Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark
PC/PS/SWITCH (XBOX Later)
3/26/25
INTI CREATES CO., LTD.
As a huge fan of Gal Guardians: Demon Purge, I was overjoyed to hear the announcement of a sequel to one of my favorite games of 2023. Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark has arrived, and impressively, just two years after the original’s release. But does this follow-up recapture the same humor, addictive gameplay, and engaging co-op experience that made the original so memorable? Or have these gals been influenced by a demon to star in a bad game? Let’s find out in our full review!
The original Gal Guardians introduced us to Shinobu and Maya, two schoolgirls thrown into a chaotic adventure as their school transformed into a demonic castle! At its core, it was a classic 2D action platformer reminiscent of the legendary Castlevania games. The dark setting and eerie world were masterfully paired with sharp, hilarious writing, a lovable cast, and loads of laugh-out-loud moments. And the gameplay? Surprisingly good! The standout feature was the unique swapping mechanic that let you seamlessly switch between the two girls—each with their own distinct abilities—or team up with a friend for co-op fun. I loved the game so much that it earned my elusive golden genie lamp of approval.
For what it’s worth, the vast majority of players seemed to enjoy the game as well—it still holds a very positive review score on Steam to this day. That said, one common critique among gamers was that it felt a bit too hand-holdy. Some wished it would open up more and lean into being a full-fledged Metroidvania. Personally, I didn’t have that issue. Honestly, I loved that it wasn’t a traditional Metroidvania—there are already plenty of those out there. But it seems Inti Creates took that feedback to heart, as Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark fully embraces the Metroidvania formula. Unfortunately, it ends up being a pretty average take on the genre.
This time around, we’re introduced to two new protagonists: Kirika and Masha. Sporting undeniably adorable maid outfits, the duo embarks on a quest to restore the demon lord Maxim to his former glory—after he’s taken quite a beating in battle and now needs you to gather his scattered bones. While the game does make an effort to recapture the humor and charm of the original, it never quite reaches the same heights. Sure, there are moments that are still amusing, but the new lead characters just don’t pack the same punch as Shinobu and Maya did. The writing feels like it’s lost a bit of its edge, and while other characters make appearances, the overall tone of the game lacks the risqué, laugh-out-loud spark that made its predecessor so entertaining. This isn’t to say the writing here is outright terrible—it just had an incredibly tough act to follow. And yes, I know that’s a weird statement considering this is a spinoff of freakin’ Gal Gun, of all things, but what can I say, Demon Purge was the shit.
Story isn’t the only area where this sequel stumbles. By committing fully to the Metroidvania genre, Servants of the Dark starts to show some cracks in its armor. That’s not to say it’s all bad—credit where it’s due, the game nails the fundamentals. Masha takes on the role of the whip user this time, excelling in close-quarters combat. Her whip deals serious damage, she’s fairly nimble at dodging attacks, and she can even use seeds from demon realm plants for an additional attack. Honestly, though, I mostly forgot about that feature and didn’t find it all that necessary. Then there’s Kirika, the gunner, armed with a machine gun and a secondary shotgun. She’s built for long-range combat, but you’ll have to reload her weapons periodically. Personally, I found myself sticking to Masha most of the time—she felt far more versatile and practical, except during some boss fights where keeping your distance is the smarter play. The girls also come equipped with a variety of optional secondary weapons. You can arm them with swords, bombs, and honestly, an overwhelming number of items—so many that you’re left not knowing what to do with half of them. I appreciate that the developers tried to add some depth to the combat, but when your basic attacks are more than enough to get the job done, it often feels like there’s little point in experimenting with all the extra weapons and skills.
In single-player mode, you can freely swap between the two characters at any time. In local two-player co-op, you’ll each control one of the characters, but you can also switch who controls whom throughout the gameplay. The two-player mode works reasonably well here—though, as is becoming a bit of a theme, it doesn’t quite hit the same mark as it did in Demon Purge. That said, I still appreciated having the option for co-op, and the game does a solid job of preventing things from getting overly chaotic, like taking unnecessary damage and so on—about as well as you could hope for within the constraints of a Metroidvania format. One fun touch is the ability to jump on the other character’s head in this mode, which I suspect might lead some players to discover clever ways to break the game and access areas they’re not technically supposed to reach yet.
The main goal here is what you’d expect from most Metroidvania games: roam across a sprawling map, reach your next destination, face off against bosses, uncover treasures and secrets, learn new abilities to see even more of the map, you know, the usual. And honestly, Servants of the Dark doesn’t bring anything new to the table. The map design is pretty mediocre and often left me wandering aimlessly, which is admittedly one of my smaller pet peeves with this genre so your frustrations with that particular aspect may vary. The enemies are dull and uninspired, and most of the time, they’re not even worth the effort to fight. While the platforming is solid and unlocking new abilities like double jump and air dash is fun, there’s just nothing here that hasn’t been done before—and done better. Take this year’s phenomenal Ender Magnolia, for example. Not to play favorites, but that game excels in pretty much everything: art, map design, music, controls, story, lore—you name it. Compared to some of the standout Metroidvania titles, this experience feels flat. Even the fast travel system feels poorly implemented and makes getting around a chore.Â
The default settings don’t offer much of a challenge, so if you’re looking for a real test of your skills, you’ll probably want to bump the difficulty up to the highest level. There are three difficulty options, after all. I was honestly surprised by how easily enemies and bosses went down, though I’ll admit some of the boss battles were pretty clever and definitely among the game’s standout moments. They just weren’t all that much of a challenge most of the time.
Negatives aside, one area where Servants of the Dark does shine a bit is its castle, which serves as a hub of sorts. The spirits you collect throughout your journey can be used to revive fallen warriors, who then take up roles in your castle. You might end up with a castle chef, a blacksmith, or even gain the ability to adjust the difficulty at any time. I really enjoyed this feature and had fun watching my castle grow. Leveling up also happens here by collecting Maxim’s bones—grab enough, and you’ll gain new abilities and grow stronger. The downside to that is that outside of currency to spend, which you usually have plenty of, it makes killing enemies often feel like time wasted.Â
Visually, I was surprised to find that Servants of the Dark doesn’t look quite as sharp as Demon Purge. It caught me off guard—I even went back to double-check the original. While the art style feels somewhat similar to the dark and gritty original, something about this new release just feels off. Maybe it’s the fact that the game expands so far beyond the confines of a dark castle. This shift leads to a lot of bland environments—lifeless caves, deserts, and forests—with some sprites even being recycled directly from the first game.
Don’t get me wrong—I love pixel art, and there are still some cool designs here, including lovely cutscenes and character portrait art. But visually, the world just didn’t pull me in the way I hoped it would.
On top of that, the sound mix feels off. The music sits too far back in the mix, which causes the girls’ yelps to take center stage—a bit grating without a better balance. The tracks I could hear were solid, but there just weren’t as many as I’d hoped. The same compositions repeated often, and they felt a bit generic. The game does feature voice acting, which is a nice touch, but overall, I found myself a bit disappointed with both the visuals and the audio.
I have to admit, Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark turned out to be a disappointment overall. While it certainly feels like a bigger game in terms of exploration, as we all know, bigger doesn’t always mean better. By fully committing to the Metroidvania genre, Servants of the Dark ends up blending into a sea of exceptional releases within this category—and not in a good way. It simply doesn’t stand out. The game lacks the focus, charm, heart, and playability that made its predecessor shine, ultimately making it one of the more significant letdowns of the year for me.
To be clear, it’s not inherently a bad game per se—it’s just frustratingly forgettable. And honestly, that’s a sentiment I never thought I’d find myself expressing.
MEDIOCRE