Moonlighter is a throwback to the SNES and NES era of action-based games where players take on the role of a shopkeeper by day and an adventurer by night where they will explore dungeons, confront hordes of enemies, and even collect loot as you do. Find out what we thought in our review Moonlighter by Digital Sun.
Pros:
+An enjoyable blend between shop managing and dungeon diving gameplay mechanics
+Amazing graphics that feel as if they are inspired by the SNES/NES era of games
+Easily to learn controls and mechanics
Cons:
-Item management can be problematic from time to time
Just when you thought you’d seen the last of you hustling and selling days back in school during lunchtime. I know I wasn’t the only kid who didn’t like those homemade lunches, it was all about those Lunchables and man did they catch all of our attention span for that era. But back to the main reason, we are all here. My review on the dungeon owner entrepreneur who is looking to make a profit on anything he picks up during his adventure.
Playing this game helps you understand what it actually means to own your very own business, it teaches you the responsibilities and the different mindset you must have while properly running a business instead of just doing the bare minimum in order to beat the game. If you are a completionist – like myself – you will spruce up that technique and make it better to get more sales, even going all the way for a personal request from consumers.
Moonlighter is an action role-playing video game that is similar but set apart from others famously know such as Diablo and Dark Souls, just to name a couple. The game features a character whose main goal, in my opinion, is to sell as much and make the most money he can. As a member of the shopkeepers’ family, we do our best to sell and be the best and it is now up to you to be all you can be in your very own shop.
The moment you get the sword is the moment everything changes because at that very moment it’s when he decides to set out on his nightly adventures and acquire some of the coolest times anyone has ever seen. By day Will takes care of his shop with trying to outdo his rival shop owner and by night he takes to the night with his backpack and weapon to not only defend himself but also fights to get the items to sell, not an easy life I would assume but he makes it work and does it well.
One of the bigger downfall I noticed while playing Moonlighter is that you pack is very small and you cannot carry that many items when you are out in the dungeons collecting items. Those who will continue you to search in hopes of getting a special item to sell in your shop will leave you hunting until you pack is full and you need to head back as quickly as possible. You’ll also find yourself going through your pack to move things around so you don’t destroy an item when you place another item inside your pack. You can also use items to make near gear.
Sprucing up your armor is good because the better your armor is, the better chances you have at not dying because if you die before beating the boss, then you’ll lose all the items you have acquired before meeting and killing the horrible boss in a battle. I died once or twice in the game, it’s not hard at all to stay alive if you are used to games like Moonlighter. If you aren’t then the game will catch you off guard at first due to the level of graphics, it’s not your original method of like Battlefield or Overwatch.
Moonlighter – PC, PlayStation 4, Switch and Xbox One
Developer: Digital Sun
Publisher: 11 bit studios
Release Date: Now Available
Cost: $19.99
A great attribution I found pleasure in was hiring my own employee to run the show while I did all the hard work and heavy lifting. The shopkeeper lives a stressful life and without that employee with all these customer requests, my shop would have flopped but thanked that guy!
Personally, the game reminds me of a more an extreme low-graphited version of the first Fable by Lionhead Studios, which, to me was only slightly better. Each game has its own style and they all have their special way of telling their story and this game definitely tells that. Being a shopkeeper and owning your own business and you’ll be more successful on the level of your greed.
Our review is based on a retail version that was provided to us by the publisher of the game. For information about our ethics policy please click here.
Final Score: 7 out of 10
About the Writer:
Tyvon J. Hunter is the latest member of the crew. He brings to the table a unique take on video games and sports. He brings an unparalleled sense of inspiration through his sheer excitement to the team as well as those around him. Also, he likes to build theme parks and a lot of them in his spare time.