Moonlighter Critic Reviews

Moonlighter is a wonderful game that uses a delightful separation of tools to make you want to keep playing. It innovates the dungeon crawler genre in the most ingenious way possible.

Moonlighter manages to perfectly balance the best bits of Stardew Valley, Dark Souls and Binding of Isaac for a game that just keeps you coming back for more.

It’s all here in one gloriously gratifying package that will have you coming back for more, more, and more again. An incredible dungeon crawler with a cutesy consumerist twist that’ll provide you with some of 2018’s best moments – and capital fun it is, too.

Moonlighter is a refreshing take on the rogue-like that not only adds to the genre with the use of its shopkeeping mechanic but makes use of its rich environments and items to tell a truly interesting story. Despite some performance issues my experience with Moonlighter was extremely positive, and I can’t wait to return to Rynoka and revisit the story of Will and Moonlighter once again.

Moonlighter is a wonderful combination of Zelda and Animal Crossing that easily commands your constant attention. It looks beautiful with a lovely, pixelated style; music from the shop and the dungeons will be stuck in your head for days. The only fault I could find with Moonlighter it’s relatively short — I wanted more dungeons, more enemies to topple, more items to sell.

Moonlighter is an exciting action adventure-shop simulator game that shouldn’t be skipped. If you have any interest in running a shop and dungeon diving, then this game is for you.

One of the best news for the indie scene in this year. Moonlighter is old-school RPG with a pinch of roguelike, which combines real time battles with looting and shopping mechanics in a very innovative and effective way.

A deft marriage of dungeon crawling, shop management elements and infectiously twee audiovisual presentation, Moonlighter makes a fine addition to the upper echelon of action adventures available on PS4.

If you’ve been looking for your next dungeon crawling fix, I think Moonlighter is an easy recommendation to anybody who’s a fan of the genre. With the addition of merchant simulation, the game manages to stay refreshing throughout.

Moonlighter is many things: charming, fun, and well designed. The gameplay loop is brilliant and addicting, and the pacing feels just right. The enemy and item variety is wide, and the combat feels tight. Despite some hiccups with the shop management system, it works well due to its simplicity. Overall, Moonlighter is a great RPG for those looking for something a little different in the genre.

You think you've seen everything the roguelike genre has to offer? Think again. With its blend of action, exploration and shop keeper simulator, Moonlighter is a breath of fresh air for the genre, and more complex than you might think thanks to the simplicity and great execution of all the mechanics.

Though it comes with some bugs, ample load times when entering or leaving a dungeon, and an English localization that shows some evidence of the developer's Spanish roots, Moonlighter presents well. While some may shy away from the repetitive formula, I am certain fans of the roguelike genre will find a lot to play with in Moonlighter. That being said, the scant story is not so demanding that players need commit fully to it in one continuous playthrough. Thus, Digital Sun has developed Moonlighter into something that feels as timeless as its role models and will welcome back players delve after delve.

Moonlighter is a very solid product overall, but there are parts that feel like they could have done a lot more with. It’s got great graphics, a simple, yet rewarding premise, and combat is satisfying despite its shortcomings. Moonlighter’s no pressure approach and overall design make it feel fresh enough that it is worth looking into, but for me personally, I hope this isn’t all that we get, as I like the product a ton. It just feels like missed potential.

Moonlighter is a delightful mix of action RPG, rogue-lite dungeon crawling, and shopkeeping sim with an ingenious gameplay loop that'll have you hooked. The way the game's contrasting parts blend into one another means you're always making progress, and it feels great. Exploring the dungeons is challenging and fun, and managing the shop is addictive, thanks to an intelligent economy system. There are some rough edges, such as complex menu screens and one or two minor bugs, but when this game gets its hooks in, you won't care. Shopping around for your new favourite indie? Look no further.

Moonlighter is an incredibly enjoyable jaunt through some interesting ideas and some fun fights. While the combat gets a little easy as you progress, the fun of watching money pour in as you play is immensely satisfying. It would be nice if there was more reason to play after completion as is normally the case with roguelites, but equally having an actual conclusion is a breath of fresh air for the genre. It is a lot of fun and one that will keep you entertained for a fair while if you want to sink your time into it.

Despite the fact that Moonlighter doesn’t do anything incredibly new, it still feels like a wholly unique experience. The combination of dungeons and shopkeeping creates a great gameplay loop that encourages exploration, and the game’s aesthetic really helps drive everything home. There’s definitely a bit of micromanaging to do with its myriad systems, but it all connects into a surprisingly satisfying experience.

Moonlighter feels like one of the more immediately gratifying action RPGs on the current market. It may not do anything players haven't seen before, but the focus on earning and selling items transforms simple commerce from a banal activity into an addictive process that only gets more entertaining as the game progresses.

An utterly compelling process.

Moonlighter builds good will, even in the face of some of its design choices. The grind from lowly dungeoneer and shopkeeper to an adventurer in your own right is enjoyable and, thanks to the gorgeous pixel art, you won't want to take your eyes off it.

Like all the finest indie titles, Moonlighter has such a simple premise but is done so masterfully it becomes fantastically addictive - from the basic combat, to the Resident Evil style bag management, to upgrading the shop, to selling the goods; every aspect feels great. Combine this with the charming old-school art and you have got a clear winner on your hands. The only real negative is how short the game is and how the story feels a little lightweight. Moonlighter also feels like it would be even better on Switch, so keep an eye out for Cubed3's review of that version soon!