
Release Date: October 30, 2018
A rhythmic-musical game that allows us to play the drummer of a school heavymetal band fighting alien invaders. The title turns the Nintendo Switch console controllers into drumsticks and allows us to play on our own to the songs prepared by the creators.
Although Gal Metal is a music game, the creators also took care of its story layer, which was presented in the form of visual novel cut-scenes and comic book panels. Earth is threatened by an alien invasion. They want to take revenge on its inhabitants for spreading metal music through the Voyager probe that left the Solar System. The aliens intercepted the signal and could not resist the rock rhythms, which led to an epidemic of madness threatening their lives.
A small group of space invaders reach our planet and kidnap two Japanese high school students: the main character of the game and Rinko, a drummer of a female music club. The aliens need an emissary with whom they will discuss their revenge plan, but they cannot decide which teenager will be the negotiator, uniting their souls in one body. The couple must now learn to cooperate with each other and defeat all eight cosmic kidnappers with the help of music.
Between the story segments we take part in metal concerts. We take on the role of drummer Rinko and the main character trapped in her body. Unlike other productions of this type, when playing, the game does not display icons with buttons or notes, which we have to choose at the right time. Players have to beat the rhythm themselves using a standard controller or two joy-cons pretending to be percussion sticks. The game simulates the use of standard drums and plates. The creators have prepared an extensive tutorial, allowing us to practice the rhythm of the beat and the combination of different sounds.
Soundtrack in Gal Metal consists of original metal instrumental pieces, as well as rock covers of classical music. The visuals use simple three-dimensional models of characters made with the use of cel-shading technique.
Platforms:
Nintendo Switch
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Game Ratings for Gal Metal Video Game.
Worth Playing: 7 / 10 by Cody Medellin
Gal Metal is a rhythm game that may be an acquired taste for some players. The lack of direction will be confusing at first, but once you get used to listening to the song a few times, you'll come to appreciate the more freeform nature of rhythm. Though the game lacks original tracks, it does a good job with the metal-tinged classic songs, and while the story has seemingly endless cut scenes, at least it's humorous. While the Switch has a number of solid rhythm games, this flawed title is still worth checking out if you're looking for a different experience.
oprainfall: 3.5 / 5
I can see Gal Metal work for music game fans, casual players who are taken in by the motion controls and wacky antics, and anyone looking for something super Japanese and esoteric. It’s also arguably producer Tak Fujii’s best game in a decade. Grumblings about pricing and length aside, this is another welcome slice of eccentric, accessible Japanese game design available on Switch.
Digitally Downloaded: 3.5 / 5
Gal Metal is a unique experience that combines cute high school girls, galactic adventures, evil aliens and metal music together in one unmissable experience. The characters all stand alone in their own right and the story line is engaging with a few plot twists mixed in which has you wondering as to what will happen next. The game took about five hours to complete however mastering the rhythms and besting those difficult scores aided in my eagerness to replay levels factor and kept me coming back for more.