Remember when first-person shooters were all about moving fast, blasting enemies and somehow surviving situations you had absolutely no business walking away from? Well, Galatico is looking to bring back that feeling, with a futuristic twist that could make things even more interesting.
Developed by London-based independent team Galatico Studios, this retro-inspired FPS takes players into a future where one powerful mega-corporation has managed to get its hands on something rather important: the universe’s most advanced transportation technology. And, as you can probably imagine, having one company controlling how everyone gets around hasn’t exactly worked out brilliantly.
Rather than sitting through endless meetings or filing complaints that nobody will ever read, you’re taking a slightly more direct approach. Grab your weapons, fight through the company’s defences and start tearing its operation apart, one unfortunate enemy at a time.
After spending time in Early Access, Galatico officially launched on 19 October 2026, bringing its explosive action to PC through Steam. Drawing inspiration from some of the most beloved shooters in gaming, it might be one worth keeping an eye on, especially if you’ve got a soft spot for the genre’s glory days.
Taking Down the Universe's Biggest Corporate Headache
In the distant future, the Galatico mega-corporation has established complete control over portals, a technology that allows people to travel across the universe. It’s an extraordinary achievement, although handing that much power to a single company was probably never going to end particularly well.
With Galatico holding all the cards, it’s up to you to fight back, destroy its infrastructure and put an end to its stranglehold on transportation. Of course, the people running the place aren’t particularly thrilled about somebody turning up and wrecking their expensive equipment.
Throughout your mission, you’ll face a mixture of enemies determined to stop you, ranging from heavily armed Guards and advanced Sentries to powerful Generals and deadly Hunters. Each brings something different to the battlefield, meaning you’ll need to pay attention to what’s coming your way instead of relying on the same approach every time.
It’s a straightforward premise that doesn’t need to bury players beneath hours of exposition. There’s a powerful organisation causing trouble, you’ve got the means to stop it, and apparently nobody thought to install a decent complaints department.
Old-School Shooting With a Futuristic Twist
There’s something wonderfully satisfying about a shooter that understands the simple pleasure of moving at ridiculous speeds while everything around you is trying to kill you. Games like DOOM, DUSK and ULTRAKILL have shown just how much excitement can come from putting movement and player skill at the centre of the action, and Galatico is drawing inspiration from that same philosophy.
The developers also cite Zortch and Half-Life among their influences, which gives you a fairly good idea of the type of experience they’re aiming to deliver. Rather than slowing everything down, the emphasis is on keeping you engaged, thinking on your feet and making every encounter feel like something you’ve earned your way through.
What makes Galatico particularly interesting, however, is its use of portals. These aren’t simply part of the game’s story, as players can use them to gain an advantage during combat, creating opportunities to outmanoeuvre enemies and approach situations from unexpected angles.
That opens the door to some potentially entertaining encounters. One moment you could be facing opponents head-on, and the next you’re looking for a clever way to turn their own surroundings against them. Of course, pulling off a brilliant manoeuvre is one thing. Actually surviving long enough to appreciate it is another matter entirely.
It’s this mixture of classic FPS action and more tactical possibilities that could help Galatico find its own identity among an increasingly crowded selection of retro-inspired shooters.
Plenty of Action Beyond the Campaign
While Galatico has a campaign to work through, the developers have also included additional challenges for players who fancy putting their skills to the test.
The full release features eight campaign levels, taking you through different environments and throwing increasingly demanding encounters in your direction. With multiple enemy types to contend with, you’ll need to get comfortable with the game’s movement and combat systems if you want to make it through in one piece.
And once you’ve finished dismantling the corporation, there’s still an opportunity to cause a little more trouble.
Endless Mode features three additional levels built around survival, challenging players to last as long as possible against enemy encounters that will put their reactions and decision-making to work. It’s the sort of mode where you tell yourself you’ll have one more attempt, only to realise an hour later that you’re still trying to beat your previous performance.
For anyone who enjoys a little friendly competition, leaderboards add another reason to return. Whether you’re chasing a higher score, improving your survival time or trying to prove that you’re better than your mates, there’s an incentive to keep pushing yourself.
Sometimes you don’t need an enormous open world filled with hundreds of distractions. You just need a decent challenge, satisfying combat and an excuse to say, “Right, one more go.”
A Small British Studio With Big Ambitions
One of the more appealing things about Galatico is the team behind it. Galatico Studios is an independent developer based in London, with a focus on creating systems-driven games while involving its community throughout the development process.
The studio is also passionate about supporting young talent, something that’s particularly encouraging when smaller teams are finding their feet in such a competitive industry.
Throughout Early Access, the developers worked with player feedback to improve and refine the experience before reaching full release. That willingness to listen is always welcome, especially for a game where movement, combat and responsiveness are such important parts of the overall experience.
There’s something worth celebrating about independent developers taking inspiration from the games they love and trying to create something of their own. Not every shooter needs a blockbuster budget or a development team numbering in the hundreds to offer an interesting experience.
Sometimes a small group of passionate people, a good idea and a rather unhealthy number of enemies trying to kill you are enough to get people’s attention.
Is Galatico Worth Checking Out?
If you grew up playing classic first-person shooters, or you’ve discovered the genre through more recent titles like DUSK and ULTRAKILL, Galatico looks like the sort of indie project that deserves a closer look.
Its combination of energetic gunplay, portal-based movement and survival challenges offers an interesting take on a familiar formula. It’s not trying to reinvent everything we know about first-person shooters, but instead builds on the things that have kept players coming back to the genre for decades.
Galatico is available now on PC through Steam, with an introductory 25% discount bringing the price to approximately £5.36 in the UK and $5.99 in the US until 2 November 2026.
Perhaps the best part is that you don’t even have to take anybody’s word for it. There’s a free demo available on Steam, allowing you to experience the action yourself before deciding whether to pick up the full game.
For a small British studio, reaching this milestone is an achievement worth recognising, and for players searching for their next dose of old-school FPS action, this could be an interesting little discovery.
So, if you’re tired of enormous corporations getting away with everything, why not give Galatico a try? After all, it’s not every day you get to fight corporate greed with a collection of weapons and absolutely no regard for company property.
Check out Galatico and try the free demo on Steam
On a more personal note, I’ve actually had the pleasure of meeting the founder/one of the developers behind Galatico in person at FORMAT.GG, and I can genuinely say they’re absolute legends. It’s always a brilliant experience getting to meet the people behind the games we cover, especially when they’re as passionate and down-to-earth as this team. Seeing independent developers putting so much time, effort, and love into something they’ve created is exactly why I enjoy supporting the indie gaming scene. I’m genuinely pleased to see how far they’ve come, and I wish the entire team nothing but success with Galatico. Keep smashing it, legends!
REVIEW COMING SOON!
Owner of Indie Critical. I’m passionate about highlighting independent voices in film, games, and culture. I focus on honest, thoughtful reviews and love helping great indie projects get the recognition they deserve. When I’m not writing or editing, I’m probably diving into the latest hidden gem or discovering the next big thing in the indie scene.
Written by
Lewis Langton
