interval before launching an attack. Enemies do not leave items and Rion does not gain experience for fighting them, encouraging the player to avoid combat where possible.
There are three gauges that regulate Rion's status - a health meter that depletes as Rion takes damage, the AP meter which counts up when Rion takes damage, uses abilities, or is under stress, similar to a limit break mechanic and a drug meter that depletes as Rion uses his powers. When the AP meter is full, Rion loses control of his powers, releasing a continuous psychic assault that will kill non-boss enemies in a single blow. This condition, known as shorting, is fatal to Rion if allowed to go on too long.
Protagonists
-
- Age: 16
- Voice: Akira IshidaAkira IshidaAkira Ishida is a prolific male seiyū born in Nisshin, Aichi, Japan.He was a part of Mausu Promotion from 1988 until March 2009...
/ Frank Newman
- A boy who wakes up in a hospital with no memory of who he is. The game suggests Rion gained psychic powers as a result of the human experimentation being conducted in the hospital. Led by the voice of a girl named Lilia, he escapes the hospital and begins searching for both Lilia and his identity. During the course of the game, it is learned that Rion's father wrote a program into Rion's mind that, when coupled with the virus program in Lilia's brain, can destroy the mother computer Dorothy.
-
- Age: 16
- Voice: Shiho KikuchiShiho Kikuchiis a Japanese voice actress , born on 6 May 1972 in Kanagawa.-Anime and video game voice roles:*Ayakashi Ninden Kunoichiban - Kaede Hagakure*Beyblade - Hilary Tachibana*Galerians: Ash - Lilia Pascalle...
/ Julie Maddelena
- Rion's childhood friend and the daughter of Dr. Pascalle, a colleague of Rion's father. Lilia manifested telepathic abilities after Dr. Steiner and Dr. Pascalle implanted the virus program into her brain as a safeguard against Dorothy. Her father sent her into hiding, telling her to call out to Rion with her powers. Though she lacks the power to face the Galerians, she is determined to help Rion. Her surname is most likely a reference to the 17th century French mathematician Blaise PascalBlaise PascalBlaise Pascal , was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic philosopher. He was a child prodigy who was educated by his father, a tax collector in Rouen...
.
Antagonists
-
- Age: Unknown, appears to be mid-50s
- Voice: Tomomichi NishimuraTomomichi Nishimurais a Japanese voice actor who works for Arts Vision. He is most known for the roles of the narrator of YuYu Hakusho, Anzai-sensei , Shibaraku Tsurugibe , and Jamitov Hymem...
/ Richard EpcarRichard EpcarRichard Epcar is an American actor voice actor / director, mostly specializing in the field of voice acting in games, animation and anime. He is the husband of voice actress Ellyn Stern, with whom he owns and operates Epcar Entertainment, Inc., a voiceover production service company based in Los...
- The head doctor at the hospital where Rion is being held, Dr. Lem led the experiments conducted on Rion. Dr. Lem is a fanatical follower of Dorothy, whom he calls "the new master of creation". He is a cyborgCyborgA cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
, or perhaps an android. It is interesting to note that his name and character are most likely references to The CyberiadThe CyberiadThe Cyberiad is a series of humorous short stories by Stanisław Lem. The Polish version was first published in 1965, with an English translation appearing in 1974. The main protagonists of the series are Trurl and Klapaucius, the "constructors"....
, a short story collection about sentient robots written by the Polish science fiction author Stanisław Lem.
-
- Age: 18
- Voice: Takehito KoyasuTakehito Koyasuis a Japanese voice actor.-Career:Koyasu is part of the voice actor quartet Weiß consisting of Weiß Kreuz voice castmates Shinichiro Miki, Tomokazu Seki, and Yuuki Hiro...
/ Bo WilliamsBo WilliamsBo Williams is a voice actor mostly known for voiceover work in anime.-Roles:*Trigun as Millions Knives*Cowboy Bebop as Shin*Cowboy Bebop as Lin*Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team*Fushigi Yugi Eikoden as Tetsuya*Ah! My Goddess: The Movie...
