Beyond Galaxyland is a side-scrolling JRPG platformer adventure that invites you to embark on a quest to save Earth by exploring many extraterrestrial worlds. While the story is engaging and concludes satisfyingly, its short length limits character development and depth of its gameplay systems. However, it compensates for these shortcomings with visually great environments and an engaging story.
You play as Doug, an ordinary teenager from Earth. One night, after being pursued by a mysterious creature, you step through a portal into Galaxyland, the center of the universe largely controlled by the megacorporation DreamCore. Within minutes of your arrival, you discover that Earth has been destroyed by a force known as TheEnd. DreamCore has rescued a select number of humans and other lifeforms to preserve life far from their home planet. The game openly embraces the blatant evil intentions of DreamCore, playing with this trope rather than attempting to conceal it for a later big reveal.
Erros, your new home.
The game's focus is on a blend of side-scrolling platforming, puzzle-solving, mini-games, creature collection, and combat. Platforming is generally enjoyable, particularly with the double-jump ability and sliding sections. However, they are not designed to be major obstacles, and you won’t even die if you occasionally miss a platform.
Old-school platforming.
Puzzles are equally short and easy to solve. However, the game does a good job of offering a variety of challenges, ranging from pushing rock puzzles to labyrinths. You can auto-solve some puzzles as well, but at least the game does not automatically drop hints if it takes you a bit longer to solve them.
There are several mini-games scattered throughout, effectively serving as enjoyable distractions from the main gameplay. Like puzzles, these mini-games are generally not intended to be major challenges; instead, they add flavor to your overall experience. The only exception is one particular race, which suffers from an annoyingly poor camera that makes the entire experience extremely frustrating.
It took a couple of attempts to get used to it.
Another focus of this game is creature collection. You can capture most creatures you encounter in combat. Each creature provides specific skills that you can equip and release during combat to gain various bonuses or to attack enemies. Once equipped, these creatures level up, regardless of whether you use them in battle, allowing them to unlock much more powerful skills.
Captured creatures provide meaningful customization to your characters.
Combat in this game is turn-based. You control up to three characters from a pool, consisting of Doug and five companions you meet during your adventures. However, for most of the game, you do not have the option to choose all of your companions, as they are determined by the story. Some of the five companions also come into play quite late or only briefly; ultimately, you will probably spend most of your time with Doug, his transformed guinea pig Boom Boom, and one or no other character.
During combat, you can choose to attack your enemy, use a character-specific ability (such as healing or area attacks), utilize consumables, or release one of your captured creatures for a specific effect. Many of these effects are linked to six elements, each of which has a specific opposite that determines its strengths and weaknesses.
Enemy mobs won't stand a chance.
A key aspect of combat is the shared pool of ability points among characters, which can be used to unleash powerful abilities. This pool increases when you successfully hit an enemy, but it decreases twice as quickly if you miss. Additionally, if an enemy attacks, you must read their attack motion and defend in real time; failing to do so will further deplete your ability points. Effectively managing this pool is central to success in combat and is fun, as the risk of losing ability points keeps you engaged.
After successfully defeating an enemy mob, you will earn experience points. This is your only source of experience, as completing quests rewards you with money or items.
You can enhance your characters further by selecting different pieces of equipment.
However, as you level up, your abilities (such as strength or intelligence) automatically increase without any options for customization. Character customization is determined solely by equipment and creatures.
One primary weakness of the game is its length. I completed it in about 13 hours, which feels a bit short for meaningful progression or customization of the seven characters. Roster management, which allows you to freely choose your companion, unlocks only a few hours before the end credits roll. Moreover, the game features only one difficulty setting outside of New Game+, making it quite easy overall. As a result, there's little incentive to optimize your equipment, skills, or combat strategies. For most of the game, I found that simply using standard attacks and ensuring I had enough points for healing abilities was sufficient.
Despite its length, this game features numerous optional quests and non-linear exploration. After a few hours, you are free to travel between several planets, exploring their secrets and tackling their quests. These quests are often much more substantial than typical fetch or kill quests, frequently providing powerful items as rewards. However, while these quests are optional, they’re typically gated behind specific level requirements. There are a few exceptions where the game allows you to attempt quests far beyond your current capabilities. Doing so will almost certainly result in failure.
Intergalactic travel unlocked.
One reason for its short length is the significant focus on presentation. While the characters may not stand out compared to many pixel games released in recent years and are generally quite bland, the environments are often beautifully designed. The diverse landscapes, biology, and architecture create a sense of adventure and exploration, despite the game's limited duration.
A significant amount of time was also devoted to the soundtrack, which features over 50 different tracks. While I appreciate the effort and some tracks nicely underscore the scene on screen, I found it to be overwhelming at times. In certain scenes, the music was so dominant that I had to lower the volume to focus on what was happening on screen. Additionally, I felt there was a lack of a cohesive theme or atmosphere among the tracks. They are well-crafted, yet each seems to be composed specifically for individual scenes rather than contributing to a unified experience.
Explore a variety of environments, from forests and deserts to bustling megacities.
In conclusion, Beyond Galaxyland is a fun, lighthearted sci-fi JRPG that never takes itself too seriously and consistently offers new experiences to keep players engaged. However, it does lack the length and substance found in other games. The story concludes satisfactorily and feels complete, yet it seems that the original scope may have been larger. For instance, after a few hours of gameplay, you will finish Season 1, and there is no mention of a second season. Recommended for any player who is not put off by JRPG mechanics and systems.
