Hands-onGalerians: Ash

Galerians: Ash for the PlayStation 2 is the sequel to the action adventure title Galerians, which was released by Crave Entertainment for the PlayStation back in March 2000. The game takes place six years after the first game, with Rion reprising his role as the main character. The demo version of the game begins at the original game's final stage and eventually leads up to the battle with the mother computer named Dorothy.

Galerians: Ash features a lock-on system, which can be used by pressing down the R2 shoulder button when a cursor appears on enemies that are in range. Rion will use a variety of psychic powers to attack enemies. In this demo, we had the opportunity to use three different types--red, which shoots fireballs; nalcom, which sends shock waves; and d-felon, which levitates the target and smashes it into the ground. To use these powers, you must hold down the circle button and release it when the psychic power gauge (shown in the upper right corner of the screen) is full. The triangle button is used to switch between the different powers. You can also use shield power to protect yourself from enemy fire by pressing the R1 shoulder button. The psychic powers require drugs in order for Rion to continue using them. Drugs can be acquired on the field maps and by defeating enemies during the game. There are different types of drugs, some of which can be used to recover health or increase Rion's health points.

The graphics in the game aren't as impressive as those in some of the recently released PS2 titles. The cutscenes use either the in-game engine or CG movies, depending on the situation. Voice-overs are present in most of them. There are other issues, such as the camera-angle problems and lengthy load times, but hopefully these will be fixed by the game's release. Galerians: Ash for the PlayStation 2 is scheduled for a release on April 25 for a price of 6,800 yen ($52) in Japan. In conjunction with the game's release, a full CG animation titled Galerians: Rion will be released in Japan on April 24 on three separate DVDs.