There’s retro, and then there’s whatever this is. Gal vs Village has just opened its Steam store page, and it might be one of the most gloriously bizarre first-person shooters of the year.
Developed by Crush-vAdin, the small Japanese indie circle led by bhaskara, Gal vs Village drops you into the role of Chizomera “Bloodsucker” Yui, a gun-toting, cleaver-swinging “combat priestess” sent to cleanse a remote village after reality itself decides to unravel. It’s the sort of setup that sounds like Doom fanfiction rewritten by a feverish folklorist — and I mean that as a compliment.
A stylish throwback with bite
At its core, Gal vs Village is a fast-paced, old-school FPS with the chunky weapon animations and bloody feedback you’d expect from a 1990s throwback. Yui can dash at high speed, blast enemies one-handed, or carve through them with a kitchen cleaver that looks like it was blessed by a Shinto butcher. The tone is chaotic: somewhere between Serious Sam, Blood, and a midnight anime marathon.
The enemies are equally unhinged — mutated villagers, ancient deities, and summoned shikigami that appear to have crawled straight out of a forgotten PS2 horror disc.
It’s fast, it’s brutal, and bloody weird.
FPS, but make it folklore
Set in a fictional region called Haiseta Village, the game’s story reads like something torn from a cursed government report. When a supernatural transformation begins twisting the landscape, local guardians known as the Kurobachi family send out a cryptic message: “Know us.” Naturally, the authorities respond by dispatching the one person who might be even stranger than the threat itself — Bloodsucker Yui.
Gal vs Village: Accessible chaos
Despite its hardcore tone, Gal vs Village does include some player-friendly options, including a “Never Get Lost (Hopefully)” navigation system and a difficulty mode so forgiving that “dying is almost impossible.” Even the developer seems to know this isn’t a game that takes itself too seriously — which is refreshing in a genre where too many shooters mistake cryptic lore dumps for depth.
A soundtrack worth your blood pressure
Rounding out the madness is an original soundtrack by Takayuki Katoh (aka kikato from avant-garde band Various Crosses… no, me neither), bringing some authentic noise-rock energy to the experience. The game even includes multiple endings, following up on the team’s previous cult hit Cult vs Gal.
If you’ve been waiting for an FPS that feels like DUSK by way of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gal vs Village might just be your next obsession. The Steam page is live now, following the game’s launch on October 22, 2025.
Just… don’t expect it to make sense, okay?!
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
