14 DAY TRIAL // I push the afterburners as hard as possible, rolling and dipping as I put distance between me and a swarm of attack drones. This gives my shields, which are already prioritized, a chance to recharge. I then drop speed, spin around, focus on one enemy, push powers to weapons, and take it down quickly using one rocket and some laser fire.
Being fairly stationary makes it harder to target fast-moving bogies but also gives them time to chew through my shields. I switch to a neutral energy distribution and start evading once more, using a big asteroid to conceal myself for a moment. I round the space rock and catch two other drones from behind, unfortunately eliminating just one before they react.
Hell Galaxy is developed and published by Italian Games Factory. I played a preview version of it via Steam. The title features space sim mechanics tinged with horror, with players set to become expert pilots in a dangerous universe.
The first cutscene reveals that the player character is actually a ship, in which the consciousness of a condemned killer has been implanted. He serves as a raider for a resource-hungry empire, which is pretty classic science fiction. But Hell Galaxy adds a dose of weirdness, with grids that protect sections of space from creatures that can eat minds, and massive space monsters that threaten everyone.
The tutorial is pretty quick and then players are launched into hostile space, following the prompts of an Artificial Intelligence. At its core, this is an easy-to-pick-up-and-play space sim, giving players the freedom to maneuver, roll, and boost their way through the universe.
The tutorial initially pits the player ship against turrets, which are easily dispatched. Then it’s time for drones and the depth of the combat system becomes clear. Players need to judiciously use their boost and rolls to avoid fire, focus on one target, and avoid spraying fire around, which leads to overheating.
Enemies are speedy and react quickly, which creates complex space battles where shield management is very important. At times, players need to simply put distance between their ship and opponents, using either a classic boost or a secondary drive. I quite liked a sequence where I had to basically race through speed rings to make sure Alters didn’t get me.
Hell Galaxy also features energy management and ship customization. Players will also be able to mine, craft, and trade resources to improve their capabilities by landing at friendly starbases and by getting the Empire its precious sonic resource.
The game does have to solve some issues, including deciding which objects the ship can move through, and how good enemies are at dodging incoming laser fire. But the universe is intriguing, and the mechanics seem solid, so I hope the development studio finds ways to build on them.
Hell Galaxy looks good, blending science fiction mainstays like massive space stations and capital ships with gothic elements and plenty of horror. This is a hostile and uncaring universe, with visuals that reflect that. The shift between in-cockpit and behind-the-ship views is fast and smooth and the title’s interface gives players full details on stats and threats. The sound design is of similar quality.
Conclusion
Combat is tense, and players can only triumph by making good tactical decisions. The game does need to work on how interactions between the ship and the world are handled. Hell Galaxy has potential and I really want to see the variety of space combat scenarios the developers can create.
