Many gaming genres are very popular with consumers at the moment, and most of the big-name companies are trying to cash in as best they can with the trending fad. Consequently, consumers are getting some raw deals and fewer gems. Developer and publisher, Crunchy Leaf Games, has entered the roguelike genre with Galactic Glitch, a physics-based twin-stick shooter that has me impressed, even in early access.

Being early access, a lot of the planned content is yet to be implemented, but what we have access to is exceptional. Currently, there are seven levels, over 50 powers, over 20 weapons, over 60 enemies, and two bosses, and further development promises so much more. So, what is Galactic Glitch?

In Galactic Glitch, you play as a purple spacecraft created by an entity called Siren. Siren is stuck in a simulation, Science Station, and wants to break free of it. Corruption runs rampant outside, and Science Station is the only place left free of it, but this is the reason for your creation. Siren wants you to exit the simulation, and within the small pockets of safety outside, clear the enemies keeping her trapped.

As a twin-stick shooter, Galactic Glitch is best played with a gamepad. Keyboard and mouse can be used, but the simplicity of using two sticks on a controller feels way more natural, given it’s literally called a twin-stick shooter.

Controlling the purple spacecraft, you travel from one circular pocket to another, hunting down enemies to destroy. Within these areas, you will also find debris that can be held with the help of your gravity gun, and this is, by far, the most interesting way to defeat your enemies – flinging the debris at them.

Even if you happen to miss, it’s not always a bad thing. If the debris moves outside the pocket’s border, it’s brought back into the field, and the physics behind this can be used to your advantage.

Not only is it fun, but it leads to some “OH! YEAH!” moments, with debris slung around behind enemies causing significantly more damage. Your purple spacecraft can also be fitted with any one of the available weapons, letting you shoot at them as well, but let’s be real, snatching items from the environment to launch at your enemy and watching them explode is awesome.

Your purple spacecraft is also fitted with a boost, functioning as a dodge, a healing function, and what I would call an “OH SHIT!” button. For those unfamiliar with the “OH SHIT!” button, it is a mega attack that explodes across a large area and deals massive damage. These abilities are all further enhanced by finding upgrades when completing special rift events found within some pockets, and these will spawn more enemies with different variants.

When you win the event, you can choose between the functions offered as a reward and add it to your purple spacecraft. This could be anything from the ability to grab larger items with your gravity gun, to doing more damage when hitting an enemy from behind, and this gives you options to make different builds as you play through multiple times.

These functions can be further enhanced by finding upgrade cards throughout the pockets, and these will give passive buffs, but when transitioning from one cluster to another, you will have to choose if you want to upgrade a function or keep the passive buffs.

You will occasionally come across secrets within a pocket during your travels, and these may be inaccessible at the time, but they will become available after defeating certain mini-bosses. Doing so grants permanent upgrades to your spacecraft, allowing you to explore more areas within the pockets and making it more rewarding to go back and explore a cluster again.

As you defeat enemies you will earn two currencies. One type is like cash, and you use it at shops located in the pockets, or during small interludes between clusters. With it, you can buy functions, upgrade cards, get some healing, or the like, but this currency, and anything collected or purchased during your travels, will be lost upon death. The other currency is an upgrade orb, and you’ll keep this once obtained. These upgrade orbs can only be used at the Science Station, but will permanently enhance your purple spacecraft with better stats or different weapons.

Galactic Glitch is very basic when it comes to fine detail as it uses a flat, two-dimensional field of play, but it makes up for that simplicity with its vibrant neon colours, smooth action, and bright bursts of colour that will not only fill your screen with sparkles but your eyes with excitement too.

Sound effects are what you’d expect; laser fire, explosions, and thrusters, but the music is where it’s all happening, and it perfectly accompanies the gameplay. Heavy and pumping tunes during the action sequences will raise your heartbeat, eliciting more excitement, while safe environments, like the Science Station, offer music that is soothing and calm, giving a sense of rest and relaxation before you fly out on another attempt to free Siren.

Galactic Glitch, though in early access, is a winner in my book. With more content coming, I am highly excited to see the final product Crunchy Leaf Games presents. If you have a love for roguelike games, Galactic Glitch is a gem that shines brightly amongst the stones, and you will not be disappointed.

Written by: Ashley Barnett-Cosgrove