Much like the newer Resident Evil games, Galerians: Ash's graphics are totally 3D, including the backgrounds. Though this looks pretty, it detracts slightly from the game's gritty nature, as everything is smooth and shiny. It doesn't make much ground in the innovation department, but it isn't sore on the eyes either. However, due to its science fiction setting, there are explosions and particle effects galore. While this also takes away from the dark and dirty environment, at least it adds to the eye candy.

The sounds are slightly better than the visuals. They accompany the special effects well, and the voice acting isn't all too dreadful, as seems to be the recurring theme in these types of games. Though the bells and whistles are nothing special in this game, they are used properly and achieve a near maximum effect.

Galerians has been labeled as Survival Horror in the past, yet this latest installment seems to have fallen into the Science Fiction Thriller category. It never evokes the kinds of emotions that games like Resident Evil or Silent Hill can, but it does bring the player into a technological world that is as dark as it is advanced.

The Galerians are beings that have been generated from a master computer named Dorothy, who was created by computers to rule the world in peace. These Galerians also have the nifty little ability to use psychic powers, and when Dorothy one day makes up her mind that she is above human beings, she creates the Galerians to destroy them. As Rion, one of the last Galerians, you must stop Ash and his Lieutenants from totally annihilating mankind.

This is where the game takes a step away from the whole Survival Horror genre. With your varying psychic powers, you must dispose of the minions of the last Galerian. The tempo of the game changes from survival to action, and most of the time you cannot get through a room without killing every single enemy. This forceful act of keeping you in a particular place until everyone is dead occurs too much, and creates a boring atmosphere that is hard to forget.

The rooms themselves are even set up for an action scenario. Most of them are flat and circular, with only an occasional set of stairs. Enemies usually appear out of the ether instead of creeping out of dark corners. Your last shred of fear is lost when you realize the power of your psychic abilities, which can dispose of most villains in a couple of hits. Not that all of this is bad, but it certainly doesn't rattle your nerves.

The difficult parts will come from figuring out what your objectives are. Most of the time, you'll find yourself waiting for some sort of closure at the end of a dialogue, only to realize you've just been sent on another mission. Instructions on what to do are vague, and the maps are large enough for inattentive players to get lost in.

Even the controls are set up to cater towards the action fan. Gone is the precise control of Resident Evil, as Galerians: Ash adopts the style of sending your character in whatever direction you press. And although there is an aiming system that works well when enemies are around, this control scheme makes it difficult to stay on a straight path.

One innovation that is definitely worth noting is the AP meter. This isn't about armor points, but when this meter fills up after too much use of your psychic abilities, Rion will 'short'. This causes him to walk slow and emit a powerful wave of short-range radiation that will kill most enemies. It also, however, slowly takes away from your life meter, so balancing the trade off makes for interesting situations.

Don't play this game expecting to get scared. It offers a lot of action, a few thrills, and an intriguing story line. It isn't the best game of its type out there, but for fans of the first title, this is definitely worth a look.