- A Galerian, his special ability is teleportation. Birdman is attractive and narcissistic, and he has a destructive personality. He is searching for Lilia on the orders of Dorothy, and while for a time Birdman is content to let Rion lead him to Lilia, his belligerent nature and mental instability inspire him to try to coerce Rion into telling him Lilia's location. He has heterochromia with one eye being brown and the other blue.
-
- Age: 15
- Voice: Kenichi SuzumuraKenichi Suzumurais a Japanese voice actor who was born in Niigata Prefecture, but raised in Osaka Prefecture. He is currently affiliated with Arts Vision. He made his television animation debut on Macross 7 in 1994...
/ David UmanskyDerek Stephen PrinceDerek Stephen Prince is an American voice actor who is most memorable for his various roles in the Digimon series, as well as the voice of Elgar in the live-action Power Rangers Turbo and Power Rangers in Space.While a talented actor, with vocal skills capable of anything from High School girls to...
- A Galerian, he is short in stature and behaves in a childish manner. Rainheart specialises in generating mental images called psycho-illusions. The boy also has a split personality - one with the simplicity of a small child, and the other, a sadistic killer personality which manifests through the use of drugs. Rainhart fears the alternate personality within him, calling it a monster, and has developed an aversion to drugs as a result. He obeys Dorothy's orders to avoid having to take the drugs.
-
- Age: 17
- Voice: Yuka ImaiYuka Imaiis a freelance female Japanese voice actress who was previously represented by Gekidan Moonlight.-Anime:*Bakusou Kyoudai Let's & Go!! *Banner of the Stars *Boys Be.....
/ Kendra Barnhart
- A Galerian, she controls powerful psychokinesis. Rita's personality is generally wild and violent, but she has a gentle side as well. She has a special sense of kinship with Rainheart. Questioning the reasons for her existence, Rita curses that she was ever born.
-
- Age: 14
- Voice: Akira IshidaAkira IshidaAkira Ishida is a prolific male seiyū born in Nisshin, Aichi, Japan.He was a part of Mausu Promotion from 1988 until March 2009...
/ Frank Newman
- The final Galerian that Rion meets in the game, Cain looks almost identical to Rion. His name is most likely a reference to the biblical figure, as his aim is to kill his "brother".
Critical reception
Galerians received mixed reviews. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised the mature story and stated it was an "exquisite storytelling, rigidly mature and rightfully unsuitable for children". Critics agreed that CG cut-scenes were very well done "and almost worth a watch on their own".
Critics also praised the game's graphics, with highly detailed pre-rendered backgrounds. Although critics noted that "there are a few areas however, where Rion looks a little out of place with his environment" and "the backgrounds suffer from lack of interactivity".
The major complaints focused on the gameplay. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
stated that "when the game falls into a key action sequence [...] Rion spins on his heels and has trouble maneuvering tight corridors or jutting objects". Allgame
Allgame
Allgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
also noted "with occasionally confusing camera angles, it sometimes becomes difficult to move him around the surrounding environment."
Other complaints included item placement, linear adventure, patterned bosses, frustrating simplicity and low intensity.
Legacy
Two light novelLight novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
s penned by Maki Takiguchi were released in 2000 and detailed the events of the PlayStation game.
Galerians: Rion, a CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
3-part OVA based on the video game, was released in 2002. It was written by Chinfa Kang and directed by Masahiko Maesawa, and followed the video game story line.
An artbook named Galerians A Head was released the next year. It contained preliminary sketches, character turnarounds, box art, some storyboards, and general artwork from both the games and the OVA, all illustrated by Shou Tajima
Shou Tajima
, born February 7, 1966 in Saitama, Japan, is a manga illustrator and anime character designer. He has done character designs for the anime Kai Doh Maru, Otogi Zoshi, the CGI OVA Galerians: Rion, as well as Kill Bill Chapter 3: The Origin of O-Ren....
.