This game's creepy atmosphere and futuristic vibe suck you into its story however the game play has its shortcomings.
The opening of the game is very vague and mysterious (purposely so) and depicts a young boy named Rion (whom you play as) being injected with drugs. The dialogues between the scientists who are carrying out these experiments suggest that the procedure may result in death but that the boy is the most promising subject yet. Throughout the game you learn more about the mystery of who you are. Both your purpose as a test subject and your destiny intertwine in a very dramatic storyline that rivals most Japanese animation films. Very early on you discover that you have powerful psychic abilities. Throughout the game you must use these abilities to solve contextual puzzles and combat your enemies.
On the graphical side, this game is very impressive for a Playstation title. The graphics are so good in fact that this rather short game spans 3 disks because of all the cut-scenes. The cut-scenes are done nicely and the animations are superb; however, the characters look quite minimalistic compared to the scenery. During game play the effects and animations are also quite good - especially the fire and gore effects.
The audio is a high point of this production perhaps even more so than the visuals. The music is very befitting of the dystopian future that is presented. Many of the tunes have a mechanical vibe to them reminiscent of industrial rock and the English voice acting is above average for video games which is quite refreshing in the survival genre. The effect sounds are the most impressive especially during combat. Thuds, erupting flames and gushing blood are all heard in gut wrenching detail.
Actually playing the game is where many of Galerians hiccups come to focus. The first thing I noticed was that the moving controls were not as responsive as I have hoped for and maneuvering around the environment takes some getting used to. The game throws you into the action without any tutorial except for a document you find in the first room that gives you an overview of the different drugs you'll find throughout the game and their effects. Even these descriptions can be confusing at first as they are quite wordy and don't tell you how to use them. Eventually after some experimentation you figure out that you can psychically interact with certain objects to view hints of how to open doors and open and obtain otherwise unreachable doors and objects through telekinesis. The combat is very similar to other classic survival horror games in the sense that you point your body towards an enemy then fire though more effective attacks must be charged. You get three basic attacks that all work in this same way but have different effects. All these attacks can be used by finding the drug that activates them and injecting it in your neck. Nalcon (the green liquid) allows you to emit a directed shockwave toward your foes like a Jedi from Star Wars. Red (the err, red liquid) allows you to immolate your enemies burring them alive like Drew Barrymore in Firestarter. It's as cool as it sounds! Finaly, D-Felon (the blue liquid) allows you to pick up enemies and slam them telekinetically to the ground like Ermac from Mortal Kombat. In addition to these basic attack drugs, you have the ability to have your mind short circuit during which time your brain emits powerful waves that instantly kill your enemies. If the enemy is organic its head will explode and an enormous amount of blood will gush out of its neck in all directions. This only happens after a certain level of activity shown by a constantly filling AP bar that fills when you run or fight. This method of attack is not without its risks however because once you short you must take a specific recovery drug or you will gradually lose health and die. And since this is unavoidable the game has a heavy emphasis on resource and time management thus discouraging leisurely exploration. This style of play is made more difficult by the fact that you only have 12 inventory slots in your medicine pouch and there are no item boxes. In other words if you see an item you want and your pouch is full you must prematurely expend another item. These items are precious and some are only effective in certain situations making some of the tougher sections a guessing game of what items you'll want to bring along.
In a single play through the game can be completed within 10 hours over the course of the four chapter story. There is little enemy variety and the puzzles require backtracking in most cases. The story and creepy atmosphere is where the game shines most. If you are looking for a mature game with a unique vibe this game may be worth your consideration. If you are one of those "this game isn't even scary" people who look for startle thrills you should probably stick to what you know and like because this game is not at all like that.