I normally don't play many run-and-gun video games, but when Way forward and Konami announced a brand new game in the Contra series titled Contra: Operation Galuga, I had to check it out. Contra: Operation Galuga is a reimagining of the classic NES game from the 1980s featuring an expanded cast of characters, new game mechanics, a redesigned weapon system, and much more. 

Contra's story mode puts you in the shoes of the elite commandos Bill Rizer and Lance Bean protecting the world against the Red Falcon terrorist group and meeting some new faces along the way. While the story may seem a little uninteresting, I did enjoy the full voice-acted cutscenes and the beautiful hand-drawn character art. The gameplay is pretty straight forward and very easy to learn. It can be pretty hectic when fighting multiple enemies. Players can aim the right analog stick while holding down R2 for more precision aiming. Players can hold up to two weapons and switch between them on the fly. Holding down L2 will overcharge the weapon and launch a special ability at the cost of the weapon. Thankfully, with so many weapons dropping this wasn't an issue and it forced me to try out different weapons instead of just sticking to one. I was also pleasantly surprised with the performance. On the PS5 the game ran very smooth with no frame rate drops even when the screen was absolutely cluttered with enemies.

A healthy layer of customization 

Contra's iconic weapons return and with some added bells and whistles and a new layer of customization in the form of perks. Characters can have up to two perks equipped at a time that will give a wide variety of different enhances like ones that can prevent you from losing weapons or gain a larger health meter and extra lives. Additionally, some perks will enhance the exclusive ability of each of the different characters. My personal favorite perk was weapon retention which allows you to keep your weapon even after taking damage or losing a life.

Plenty of extras and unlockables

Contra: Operation Galuga has a few other modes to try out in the form of a traditional arcade mode and challenge modes that will put players to the challenge with any hero and a set of special conditions on a specific part of a stage. The downside to challenge mode is if you take damage you will fail the challenge making this less desirable for people looking for something more casual. The traditional arcade also mode makes a return and gives the bosses new abilities which was a nice surprise and kept the game fresh. And if you want to take the game to the next level, you can jump into a 4 player mode for even more chaos.

Contra: Operation Galuga is a short but sweet experience with some great packed-in extras. While the story mode may not blow you out of the water, it was still semi-entertaining to go through. The arcade and challenge modes will definitely please die-hard fans looking to push their skills to the limit and with a healthy number of unlockables will give you more to go back for. Contra: Operation Galuga is a must-have for all Contra fans. 

SCORE: 8.0

Review copy courtesy of WayForward via Key Mailer