Galactic Warrior Survival Fear Review: That woman, she's back

In 1986, with the release of the first installment of "Galactic Warrior", many players met the powerful space warrior Samus Alan.

In 1991, the story of this explorer continued to be written on the GameBoy platform in Galactic Warrior II Sams' Return.

In 1994, Super Galaxy Warrior was born. The excellent plot setting and exploration gameplay make this game a standard textbook for similar games.

In 2002, the GBA game Galaxy Warrior Fusion was launched. Samus defeated his archenemy "X" and once again escaped from the Big Bang.

In 2021, Sam Alan, who had faced numerous challenges, finally ushered in a new chapter in the adventure story called "Galactic Warrior Survival Fear".

Sa Jie's "New Martial Arts"

If I want to evaluate the gameplay of Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear, I only need to answer two words: excellent.

Like other works in the Galaxy Warrior series, Sams's movements in this game are very smooth and there is no lag in actual operation. According to the evaluation of "Shumao Society" Digital Foundry, the gameplay frame rate of this game is basically maintained at 60 frames. These features ensure the gameplay feel of Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear.

On this basis, the production team also added the action moves of the protagonist Sams. The first thing to discuss is the newly added sliding shovel action in this game.

The sliding shovel can play a wonderful role in both running and combat. In the early and middle stages of the game, the slider allows Sams to quickly pass through small narrow terrain.

Friends who have been exposed to this series should know that the above abilities were previously achieved through the use of deformable balls. In Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear, the slider can partially replace the function of the Metamorphosis Ball.

This action not only gives players a sense of freshness, but also creates more room for level designers to play. A related detail is that the production team appropriately delayed the acquisition of the ability of the deformation ball and added more reliable tunnels for the sliding shovel to pass through.

The sliding shovel action can also be fully utilized in combat, as many enemy attacks have a lower dead zone, and players can easily avoid it once they master the sliding shovel. Even in the final battle, the shovel could help Sams counterattack his opponent. Therefore, friends must be familiar with this set of movements when actually playing.

In addition to the slide action, this game also inherits the special mechanism of the 3DS platform Galaxy Warrior: Sams Returns: melee counterattack and lock focus.

Close combat counterattacks test players' observation and reaction speed. Press the X key when the enemy's actions flash, and Sams can quickly block the attack and counterattack the enemy.

If used properly in close combat counterattacks, it can greatly increase the player's satisfaction. However, compared to a shovel, the nature of this action is more pure and completely a combat tactic. Due to the crucial role of melee counterattacks in certain boss battles, players can engage in more small monsters in the early stages of the process to thoroughly learn this skill.

Similarly, the lock in focus inherited from the previous game allows Sams to shoot 360 degrees from all angles. After pressing the L shoulder button, players can push the left joystick to freely aim.

Locking focus can help players quickly clear mechanisms and enemies, but Sams in focus mode must remain stationary, so this mode is only suitable for safe times to use.

Reasonable use of the above basic actions is a prerequisite for the smooth progress of the game. As the process progresses, Sams will unlock even more powerful abilities. The familiar wide beams, spherical bombs, accelerators, and more will all appear in this game.

But at the same time, the production team also prepared a "big gift" for the players. Even though Sams's weapons became increasingly powerful, she found it difficult to deal with the powerful enemy named "EMMI".

A high-pressure EMMI chase

As one of the features of Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear, the struggle between Sams and EMMI perfectly embodies the theme of this game. It is not an exaggeration to say that EMMI is the "source of terror" that Sams and players must face.

At the beginning of the game, the system will briefly introduce the background of EMMI. This large investigative robot was originally part of Samus' employer, the Galactic Federation, but when Samus encountered various forms of EMMI head-on, the latter's internal program had been tampered with and transformed into an enemy puppet.

According to producer Kazuo Sakamoto, EMMI "needs to convey the innate coldness and ruthlessness of machinery, and its existence is purely for chasing and capturing Sams.". In the game, it is true that the controlled EMMI has lost its original purpose and transformed into ruthless pursuit machines.

A more troublesome point is that Samus cannot use conventional weapons to confront EMMI, but EMMI can capture Samus and execute her quickly. EMMI is not invincible, but before Sams gained the ability to counter kill, her only response was to run away with all her might.

Oppression and tension are the strongest feelings I have during playing EMMI Chase. Although the creators have limited the areas where EMMI appears, once entering EMMI's territory, the game atmosphere will directly change. The flickering light and shadow filters, the misty jumping platform, the gloomy music, and the eerie sound of EMMI in the distance... In such a situation, anyone must shiver.

If you don't want to witness EMMI, I can only reply with "impossible". Because the EMMI room is the connecting point between different zones. Under normal circumstances, players often need to explore and shuttle between "regular map - EMMI room - regular map". Therefore, encountering EMMI is something that every player must experience, and escaping the pursuit of EMMI is a compulsory course for everyone.

