Fun gameplay, meaningful skill point choices, and a new game plus mode that has me excited to play again
Moonscars is a pretty game. The lore/story seem compelling, but over time the "brutally difficult" fights just become banal, tiresome and ultimately sap away any fun there is to be had. There's defintely value here, but it's just not worth the slog.
Does it have hard bosses? Yes. I had to read some forum posts to figure out how to modify my load-out/strategy to win. That includes "cheesing," which isn't ideal. Some lore/story/exploration beats required obtuse solutions that I had to put in some research to find the solutions to. But it reminds me of OG Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Things are hidden that reward either 1) meticulous exploration and experimentation or 2) having external knowledge of. However - it's very few games I feel like sticking around ot 100% after winning. This game is fun to explore, fun to learn about the lore, which is mysterious, but not too much so to actually enjoy. The voiceacting is superb. The writing is awesome. The only bug I encountered is the map system changing my custom-pins when I would close and restart the game. Again: less than ideal, but not game-breaking. This game is worth playing. The main character starts with a simple premise, but by the end, after really exploring every nook and cranny of the map, her motivations evolve and become more sincerely and beautiful.
As others have pointed out, while not very deep gameplay or story, it's nice to play something contained and simple every once in a while.
I will confess I did not finish the game, although I gave it more than a fair try. I had to restart the game after I accidentally went too far south in the town map (available right away) and went into an area that bugged me into a chapter 3 ahead of where I was, skipping major plot points. This could not be undone and the game auto-saved withe the false progress. The game was engaging enough I restarted and went all the way past that point (legitimately). I figured out a team that took me comfortably through the game until I got to a boss (Cyndaria) who was essentially impossible to beat with my team. I looked online and found the solution: my team would never be able to beat her. Suggestions were for a specific type of team composition. So I quit. If the game demands that I only play a specific playstyle, but doesn't tell me that at the get-go, it's just not worth another minute of my time. 2/5 stars: Broken, frustrating, and sad... but it gave me a few hours of engagement at least...
I really, really wish there were more games like this: single player, capital ship experiences. Mind you, you are restricted to a single plane of movement (two-dimensional) -- it's basically sailing on the high seas, except instead of water it's the cold vacuum of space. Broadside attacks are key. Enough customization to find your niche. Grinding required for the big boats, but to me that just made them feel "earned." The plot is servicable to keep you moving to new systems, meeting new people, then blasting their ships into smoldering wrecks. While you can customize the music folder, I thought the music provided worked well for the theme. Bottom line: The game is worth more than the full price (let alone sales) and I want to see these guys do more games, based off how much I liked this one.
