Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is the ultimate instalment within the Momodora franchise—designed, because the sequence’ creator states, to “shut the e-book on most of the previous video games’ mysteries and questions”. Whereas I’ve not had the pleasure of taking part in a Momodora recreation earlier than, I do like an excellent metroidvania—and I have been pleasantly stunned as far as a latecomer to the sequence.
Moonlit Farewell begins off a contact too sluggish, guiding you thru an introductory bossfight earlier than dropping you right into a chasm. You fall unconscious and get up in your home, waking up in your folks’s village along with your fellow bell maiden fussing over you.
The city’s stuffed with charmingly-animated sprites, even when I used to be made to jog round for a bit too lengthy earlier than I might get again into the motion—I’m identified to be directionally challenged once in a while, so your mileage could differ. The core thrust is that some scamp has rung The Black Bell, inflicting demons to threaten your village’s sacred tree. As a leaf-wielding Excessive Priestess, your job is to place a cease to that.
You are accompanied by Cereza, a maiden who’s ineffective in a struggle—however she will flip forex into Sigils (build-defining playing cards) and make a imply snack, so we do not maintain that towards her.
At first, Moonlit Farewell feels a smidge sluggish. Momo drifts when she strikes, and she or he does not precisely e-book it via the opening caverns. Nevertheless, it rapidly grew to become obvious that Moonlit Farewell’s aiming for extra weighty, deliberate fight—and there is nothing incorrect with that.
You have got a stamina bar used for dodge rolling, a satisfying flash whenever you nail a frame-perfect dodge, and you ultimately unlock a dash button that offers you a really welcome burst of pace. It drains stamina, although—so it is to be deployed tactically.
By way of visuals, Moonlit Farewell does lots with little or no. Whereas its opening minutes are a contact bland, the attractive midnight-soaked vistas of your village rapidly put that to relaxation—and the spooky ruins beneath your toes grew to become lots prettier whilst you had been affected by a nasty case of instructional concussion.
What I appreciated most concerning the recreation was how lonely I did not really feel. You have got a companion character to talk with, and I rapidly bumped right into a fellow maiden scrapping with a harpy boss.
It is a good departure from the ‘you vs. the world’ feeling metroidvanias often saddle you with, pushing you thru monster-filled castles, deserted spaceships, or decrepit bug kingdoms. That being stated, I do not know the complete breadth of the sport—perhaps Moonlit Farewell has some horrible Madoka-esque twist that leaves you alone and gently traumatised.
Nonetheless: should you like metroidvanias, magical ladies, or each: you are going to have an excellent time with this recreation, particularly for its modest value. Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is at present $15.29 (£12.86) till January 18, and even then that is solely a ten% value minimize off its full price. Do not leaf this recreation alone—you may actually have the ability to sink your roots into this one. It does not department out too removed from what works within the style. Alright, I am going to cease.