Galerians: Ash - PlayStation 2

To those unfamiliar with the original Galerians, this game will make little sense, and unfortunately the frequent cut scenes do little to clarify the storyline. In a nutshell: you are a boy endowed with psychic powers and your brain contains a program that can save humanity from the computer-god. Unfortunately, you suffer from amnesia. And frequent migraine attacks. Or something like that.

For the most part, you make your way through the labyrinthine city, solving elaborate puzzles and collecting pharmaceuticals that enable your telekinetic powers. When the baddies appear, you can use a variety of attacks to repel them: conjure fire, levitate your adversaries, throw up a psychic shield and so on. However, if you overuse your abilities, you begin to "short"--a crippling psychic overdose that leaves you invulnerable to outside attack but slowly kills you if you can't find the necessary antidote.

Since you battle enemies by manipulating your psychic powers, the game's controls are not exactly intuitive, and the comparative potency and range of your various abilities takes a lot of figuring out. But if you're bored of games that rely on guns, swords or jujitsu, this one offers some unique and inspired twists on first-person combat. Meanwhile, the creepy graphics and grating sound effects create an atmosphere that will either draw you in, or drive you mad. --Maile Bohlmann