Marco & The Galaxy Dragon is one of the hidden gems of 2020. Released a few weeks ago, this is the story of a girl who lost it all and now travels across space stealing the most valuable treasures with her friend, a powerful and voracious Galaxy Dragon who can transform into a cute teen. To be honest, this visual novel has only a few playable sections, so simple we couldn't even call them minigames. However, it has gorgeous illustrations, a lot of funny scenes to compensate for the drama, and the most enjoyable animated segments, which totally deserve to become an anime series soon.
If you ask us, there are a lot of elements we could be highlighting because we truly loved every minute of Marco & The Galaxy Dragon, but today we want to focus on the arc we enjoyed the most: the invasion of The Love aliens.
An Alien Race That Can Become the Person You Love the Most
According to the actual in-game description, The Love are 'the mutants that conquer planets through affection', and you can recognize them because of their head in the shape of a tear-off calendar. With such a weird look, you'd say it's easy to recognize them, but that's why we need to explain their powers: The Love can get into your mind and fake your memories, using these good memories to make you feel for them the same you'd feel for a lover, close family member, or a best friend. Frightening, huh?
This arc hits you so hard because it has a message. A deep one, nonetheless. OK, maybe witnessing how 2 clowns kidnap a young Marco and shoot her mother in the head in one of the first scenes has more shock value, but that's just a shocking scene; The Love arc, however, will make you think twice about everything you're experiencing, both in the game and in your life.
Weird, Funny, yet Thought-Provoking
What if something like this happened on our planet. Would you be able to distinguish these aliens from your true friends and family? Marco & The Galaxy Dragon is not one of those games that challenge your beliefs; it's full of absurd jokes even in the most unexpected moments. You have some fanservice, you have a touching—although a little predictable—story about an orphan looking for the most valuable treasure, and you have some action too... but we weren't expecting a rather philosophical segment.
Enter Calen, an alien who tries to disguise itself as a student. After being discovered by Marco, it tries to create fake memories of Marco, Ruri (one of Marco's new friends) and Calen being best friends, and that's when the even most paranoid people can't hold a laugh. A busty girl with a calendar for a head, playing at the beach and looking extremely sexy?
This game is not only introducing an interesting alien race but also making fun of other visual novels and anime using beach episodes to please the audience. In fact, one of the few interactions in this game is choosing between a beach or an onsen episode...
The Love arc feels sooooo out of place for a game like Marco & The Galaxy Dragon, and that's why it's perfect for a game like Marco & The Galaxy Dragon. All in all, playing this segment makes you think about the real importance of memories, and how easy would be for an alien race like The Love to manipulate and conquer us through affection. It also makes you think that you really need to read between the lines, and probably go back to the start for a new playthrough, now thinking twice about the importance of everything taking place in the ridiculous world of Marco & The Galaxy Dragon.
Final Thoughts
If you have the chance, please don’t hesitate and buy this incredible visual novel. For the most part, there’s no gameplay so you only need to pay attention to the dialogue, and that may sound boring and discouraging. However, Marco & The Galaxy Dragon is definitely one of the best visual novels of the past few years, full of little details that make it unique.
Author: Yaz L.