While I have always respected the dark fantasy aesthetic and gameplay style of the Dark Souls franchise, I’ve never actually played any of the games within the series. Moreover, I’ve never really played many games within the Soulslike action-RPG subgenre. Moonscars certainly channels the spirit of Dark Souls and Hollow Knight in both presentation and gameplay. However, I believe there is still a lot to enjoy here for fans of the genre. Moonscars is a 2D platformer that combines the elements of a Metroidvania with the steep difficulty curve and risk-reward combat system of the Dark Souls series.

Developed by Black Mermaid and published by Humble Games, the main story of Moonscars follows a clay revenant named Grey Irma on her quest to find her creator, The Sculptor. Along the way, she must fight others of her kind who comprise the major bosses. It’s an interesting tale that reminded me of the Claymore manga series. There is also certainly inspiration taken from the cryptic storytelling of the Souls games. Much of the story details and worldbuilding are discovered through exploration and observation rather than direct exposition. It’s a nice way to reward players for spending extra time in each area.

The gameplay is relatively simple but well-constructed. A basic sword attack and charge attack linked to a single button provide your bread-and-butter combos. You also have a special attack that utilizes a variety of different weapon types and provides big damage. I love the animations and sound design for these attacks but they are quite difficult to use efficiently. Many leave you open for attack due to the prolonged length. As a result, I often didn’t find myself using them, which was a shame considering the amount of effort that was clearly put into making them feel satisfying.

Finally, you have witchery, which is tied to a meter that increases as you deal damage to enemies. At certain thresholds, you can expend this meter in order to unleash a variety of magic attacks. Additionally, you can expend the meter in order to heal yourself, adding a nice bit of resource management to each combat encounter.

Both mobility and defense are also important to survive the challenges that will come your way. Most enemy attacks can be either be parried or dodged using the dash skill. It’s absolutely critical to master both in order to succeed, since enemies can easily chew through your HP. However, once you master these, they can easily swing combat into your favor and allow for quick chain combos that feel quite snappy and responsive.

Progression is tied to killing enemies. Each one leaves behind bone powder which can then be converted into additional skills or abilities. Immediate buffs for your character such as extra damage, healing, or resistance can also be achieved through the spite system, which rewards you for prolonged survival and combat prowess.

My biggest issue with the game comes in the form of the moon phases. Every death will cause the moon to change phases. If you die too many times then eventually the moon will transition into a blood moon which not only dramatically reduces your damage but increases the power of enemy attacks. You are able to perform moon rites using an item called a gland in order to reverse the moon phase by a single stage.

However, these items are quite rare and this results in some very frustrating gameplay loops. Often I found myself stuck within a blood moon during a difficult boss. With no glands to reverse the moon, I was left with an even steeper challenge to defeat already difficult enemies. To me, punishing players for dying feels like a lazy way to inflate difficulty. It certainly hurt my experience.

On a more positive note, I greatly enjoyed the visuals and music of the game. The commitment to the pixelated dark fantasy theme is well executed. Characters and enemies look suitably horrific and every area manages to channel a distinct atmosphere a despite using the same color pallette. The somber music (while relatively homogenous at times) fits the tone perfectly. Every track provides a peaceful background noise to somewhat distract from the stressful situations you’ll find yourself in.

Overall, I think Moonscars is a solid experience. It never overstays its welcome and provides a great execution of the genres it seeks to emulate. I would certainly recommend it if you’re looking for a challenging retro platforming experience.

A PC Review copy of Moonscars was provided by Humble Games for this Review.

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Moonscars

19.99

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Great combat
• Dark tone
• Wonderful art style
• Decent story

Cons

• Frustrating moon system