Moons of Madness Critic Reviews

Moons of Madness may be the best implementation of traditional puzzle-solving we've seen so far in an interactive narrative experience, in a setting that skillfully merges unearthly horrors with more "tangible" science fiction.

Moons of Madness may be light on scares, but the great use of its setting and very strong storytelling make for a compelling narrative-driven experience.

Moons of Madness is a wonderfully chilling outing that blends horror and sci-fi to excellent effect, delivering a palpable sense of dread. Most pleasingly, it channels the spirit of H.P. Lovecraft without yelling “CTHULHU!” in your ear every five minutes.

Moons of Madness is a great tribute to Lovecraft's works that will immerse you in a dark and terrifying story on the surface of Mars.

Moons of Madness is the best of the recent rash of Lovecraft games. It isn’t as dark or atmospheric as some of its macabre competitors, but it’s well-crafted, nicely varied, and builds to a satisfying, pulse-pounding crescendo. If you don’t mind your Lovecraft with a touch of Michael Bay, don’t hesitate to blast off for the Moons of Madness.

Inconsistent voice acting aside, Moons of Madness nails the eldritch ambiance and unmitigated madness that its Lovecraftian influence deserves.

Moons of Madness ditches the cold New England setting of Lovecraft’s eldritch tales for the dry, arid wastelands of Mars, and what results is a textbook example of how “cosmic” cosmic horror truly can be.

Moons of Madness is a solid cosmic horror that knows how to tell a compelling story and promote well designed puzzles.

Moons of Madness manages to balance the stylistic elements of the walking simulator with some different game mechanics and its puzzles. Rock Pocket Games has handled the available Lovecraftian material as it should, setting up an adventure that can easily walk alone with dignity.

Quotation forthcoming.

Though Moons of Madness isn’t the first game to do so and it likely won’t be the last, it’s a survival horror experience that succeeding in giving a grown man nightmares, which is something a zombie game just can’t do.

Even if the puzzle density and technical issues may drive you to madness, this cosmic horror still has something unique to offer.

Quotation forthcoming.

Moons of Madness is a good adventure game with some horror touches. We like the atmosphere, its pace and its Lovecraft-inspired universe, although it feels somehow limited and the story ends up being a bit cliché.

Moons of Madness is an engaging and atmospheric effort that feels like a Love(craftian) child of Half-Life and Dead Space. You’ll be playing more for the cerebral rewards than the scares, though. Despite its seamless merger of cosmic horror and credible sci-fi, the game doesn’t quite match its potential in the consistent emotional intensity of its execution. Plus, the ending feels rushed.

There is a lot here to recommend. Moons of Madness delivers, and like the best horror experiences doesn’t outstay its welcome, or let you become too comfortable with your surroundings.

The problem with all puzzle games is that they are almost always a single-play through experience, so that initial run has to be the memorable one. Moons of Madness has some jump scares and other surprises, but its biggest draw might be that it takes Lovecraftian elements into a wholly new environment and replaces combat with exploration, puzzles and a slow-growing sense of confusion and dread. Fans of all those different elements and genres might find Moons of Madness just the right companion for Halloween night video gaming.

Moons of Madness manages, through the atmosphere it creates and its soundtrack, to effectively convey the oppressive isolation of this team stranded on the red star and facing paranormal phenomenons where dreams mix with reality. The graphics, although not the sharpest, are well made. However, it doesn't really give us any freedom in terms of exploration and rarely manages to startle us. And for those looking for a fight, it's essentially a puzzle-game that shows in variety what it lacks in challenge.

Overall I wouldn’t recommend the game. If it’s on special, a really deep discount, maybe get it if you really think it will be your thing, but for me personally it just didn’t hit any of the right notes, it promised a lot and failed to deliver.

Moons of Madness is an overall decent cosmic horror for hardcore survival horror fans.