I had picked up Moonlighter earlier this year along with a handful of other titles but since the release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, I hadn’t given it much thought. Now that Legends Arceus is more or less done (the main storyline is done but the post game is still left), I decided over the weekend to start Moonlighter. Now, I have been on a LitRPG rampage in my reading for a while now and Moonlighter turned out to be just what I needed to satisfy my cravings.

Moonlighter is dungeon crawling meets capitalism. It is an action RPG in a pixelated art style which I absolutely love. Your character, Will, spends his nights exploring dungeons near his little town of Rynoka, but not with the intent of going all the way to the end (at least not in the beginning). You see, while Will explores the dungeons at night, battling monsters, looting their corpses, and hunting for treasure, he is a shopkeeper by day and he needs to make money. He does this by selling the loot from the dungeons to the people of Rynoka.

We not only have to figure out how much to sell each item for but also have to look out for which items are in demand and which aren’t, so that we can increase or decrease the price accordingly. This is made easier by little bubbles that appear above the customers heads letting us know if they’re happy with the price or disgruntled.

Money made via the shop can be used to upgrade the shop as well as gear such as armour, weapons etc, but can also be used to improve the town by bringing in merchants, crafters, enchanters etc. While these all require significant funds, we will find ourselves battling monsters and exploring the dungeons more and more.

There are a total of 5 dungeons, 4 of which contain 3 levels with a ‘boss battle’ at the end. Keys received on defeating the 4 bosses unlocks the final dungeon and the final boss fight. Each subsequent dungeon opens after completing the previous one, and each are unique in the monsters, their environment, and the loot to be found.

I’ve played over 5 hours of the game so far and I’ve been obsessed with it. This is definitely a game I’d recommend for anyone interested in dungeon crawling and / or rogue-lite RPGs. The game is easy enough to pick up and isn’t too harsh on players, giving you enough time to grasp the basics without feeling discouraged. Definitely one of my favourite games going forward. Until next time!

Rating: 5/5

Links:

1. Nintendo switch: Moonlighter
2. Game Review: Pokémon Legends: Arceus