• ID = PS0314
• STYLE = Survival Horror
• DEV. = Enterbrain, Inc.
• PUB. = Sammy Entertainment, Inc.
• R-DATE = Feb-03-2003
• ESRB = T / For Teen
• PLAYERS = 1 player
• LIST PRICE = $14.99
  

The sequel to the classic "survival horror" game, GALERIANS: ASH brings a new 3D action thriller to the PlayStation2 that masterfully blends horror and science-fiction. Six years have passed since the megalomaniacal mother computer Dorothy launched her plan to create an artificial race of Galerians over whom she would rule... ...six years since Rion discovered his own identity as a Galerian, yet still confronted his genocidal creator... ...six years since Rion sacrificed himself to save the humans. Six years have passed, and a catastrophic program released by a dying Dorothy has been launched.

Stunning graphics, heart thumping gameplay and intense cinematic effects immerse gamers in a frightening, action packed world.

An epic fight between man and machine, with detail concepts derived from a future world where mind and matter meld.

Unique arsenal of psychic powers and psychokinetic weaponry, with new and improved weapons, pharmaceutical items and abilities.

Captivating cast of organic and artifically rendered good and evil, with new and returning characters.

Amazon.com Review
A futuristic horror/sci-fi game geared towards anime fans, Galerians: Ash places you in a weird future where a sentient computer with delusions of godhood genetically engineers and manipulates humans with telekinetic abilities. The premise and storyline blatantly--and effectively--mimic The Matrix and Dark City (and even Johnny Mnemonic); the graphics, sound, and style fall somewhere between Akira and Silent Hill.

To those unfamiliar with the original Galerians, this game will make little sense, and unfortunately the frequent cutscenes do little to clarify the storyline. In a nutshell: You are a boy endowed with psychic powers, and your brain contains a program that can save humanity from the computer-god. Unfortunately, you suffer from amnesia. And frequent migraine attacks. Or something like that.

For the most part, you make your way through the labyrinthine city, solving elaborate puzzles and collecting pharmaceuticals that enable your telekinetic powers. When the baddies appear, you can use a variety of cool attacks to repel them: conjure fire, levitate your adversaries, throw up a psychic shield, etc. However, if you overuse your abilities, you begin to "short"--a crippling psychic overdose that leaves you invulnerable to outside attack but slowly kills you if you can't find the necessary antidote.

Since you battle enemies by manipulating your psychic powers, the game's controls are not exactly intuitive, and the comparative potency and range of your various abilities takes a lot of figuring out. But if you're worn out on games that rely on guns, swords, or jujitsu, this one offers some unique and inspired twists on first-person combat. And the creepy graphics and grating sound effects create an atmosphere that will either draw you in... or drive you mad. --Maile Bohlmann

Pros:
Attacks and maneuvers are unique--and bizarre
Cinematic style will appeal to fans of anime
Memorably weird environments

Cons:
Thoroughly perplexing storyline
Action constantly interrupted by cutscenes
Controls and abilities difficult to figure out

HIDDEN MEDIA
The Galerians: ASH DVD is filled with high-quality CG cut-scenes that not only reveal the thrilling story behind the game, but delve deep into the mind of each of the horrific Galerians. With over 60 minutes of brilliantly animated, often frightening movie sequences, Galerians:ASH becomes more than a game as you progress to the end. This thriller of a title is truly part game, part CG anime movie that combine to make one unforgettably fun experience.

As you make progress in the game, each movie is unlocked and stored in the Gallery, where it can be accessed for viewing over and over again. As a bonus, Galerians: ASH also has hidden media that can be unlocked by improving your game performance.

When you finish the game, the words "Clear Rank" will appear on the screen and display one of the 5 different ranks: S, A, B, C, or D. These ranks are given based on the total game play hours it took to complete all the missions and reach the end of the game, as well as the number of saves and the difficulty of the mode played.

When the criteria needed to reach each rank are met, hidden media and special modes are unlocked as outlined below. For an explanation of "Short Mode" and "Lv3PK Mode," read on.

