Galaxy Angel

Xbox

Description

This game are based of the Anime series “Galaxy Angel”. You play as the young commander Takuto, and soon you find yourself in charge of the 5 beautiful Galaxy Angels in a quest to uncover the secret behind the “lost technology” hidden somewhere in outer space.

The game is split into two parts: the battle parts, and the simulation parts. The 3D space battles are most impressive: silky smooth, nicely detailed space ships and objects such as asteroids. Realistic light streams, starlight “blur” effects, and very good lighting effects. It usually runs at 60fps but dips to 30/25 or so when the action heats up, though it doesn't distract at all and you'll probably never notice. You basically have a grid and you point (in real time) where you want any of the 5 girls to go, and whether you want them to attack or whatever. It's all played out in real time, so things can get intense. You control the camera with the L and R buttons and the analog sticks, and you can easily find and follow the action at any place on the map very quickly. All the girls constantly talk to you through the comm. system and in addition the voices of other characters (like the enemies) are picked up by your comm., so this is a game that really makes good use of the Xbox's superb multi-voicing abilities. The attacks and explosions in space are top-notch as well. The battles require strategy and they are loads of fun.

Now, back on the ship, in between battles, there are the 5 galaxy angels. From the blond bombshell Ronfa to the mysterious Vanilla, each is unique and has their own charm. You're given prompts to respond when talking to them, and depending on what you say it influences their mood. The goal of the game is to win over one of the girls by the end of your space journey. Apparently each girl has their own fully animated “anime ending movie”, which gives this game extensive replay value. After you beat the game that girl's movies become viewable from a special “movie theatre” option, which is a very nice addition. One of the coolest features is when you want to see the status of each girl's feelings for you, you have to talk to the ship's “space whale”. Yes, the ship has a humongous whale that apparently can read people's emotions. You go there and the whale keeper (a little boy) translates for you (as the whale speaks a different, “Space whale” language, of course!). Also, you have an incentive to keep all the girls happy, as the happier they are on the ship, the better they'll perform in battle.