Of course, the production team will not let everyone die for nothing. All EMMI rooms contain either large or small corridor structures. As long as players perceive the presence of the corridor, they can rely on a circuitous approach to escape the pursuit of EMMI. In addition, the Phantom Cloak can also briefly conceal Sam's whereabouts, helping him escape safely.

After defeating the control leader of the EMMI room, Sams will temporarily obtain the Omega Cannon. At this point, Sams finally had the ability to counter kill EMMI.

When using the Omega Cannon to aim at EMMI, the game screen will shift from 2D to 3D perspective. Facing the approaching EMMI, players must follow the killing steps provided by the system: first use a light gun to destroy the EMMI's armor, and then use energy cannons to shatter its core. The entire killing process has a strict judgment range, and if a player is careless, they will be taken away by EMMI with a single shot.

It can be said that the normal combat around EMMI reflects one thing: a sense of oppression. At the moment EMMI appears, players can feel the overwhelming pressure. The continuous tracking of EMMI forces players to constantly move and stay away from this "mechanical killer", even if they have countermeasures, they dare not take it lightly.

Although I hate being killed by EMMI, I also admire the creativity of the production team. Due to the existence of EMMI, designers have achieved the goal of accelerating the pace. When I enter the EMMI room, I immediately become alert to the surrounding environment and constantly confirm the status of the EMMI through the mini map. While avoiding EMMI, I can also gain an inexplicable sense of excitement, which is probably the fun of "chase warfare".

Of course, the battle against EMMI cannot summarize all the features of Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear. As the latest installment in the Galaxy Warrior series, we also need to talk about the core elements of this game: exploration.

An unstoppable exploration

If readers have played the Galaxy Warrior series before, they will definitely be familiar with the scene described below:

The player entered a certain scene. Looking around, there seems to be no way forward.
So the player started bombarding various suspicious locations with missiles, and was pleasantly surprised to find a destructible brick somewhere, with a new passage appearing behind the brick. At the same time, the player discovered a problematic brick at another location. Players cannot break this brick with their current abilities, so they can only silently record the shape and position of the problematic brick first, and then enter the newly discovered channel.
is fortunate to have a new channel connected to a sphere of ability module. Sams successfully acquired new abilities. At this moment, the player suddenly remembered the brick that could not be destroyed before. So the player quickly returned to their previous position and used their new abilities to hit the problem brick. The
problem brick was successfully shattered, and the player saw brand new roads, facilities, and hidden items behind the brick.

The above process is a classic "problem based guidance" and also a specialty of the Galaxy Warrior series. In Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear, the producers also fully utilized this guiding method. Keep players eagerly anticipating the next surprise and immerse themselves in the game.

In this work, it serves as a guiding medium, not just the so-called problem bricks. The tumors sticking to the wall and the catapults in the corner are all reminding players: Hey, there's a "new thing" hidden here.

Even an ordinary long platform can become a clue to guide players. By turning on the accelerator on the long platform, Sams can sprint to some unexpected places. At the end of the channel, there are hidden rewards pre-set by the production team.

Furthermore, the question based guidance of Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear runs through the entire game process. Under subtle prompts, players will tirelessly engage in repeated exploration and expansion exploration. The purpose of guidance is to discover surprises, and new guiding clues appear when surprises emerge. This bidirectional virtuous cycle of problems and rewards provides a continuous source of exploration motivation for players of Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear.

Of course, excessive guidance can bring another problem, which is to increase the linear appeal of the game. Players will feel that they are always led by the designer, and after completing the process, they have discovered everything that needs to be discovered, as if there is no need to restart the game. But understanding "Galactic Warrior Survival Fear" in this way seems a bit biased.

For AliExpress players, what "Galactic Warrior Survival Fear" presents is completely another world. After its release, this game quickly became a hot research topic in the AliExpress community, and soon some players discovered the "breaking order" technique of this game.

Here, it needs to be explained to new friends that "breaking the order" refers to breaking the existing official linear process and using various methods to give Samus the ability that he only has in the later stages of the game. For AliExpress players, relying on "breaking the order" to achieve quick clearance is the fundamental joy of the Galaxy Warrior series.

At present, AliExpress players have discovered many advanced skills in Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear. By relying on special movements such as "one-sided wall jumping" and "sliding shovel jumping", Sams can climb seemingly insurmountable high platforms and obtain key items such as spherical bombs and gravity suits in advance.

After obtaining post game abilities in advance, players can use these abilities to quickly kill bosses. Existing tests have confirmed that the game's bosses, such as Clyde (Crocodile BOSS), Ashcroll (Thunder Beetle BOSS), and Twin Bird Soldiers, can all achieve quick kills through the "sequence breaking" gameplay.

