| Galleon | |
| Developer: | Confounding Factor |
| Designer: | Toby Gard |
| Genre: | Action-adventure Platformer |
| Modes: | Single-player |
| Platforms: | Xbox |
Galleon is a 2004 action-adventure game developed by Confounding Factor and published by SCi Games and Atlus USA for the Xbox. Designed by Toby Gard as his first independent project after leaving Core Design, the game was announced in 1997, but suffered several delays and changes in the consoles it would be released to. It was released in Europe on June 11, 2004, and in North America on August 3 to mixed reviews from critics. A mobile spin-off entitled Galleon: Dawn was released on August 26, 2004.
Captain Rhama Sabrier has received a letter from the scholar Dr. Areliano, who is studying a mysterious boat in his possession, and wishes to hire Rhama to help investigate it. Arriving at the town docks, Rhama is greeted by Areliano's assistant Jabez, who offers to escort them to Areliano's house at the top of the island. They proceed through a cavern and arrive at a clearing where they are accosted by bandits. Rhama easily fights them off before purchasing supplies at a nearby store, although he is unimpressed by low quality of the store's wares. Upon leaving the store, Rhama is attacked by the bandits again. However, Dr. Areliano arrives at that moment and uses his magic staff to split the earth, driving the bandits off. Areliano introduces himself and his daughter, the healer Faith, to Rhama before bringing him to his house.
The boat that Dr. Areliano is studying is at the end of a secret passage that leads underground from his study. Rhama discovers that there is a massive tree growing inside of the boat (he names the boat the Treeship in respect to this fact), but finds no clues regarding the boat's origin. Areliano explains that the herbs that grow from the tree have supernatural qualities, and while they could be cultivated and sold for great profit, he is only interested in their scientific merit. Later that night, Jabez and his hired thugs (who were among the bandits from before) burn down Areliano's house and steal the Treeship with the intent to sell the herbs to the highest bidder. Although Areliano dies in the fire, Rhama escapes with Faith and pursues Jabez, who escapes by harnessing godlike powers temporarily granted to him by consuming the herbs.
Rhama and Faith sail to a remote island where Rhama's friend, the shipwright Calverly, lives, intending to ask him about the Treeship. By manipulating a contraption attached to a large windmill at the top of the island, Rhama is able to reach Calverly's house. He finds Jabez there, who consumes another herb and animates a pair of Neptune statues to keep Rhama occupied while he questions Calverly about the Treeship. After getting answers, he turns Calverly into a monkey to prevent him from telling Rhama the Treeship's secrets and prepares to destroy the island. Rhama escapes the island with the transformed Calverly as it explodes, and pursues Jabez.
Upon noticing Rhama chasing him, Jabez consumes another herb and summons a massive storm. While trying to help steer the ship, Rhama is thrown overboard and falls into the ocean. He maneuvers through the water to avoid the fierce currents, arriving on a nearby island exhausted and falling unconscious. He and his crew are captured and imprisoned by the governor who rules the island. Rhama is forced to fight the martial artist Mihoko, but following Faith's advice, he removes the ofuda attached to Mihoko's forehead that was mystically keeping her under the governor's control. Rhama and Mihoko proceed through the island's underground slave pit and eventually the governor's palace, fighting the governor's followers and rescuing Rhama's crew (including Calverly) and the slaves as they go, in pursuit of the governor, who has taken Faith to his palace. Upon storming the palace, Mihoko pursues and fights her father Wei Long, a follower of the governor and the one who originally put her under their control. Rhama defeats the governor in his chambers and rescues Faith, but Wei Long escapes. The heroes depart the island on their ship, along with Mihoko, who has sworn her life to Rhama out of gratitude for saving her.
Refocusing on stopping Jabez's plans, the crew sails to an island housing an ancient city that, according to Calverly, holds the key to reversing his transformation. Rhama defeats a hydra roaming the city by piloting an ancient robot-like golem after retrieving its pieces from the ocean and drives the hydra into a nearby pool of lava. Exploring the main building of the city, the heroes make several discoveries: the type of herb that grows on the Treeship originated from the trees that grew in this city; its civilization had cultivated the herb as a source of energy and eternal life; once an herb is consumed, it must continue to be consumed or else death ensues; and the tree housed in the Treeship was being transported by the ship's original owners to cross-pollinate it with the city's remaining tree, which is near death.
Announced in Edge in 1997, the game went through various incarnations and publishers. The designer of Lara Croft, Toby Gard left Core Design shortly after the character's first game, Tomb Raider, was released. Galleon was to be his first independent title following Tomb Raider. Galleon started development on PC and moved to Dreamcast, then GameCube (as Galleon: Islands of Mystery[1] [2]) and eventually to the Xbox. The title was originally going to be published by Interplay[3] but after numerous delays was cancelled and subsequently picked up by SCi. Gard's company Confounding Factor closed its doors after the release and he returned to Eidos Interactive as a design consultant for the Tomb Raider franchise. The graphical style of the game was intended to have a comic book feel as well as being influenced by Ray Harryhausen's Sinbad films and Burt Lancaster vehicles.[4] The soundtrack was originally composed by Lee Nicklen, and has since been made available for free.[5]
Galleon: Islands of Mystery received "average" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.