Pros:
- thick atmosphere and fitting soundtrack
- background layers are detailed and well-designed
- world is surprisingly large
- bosses are memorable and real challenges
- boss runs are mostly quick and seamless
- most enemies require specific combat approaches
- upgrade tree is large and varied
- magic attacks are satisfying and pack a real punch
Cons:
- the whole game is buggy and prone to crashes
- there are no autosaves (which is a terrible combination)
- technical performance is subpar: gameplay freezes or slows down frequently
- teleporters and reloads frequently glitch you through nearby walls
- picking up items or using teleporters locks up the controls
- enemies can aim and attack through solid walls
- dropped souls can spawn in faraway or unreachable places
- standard button layout is awful (and could not be changed initially)
- pixel art lacks detail and presentation is generally of low quality
- limited color palette makes most areas look alike
- interface is confusing and slow to navigate
- there is no low health warning or indicator
- map is useless: dead ends and locked doors are not identified, markers are limited
- death is a triple punishment: you lose spite upgrades, souls and gain Moonhunger
- plattforming is often frustrating and vertical paths are unclear
- standard weapon use pushes character forward into hazards
- special attacks are lost after each tedious doppelganger fight
- magic system is unbalanced and far too expensive to be useful
- speed upgrade is not implemented well and often gets triggered by accident
- only one rare currency is used for most upgrades and important mechanics
- final boss is a huge letdown compared to other bosses
- Statue Gemstone is completely imbalanced
Playtime: 10 Hours with 2/3rds of the upgrade tree unlocked and many collectables found. Played on version 1.0 shortly after release.
Blahgic Moments: Getting crushed to death by a giant cogwheel, only to find that your dropped souls are now unreachable and forever lost.
Verdict:
There is no other way to say this: Moonscars is an outright failure. It adds no ideas to the - already packed - genre of 2D Metroidvanias, copies elements from Soulslikes without understanding their function, and is cursed with an ugly, undetailed presentation. Apparently, the creators even decided to rebuild major aspects of the game following its release, changing the spite upgrade system from an annoyance to a much more workable element. However, releasing the game in such an unfinished state does not reflect well on the initial release of the game, and the myriad other flaws, both technical and in terms of base design, are impossible to ignore.
Skip this one and play Death's Gambit instead if you like the moody art style and combat feel, or just play Hollow Knight again.
- thick atmosphere and fitting soundtrack
- background layers are detailed and well-designed
- world is surprisingly large
- bosses are memorable and real challenges
- boss runs are mostly quick and seamless
- most enemies require specific combat approaches
- upgrade tree is large and varied
- magic attacks are satisfying and pack a real punch
Cons:
- the whole game is buggy and prone to crashes
- there are no autosaves (which is a terrible combination)
- technical performance is subpar: gameplay freezes or slows down frequently
- teleporters and reloads frequently glitch you through nearby walls
- picking up items or using teleporters locks up the controls
- enemies can aim and attack through solid walls
- dropped souls can spawn in faraway or unreachable places
- standard button layout is awful (and could not be changed initially)
- pixel art lacks detail and presentation is generally of low quality
- limited color palette makes most areas look alike
- interface is confusing and slow to navigate
- there is no low health warning or indicator
- map is useless: dead ends and locked doors are not identified, markers are limited
- death is a triple punishment: you lose spite upgrades, souls and gain Moonhunger
- plattforming is often frustrating and vertical paths are unclear
- standard weapon use pushes character forward into hazards
- special attacks are lost after each tedious doppelganger fight
- magic system is unbalanced and far too expensive to be useful
- speed upgrade is not implemented well and often gets triggered by accident
- only one rare currency is used for most upgrades and important mechanics
- final boss is a huge letdown compared to other bosses
- Statue Gemstone is completely imbalanced
Playtime: 10 Hours with 2/3rds of the upgrade tree unlocked and many collectables found. Played on version 1.0 shortly after release.
Blahgic Moments: Getting crushed to death by a giant cogwheel, only to find that your dropped souls are now unreachable and forever lost.
Verdict:
There is no other way to say this: Moonscars is an outright failure. It adds no ideas to the - already packed - genre of 2D Metroidvanias, copies elements from Soulslikes without understanding their function, and is cursed with an ugly, undetailed presentation. Apparently, the creators even decided to rebuild major aspects of the game following its release, changing the spite upgrade system from an annoyance to a much more workable element. However, releasing the game in such an unfinished state does not reflect well on the initial release of the game, and the myriad other flaws, both technical and in terms of base design, are impossible to ignore.
Skip this one and play Death's Gambit instead if you like the moody art style and combat feel, or just play Hollow Knight again.