“Moonlighter’s” starting dungeon, the first introduction to the game. (Zhiva, 11)

In the age of mediocre games that only exist to rake in money and have no real value, “Moonlighter” surpasses these by a long shot. With its beautiful artwork and expert sound design, this game deserves a rank among the best of the best and is a must-play for gamers and I highly enjoyed it.

“Moonlighter” is an action RPG (Role Play Game) with rogue-lite elements that blends dungeon crawling with shopkeeping, set in the fictional town of Rynoka. Our main character is Will, a shopkeeper who dreams of becoming a hero one day, longing for something more than his shop. He clears these strange and otherworldly dungeons, using the items he gets to stock his shop to collect money and upgrade the town. The game has a main story playtime of approximately 14 hours and a total playtime of around 30 hours for 100% completion. The progression in the game is based on killing bosses and progressing through levels within the dungeons. There are multiple dungeons you unlock over time, as well as varied vendors. “Moonlighter” also has varied weapons, with multiple options and classes for those who may want something other than the standard options. It’s a single-player game with no multiplayer option, released Nov. 5, 2018, on Nintendo. After a few years, it has made its way to Steam, being compared to games such as “Stardew Valley” or “Hades”.

Going into this game, I didn’t have the highest expectations. While the art was highly detailed and a main factor of why I picked up the game in the first place, I hadn’t heard of it before. While I enjoy RPGs and dungeon crawlers, I previously wasn’t a fan of the more monotonous shopkeeping aspects of some games, and “Moonlighter” was said to some. Once I had watched the trailer for the game, however, my hopes for it skyrocketed. The art style, sound design and the small bit of gameplay I had witnessed looked ever so enticing. But a lingering worry persisted: What if this game was more complicated than it seemed?

Despite my concerns, my experience was excellent; it was one of the best games I had played in a while, it was also among some of the only games I had fully finished in a long time, too. While it was challenging at times and even slow to start, the gameplay became easier as I mastered the controls and navigated the dungeons. Ultimately, I felt connected to the world in ways I wouldn’t have imagined by randomly picking up a new game, but I did. The experiences between NPCs were also interesting; you didn’t really have conversations with them, which may be a downside for some, but the characters still had distinct differences, which was very important to me. My main concerns had also been satiated. The game wasn’t too difficult for me, and the storekeeping was an aspect I grew to enjoy. The atmosphere of the game is similar to many dungeon crawlers, but it had distinct differences. It had its own feeling that I would personally describe as something akin to adventurous fantasy. The game had many fantasy elements, but when outside of the dungeons, everything felt normal; That distinction made the gameplay more fun, as it felt like dipping into a forbidden realm.

My overall impression of the game would round out to a star rating of around four and a half stars out of five total. The gameplay was smooth, and even when you figured out how to play and progress, there were still times of tension and fun that I don’t often get from other games. If you’re still interested, below is a list of some of my likes and dislikes with the game.

PROS:

• There are multiple weapon and armor choices. I personally chose the Big Sword category, but there are ranged weapons and close combat options as well.
• The dungeons are randomized, you always have different loot drops and rooms to clear.
• Beautiful graphic design with a lot of detail put into it.
• Sound design that enhances the atmosphere and provides a nice background to your experience.

CONS:

• You can’t clear everything from each dungeon floor.
• The ending is confusing.

While I rate this game high and enjoyed my playthrough as many others have, as seen above, I do have a few complaints. One thing that didn’t quite fit my fancy was the fact that I couldn’t loot everything from the dungeon floors. If you spent too long on a level, a monster would spawn and instantly kill you if it attacked you, which personally was a pet peeve for me as someone who wanted to make as much money as possible. The ending also felt wrong in a way; it explained some aspects of the game, but it felt out of place.

In the end, I have learned that some of my favorite games are going to come out of things I may not have the highest hopes for at the beginning, or I haven’t previously heard about. My experience has definitely influenced my opinion on the game; it was really enjoyable for me, and I want to share the experience with others, as I think it’s a game that most people should at least try. If you do end up wanting to play this game, my recommendation would be to go into this without a previous bias and an open mind. I think that this would be the best way to experience this game to its full ability, and hopefully develop your own unique appreciation for its content. After this, I’m definitely going to play “Moonlighter 2”.