One of the newer flagship series from the Japanese development team at Inti Creates, Gal Guardians, originated as a multiplatform platformer released in 2023 as a spin-off from their previous Gal Gun line of on-rail shooter games. Now, almost two years later, fans of the series are getting a second outing, only this time embracing the Metroidvania gameplay genre under the title Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark, the genre popularised by its namesake, Nintendo’s Metroid series. It’s not a genre often explored by the ‘cute anime girls’ type of video game, favouring RPGs, visual novels, and platformers, but does Inti Creates’ latest offering shine? Read on to find out!
Following their return from a well-earned holiday, demon maid sisters Kirika and Masha arrive at the castle of their master, Maxim, and find it in ruins. The fortress has been ransacked, its servants slaughtered, and Maxim himself shattered by the treachery of his head maid Lysa, who now serves a rival demon lord, Lyzenorg. With Maxim reduced to a floating skull, the sisters set off on a quest to recover his scattered bones, restore his power, and take revenge. Along the way, they encounter wayward spirits, scattered allies, and a demon realm torn apart by chaos and betrayal.
While the setup might feel reminiscent of classic monster-hunting fare, Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark offers more than a paint-by-numbers narrative. The interplay between Shinobu and Maya adds a charming dynamic beyond mere exposition, with small but appreciated character moments peppered throughout the adventure. However, the storytelling occasionally falters in its delivery, relying heavily on familiar tropes and exposition-heavy dialogue that doesn’t contribute much to the overall experience. I would have liked to see more risk taken in the story’s delivery, whether through richer lore or meaningful interactions. But while the narrative won’t be winning any awards or going above the typical cute anime girl fare, there is enough to keep players invested from start to finish.
Visually, Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark is a feast of expressive pixel art, showcasing the demon realm’s whimsy and menace, complemented by a simplified yet surprisingly detailed gaming environment. Character sprites are lively and intricately animated, with environments that range from dimly lit castles to lurid, elemental biomes. Compared to the previous Gal games, they aren’t adventurous enough with their offerings. However, there is still a variety of level aesthetics and a few visual quirks that complement the journey well. A few areas do suffer from visual monotony or recycled assets, and the map design, though functional, can sometimes prioritise complexity over clarity.
Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark delivers a solid, if slightly uneven, soundscape on the music and voice acting front. The soundtrack leans into atmospheric and gothic melodies that complement the game’s tone, though some tracks tend to loop a little too frequently, so they grate. However, the game’s Japanese voice acting is a standout, with energetic performances that help bring Kirika, Masha, and the rest of the cast to life. Maxim’s running commentary adds flavour to exploration, though the frequent repetition of certain voice lines may wear thin quickly, much like the music loops.
Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark fully embraces the Metroidvania structure, trading its predecessor’s linear level design for a sprawling interconnected world. Players will traverse biomes that unlock progressively via new abilities, including a double jump, air dash, and wall-breaking manoeuvres granted by returning Maxim’s bones to his throne. Each sister brings unique strengths to the fray: Kirika favours ranged machine-gun combat, complete with a shotgun burst activated mid-dash. Meanwhile, Masha excels in close-quarters combat with her whip and magic-seed-powered charge attacks. Swapping between them is seamless, and as the core element of the gameplay experience, everything feels well thought out.
Combat is enhanced by a diverse sub-weapon system, where dropped items can be equipped into a limited number of slots for each sister. The sub-weapons and equipment are varied and often come with unique modifiers that either enhance performance or penalise with trade-offs, and reward both experimentation and exploration alike. Boss battles, meanwhile, are a mixed bag. Some fights are satisfying, while others lean into sudden difficulty spikes or enemy health pools – ultimately feeling they are less about providing a rewarding gaming experience and more about drawing things out needlessly long. Still, learning enemy patterns and exploiting each sister’s strengths delivers a mostly enjoyable balance of challenge and reward.
Exploration and progression, key to any Metroidvania, are both rewarding and frustrating at the same time. Hidden secrets and optional NPC rescues make backtracking worthwhile. However, the map’s inconsistent readability and few fast travel points often hinder smooth navigation. The game introduces an evolving hub castle populated by rescued allies who offer gameplay utilities, from crafting and healing to adjusting difficulty on the fly. These touches add substance to the progression loop, but poor onboarding for new mechanics and the lack of mid-dungeon checkpoints can dampen momentum. Despite its mechanical missteps, the game succeeds in delivering a satisfying blend of combat, traversal, and discovery that, while flawed, remains engaging from start to finish. Is it an exemplar of a masterpiece Metroidvania game? Probably not, but there is still enough here for an enjoyable playthrough.
Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark offers a stylish and often entertaining take on the Metroidvania formula, bolstered by endearing characters, punchy combat, and genuinely charming moments. However, it’s hamstrung by some design inefficiencies, a narrative which, whilst enjoyable, could have been executed better, and a general sense that it’s following rather than leading within the genre. For those who enjoy a character-driven adventure and can overlook some rough edges, there’s fun to be had in exploring the demon realm. But for genre veterans or those expecting the next standout entry in the Metroidvania lineage, this one falls just short of greatness.
Final Score for Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark
A PC review code for Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark was provided by PQube Limited to facilitate this review.
Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark is now available to purchase and play on the PC (via Steam), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch – with an Xbox Series X|S version of the horizon.
