Much like roguelikes, the puzzle genre seems like an easy one to mash up with other genres. Platformers and RPGs are pretty old hat by now, but there are still a few that have yet to be attempted. The side-scrolling shooter, for example, could be messy when mixed with puzzle elements, but that doesn't stop the people behind Galacide from giving it a shot.

The galaxy is being invaded by creatures known as Bits, machine-based beings that have an appetite for metal. When left unchecked, this means a rapid expansion across the universe that chokes out all other life. Your job is to get through the Bit-infected areas and reach the heart of the invasion to kill the Bit queen.

The shooting mechanics are pretty basic. You have one firing button that automatically fires in a spread pattern. While you lack things like screen-clearing bombs or different weapons to pick up, you can pick up items or kill lots of enemies to increase your shooting power. This changes up the type of firepower you can have and, in most cases, increases the power of the spread pattern. That power drains over time, so failing to kill enemies or capture power-ups after a short while causes you to revert to your basic shooting power.

Likewise, the puzzle mechanics are easy to understand. The Bit barriers you run into are comprised of three different colors, and to dismantle them, you must pick up colored debris and launch it at the wall. Once four parts of one color connect any way but diagonally, that piece disappears. You can also take one colored piece, move to another piece of a different color, and launch it at point-blank range to change the color and create an instant match or make things easier. Creating matches is useful for clearing the wall, uncovering power-ups and boosting your weapon meter.

The combination of these elements is handled well thanks to the pacing of each level. Large portions of the Bit barrier have a minimal amount of enemy activity, and though later levels and difficulties add more foes to keep things frantic, you're generally given an ample amount of time to plan your route and match the puzzle pieces. Sections without those puzzle elements pile on the enemies rather liberally, so the action is always constant and the boss fights are exciting (even though one is repeated in a later level). The game never feels overwhelming toward one mechanic over the other, so the whole thing feels balanced and fun to play since there's no apparent favoritism for one genre.

Galacide features three different modes, all of which can be played solo or with up to three other players locally in cooperative mode. Puzzle mode allows you to play 25 different levels and five bonus ones, all of which test your understanding of the puzzle mechanics. The basic premise for each level is to clear the screen of all of the Bits, but like any good puzzle mode, things quickly ramp up in difficulty as you progress beyond the early stages.

Endless mode is essentially the score attack, as you try to see how many waves you can survive over the course of three lives. The mode features variable difficulty levels and the chance to choose one of four different ships, each with their own abilities. Initially, you'll want to play this mode to unlock another ship type, but it has a global leaderboard system for solo and co-op play, so there is a reason to come back long after said ship has been unearthed.

The main mode is the campaign, which lasts about seven stages if you include the opening tutorial. As with Endless mode, you can select one of four ships and one of three difficulty levels. Stages are broken up into equal parts puzzle and shooting sections and always end with a boss fight. The mode is short, which is to be expected with shooters since making it any longer would make it drag on. What makes it a little disappointing is how there doesn't seem to be any payoff for completing it more than once. For a genre that is big on score, there are no leaderboards for the campaign, the individual levels, or even playing it on different difficulties. The story isn't compelling enough to see it through to the end, so the only real reward is in unlocking a special ship. Just adding a leaderboard to this section would give it some replayability, and until that happens, the levels are one-and-done affairs.

Galacide may be powered by Unreal Engine 4 but the graphics don't always exhibit the newfound power of the engine. That isn't to say that there isn't some flourish in the sparks that spray from bullet hits, and explosions are prevalent but not overwhelming. The enemies and your ship are rendered cleanly, and the Bit barricades look nice but don't obscure the random junk floating around in space. Backgrounds are also pretty clean, and the game moves around at a very solid frame rate even after maxing out all of the graphical effects. The game looks good, but it doesn't match one's expectations for UE4.

The sound and sound effects are fine but could be punched up to highlight the impact of everything exploding on-screen. The music is great because it conveys the feeling of an epic space adventure. The tracks aren't tied to specific levels, though, so restarting stages might play a tune that you've heard a few levels back. Voices are missing in the game, and although that usually isn't a big deal, there is a lot of dialogue thrown at you in some of the missions, so some voice acting would've been welcome.

Although brief, Galacide executes its idea well. Unless you're playing at the higher difficulty levels, the puzzles and shooting don't conflict, and the pacing of each element is done well. The addition of co-op makes for a great way to lengthen the game, but the lack of leaderboards in all areas but one doesn't help counter the game's short length. If you're in the mood for something experimental, give Galacide a shot.

Score: 7.5/10