Galerider review - "A slightly frustrating take on the Panzer Dragoon template"

Sometimes the controls of a game can throw you off whack from the get-go. If they're not familiar, or if they run counter to the muscle memory you've gained over your gaming career, you can end up frustrated.

That's probably going to happen in Galerider. Once you've got to grips with them, they're great, but the first hour or so of the game you're going to make mistakes, and get frustrated, because the movements you need to make won't have settled into your brain yet.

It's worth sticking with though, because once everything clicks there's a really interesting mix of an over-the-shoulder runner and an arcade shooter waiting for you.

Harrier up

The game owes a lot to the likes of Panzer Dragoon Saga and Space Harrier. You're flying around on the back of a dragon, weaving through scenery and blasting down monsters as you do.

The control you've got is simplified - there are just three lanes you can move to, and there's no verticality here either. Swipe left and right on the right of the screen and you'll move one lane in that direction.

Push your finger down on the same side of the screen and you'll start shooting. You can mark targets as well, using the left of the screen to move your targeting reticle around. Lift your finger and you'll fire rockets at the painted bugs and monsters.

It's not the most elegant of set-ups, and some players are going to think the whole thing is backwards. There's no option to switch things round though, unless you want to invert the Y axis, so you're going to have to get used to it.

The first few levels are more challenging than perhaps they should be because of it. But when things start to click you'll find that there's a beat here that's almost impossible not to get sucked into.

It's not the best looking game in the world, and there are definitely some rough edges, but when the frustration has settled down and you're swooping through the world on the back of a laser-firing, winged beast, you're probably not going to notice.

After burned

Galerider is certainly a game that you're going to want to stick with. It's a slow burner, and the fuel that sets it aflame is the frustration you're going to feel while you come to terms with the controls.

But I urge you to stick with it. It's a bit of a slog, and it's a shame that it has to happen, but there's a good deal of fun waiting for you just past it, and it just about manages to make you forget about the effort it took to get there.