Game Review: Gal*Gun Double Peace (Switch)

When Shigeru Miyamoto first envisoned Mario in 1981, he never would’ve imagined that the peak of gaming would culminate in this moment. As I was first going into Gal*Gun Double Peace, my soul was unprepared on what to expect.

With similarly bizarre games becoming infamous on Nintendo’s hybrid console, such as Senran Kagura Reflextions, the Gal Gun series has found its rightful new home.
Now that Sony has tightened its restrictions on mature rated games, that have a sole aim to provide fan service, Nintendo’s willingness has provided the opportunity for us to bare witness to this masterpiece.

Plot and Audience
In this rail shooter, you cross paths with a love-spreading angel, starring against a typical anime protagonist, who gains the affection of every woman in the nearest metre radius. Whilst this provides the opportunity for severe cringe, Gal Gun gives the player hilarious scenarios, that surprisingly justify shooting anime girls with love.
For anime fans that are into the romance genre and dating sims, this will be your Black Panther. But for casual gamers who are looking for something new, I would advise taking a look at gameplay first.

Gameplay
Levels typically consist of long automated rail shooting rides, where you blast anime girls like an amusement park. This was a surprisingly fun premise, that I would never have expected to work for a full game. However, the first-person perspective would be much more suitable for a VR setup, as you’re unable to move around freely and can only turn at certain times. Overall, the scripted gameplay can be a detriment towards the enjoyability, as levels can drag on for several minutes whilst you repetitively shoot. Fortunately, there is some degree of variety, as you can choose branching paths or desperately protect yourself from being bombarded.

Customization
Before starting the game, you have immediate access to the dressing room! Whilst many anime fans will give in to their temptations, known as putting characters in fan service outfits, the game provides funny options! Throughout the story, these costumes appear in cutscenes, adding well to the charm and humour. 

Port
Here we have a straight port of the previously released title, on PS4 and PS VITA in 2015. Whilst the framerate remains around 30FPS, the low resolution leaves little to be desired. From the get go, it is quite clear that this is a port of a much older game, with HUD elements clearly being designed for a smaller screen.
The cute artstyle helps mask any low quality textures and the flat environment, but fans are most likely expect this going in.

Pricing Point
For the high price of £34.99, I would strongly recommend waiting for a sale. With around 4 hours worth of content, it may be worth getting around to other games first. I would be more likely to recommend this game on PC or PS4, where performance is much smoother and the price is more reasonable.

The Good:

• Portability
• Cute Artstyle
• Funny Scenarios
• Gameplay Perfect for Portable Play
• Caters to fans of Rail Shooters
• Perfect for Anime Fans
• Customization

The Bad:

• Repetitive Gameplay
• Long Automated Stages
• Lack of Freedom in Gameplay
• More suited to VR than Switch
• Poor/Blurry Visuals
• Limited Audience
• Underwhelming performance
• High Price

VERDICT

This soup has a particular taste that caters to the hungriest of weebs.

A review code for Gal*Gun: Double Peace was provided by PQube Ltd for the purpose of this review.