When killing the second form of Creed, the official had already prepared a "secret channel" for the speeders, and even preset a special performance animation. That's right, the production team had already anticipated the player's disruptive intentions and provided convenience to the player in advance.

Therefore, I personally do not agree with the statement that "Galactic Warrior Survival Fear" is a linear game. For beginners and ordinary players, a large amount of guidance on the map can ensure the compactness of the game process; But for AliExpress players, Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear, like other works in the series, has prepared another path for this group of persistent players.

The timing and order of acquiring key abilities can be unpredictable, which is a manifestation of game freedom. And "Galactic Warrior Survival Fear" clearly responds to players' deeper expectations. The release of various technical streaming videos is an excellent proof of the rich content of "Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear".

Recommended to enter the pit, but please practice more

The previous text only presented a corner of the content of "Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear". After experiencing it firsthand, I can confirm that the overall quality of this work is excellent. If you are interested in action adventure games or the Galaxy Warrior series, then Survival Fear is definitely a must-have game.

On the other hand, I also need to give new players a preventive shot: this game emphasizes operational skills from beginning to end, so the difficulty of the game is relatively hardcore. This is actually a consistent feature of the Galaxy Warrior series, but not everyone can accept it openly.

If you have decided to start Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear, please continue reading. Here are some personal travel suggestions for me.

Firstly, please strive to familiarize yourself with Samus's basic movements and their characteristics. The previous text has emphasized the importance of sliding shovel, melee counterattack, and lock focus. These basic actions require players to input instructions at the appropriate time in order to achieve the effect of defeating the enemy. Mastering basic motor skills as early as possible can avoid falling into a difficult battle in the middle and later stages.

Secondly, memorize various key positions to avoid accidental presses. For example, after the game officially starts, players will find that both the L key (lock focus) and the ZL key (slide shovel) need to be triggered with their left hand, but the effects of the two are vastly different: lock focus will stop Sams from running, while slide shovel is a typical displacement skill.

That is to say, once a player presses the ZL key incorrectly as the L key in a hurry, Sams will stop dodging and forcefully accept enemy attacks in a stationary state. In some boss battles, the consequences of such mistakes can be fatal.

Please don't think you won't make mistakes. As the process progresses, the system will also unlock more and more skills from players, and different skills correspond to different operation buttons. The larger the player's operating space, the greater the probability of errors. Therefore, the "muscle memory" of action keys can actually help players minimize errors as much as possible, and only players with low errors can successfully complete the game.

Thirdly, master the sense of rhythm in boss battles. In my opinion, the boss battle of Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear is the biggest challenge of the entire game. Although the system prompt has indicated that there are no unavoidable attacks in boss battles, the prerequisite for achieving this is to find a sense of rhythm. Sams, who lacks a sense of rhythm, will inevitably encounter obstacles everywhere. So when encountering a boss, don't rush to attack first. Instead, observe its movement and attack patterns, familiarize yourself with the boss's movements before giving a substantial blow.

Although it is easy to say, the sense of rhythm in action games cannot be simply described in words. Therefore, in order to successfully pass "Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear", the fundamental method is nothing more than a correct nonsense: practice more. Therefore, when players rely on their own efforts to defeat the final boss and welcome the final outcome of the game, the sense of achievement generated in their hearts will be an unparalleled precious experience.

epilogue

After years of development and the practice of many works, the game "Galactic Warrior Demon City" has a relatively mature process framework. From this perspective, Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear did not make any substantial changes to the existing mode. However, as the title sponsor and leader of a game category, the Galaxy Warrior series once again proved its position with Survival Fear. The classic kernel and compact workflow are enough to make this work stand out in the increasingly fierce competition.

Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear is a work of unrestrained personality, which is bound to become a carnival party for players in the Galaxy City.

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Reference materials:

1. Wikipedia entry: Galaxy Warrior series
2. Wikipedia entry: Galactic Warrior Demon City game
3. Written by Polygon, translated by Bonfire Camp: "Mithrad Survival Fear" Producer Kazuo Sakamoto Interview: Why waited for 15 years
4. Bilibili @ Xiongren Aofeixiu (Dog Feed Group - Feather): What did we discover after the release of Galaxy Warrior 5 for two days?
5. Bilibili @ Xiongren Clan Aofeixiu (Dog Feeding Group - Feather): Galactic Warrior 5 has new discoveries every day (with explanation of the AliExpress process)
6. IGN Guides：Metroid Dread Cheat: How to Insta-Kill Kraid (Bomb Sequence Break)

PS: Feather's two videos provide a detailed explanation of the sequence breaking and speed passing techniques of "Galaxy Warrior Survival Fear", and we strongly recommend watching them.