SHORT MODE
Shorting is a side-effect of the injections Rion takes to boost his psychokinetic power and perform his attacks. You'll notice that with each attack Rion's short meter, which appears as the "AP" meter on the screen, fills up. Once this meter fills up, Rion's nervous system overloads and the tremendous power emanating from him instantly kills any enemy within close range. Unfortunately, the stress induced on Rion makes him only able to muster a short walk, and soon after entering this state his life meter begins to deplete.

With Short Mode unlocked, Rion can run and roll forward while shorting, giving him the ability to cover large areas and clear all enemies that come in his path.

LV3PK MODE
Rion's psychic abilities gain power as you play the game and overcome the many enemies you encounter. The maximum level that can be reached for all psychic attacks and abilities is Level 3.

With Lv3PK mode unlocked, all of Rion's psychic abilities will be at level 3 from the beginning of the game, giving the player immediate access to maximum power.

HIDDEN SKIPS
Skips are one-level boosts to Rion's attack level, generally appearing after defeating the game's major bosses. However, there are four hidden Skips in Galerians: ASH that let players get a level boost more quickly, making it easier to progress through the game and achieve the higher ranks needed to unlock hidden elements. The hidden Skips are also essential to obtaining maximum power level in Lv3PK Mode. Here are the locations and necessary steps to uncover each of the four hidden Skips:

HIDDEN SKIP #1
Location: Enriched Uranium Refinery - Control Room
Criteria: Defeat all 24 Manafters
Enemies known as Manafters appear in great numbers in Chapter 3, and defeating all 24 of them in the Control Room of the Enriched Uranium Refinery uncovers the first of the hidden Skips.
Hint: Since Rion's AP builds up quickly, you can speed things up by effectively utilizing shorting.

HIDDEN SKIP #2
Location: Enriched Uranium Refinery - Uranium Depository
Criteria: Inflict 7000 damage points on Ash in 4 minutes
During the first encounter with Ash in Chapter 3, you only have 4 minutes to engage him in battle. If you can inflict 7000 damage points in that time you'll get the second hidden Skip after the battle.
Hint: Fight like you want it.

HIDDEN SKIP #3
Location: Airport Terminal - 2F Hallway
Criteria: Defeat all 9 armored security guards.
The third hidden Skip is in Chapter 7, where you'll be attacked by a number of armored security guards. Destroy all 9 guards in Hallway 2F of the Airport Terminal and you'll get it.
Hint: Sneak up from behind and defeat the guards with Nalcon.

HIDDEN SKIP #4
Location: Mushroom Tower - Security Area E
Criteria: Defeat all 600 Rabbits.
Enemies in this area are called Rabbits, which are relatively weak but provide a challenge in their large numbers. Defeat them all to obtain the last hidden Skip.
Hint: Make "short" order of these Rabbits.

SPECIAL HINTS
Lilia to the rescue...
In Chapter 1, Rion has two chances to get either a Recovery Plus or Nalcon by talking to Lilia before or after the first battle with Dorothy. If Rion talks to Lilia while his HP is less than 50% and he has no recovery-type chemicals, Lilia will give him a Recovery Plus. If he has no Nalcon and his Nalcon gauge is less than 50%, she will give him Nalcon. Both chemicals cannot be received at the same time.

The lowdown on PPECs from enemies...
In Easy and Normal Modes, Bustanor and Breakaron capsules may appear on rare occasions after defeating Necrobit and Mugant. There will be no Recovery capsules in Hard Mode, but Bustanor and Breakaron can be obtained from all the enemies. No HP recovery capsules can be obtained from enemies in Hard mode.

Appolinar x2 effect...
Appolinar maxes out Rion's AP meter, causing him to instantly short. If Rion takes an Appolinar while shorting, or takes 2 consecutive doses, he can instantly clear an entire room full of enemies. Appolinar can be used effectively to conserve HP, which proves useful in Hard mode where no HP recovery capsules are provided. This attack is extremely effective when used in areas where enemies appear in great numbers.