by Sean Weaver
Moonlighter is a beautiful dungeon crawler game that is a throwback to the fast-paced dungeons of The Legend of Zelda and the slow-paced town atmosphere of Animal Crossing. Developed by Digital Sun, Moonlighter captures the idea of a gameplay loop that you just can’t put down. Roaming the dungeons by night and tending your shop by day, you begin to grow your little hometown and find yourself drawn into the story of the main character and the future of the town.
Story
You play as a merchant named Will, the owner of a little shop called Moonlighter, who lives in a town called Rynoka. Rynoka is a special town that was founded near 5 gateways to otherworldly labyrinths known as the dungeons. Will is trying to make Moonlighter successful, and to do so he plunges into the dungeons every night in order to find rare artifacts to sell in his shop by day. But Will isn’t just trying to make some gold; he is determined to find out the secret of the locked 5th gateway, a secret that cost the life of another adventurer, Crazy Pete. As Will explores the dungeons, the secrets of the dungeons slowly begin to unravel.
Gameplay
The gameplay of Moonlighter is focused around two parts: the exploration of dungeons and the selling of artifacts in the Moonlighter. There are 4 dungeons to freely explore, each centered around a different theme. Each dungeon is a series of 3 floors and a boss floor, with each floor becoming more difficult and having more expensive items. To defeat the enemies of the dungeons, you have access to several different weapon types. A sword and shield, a big sword, a spear, fighting gloves, and bows. You are allowed to take two kinds of weapons into the dungeon, leaving you with a large amount of freedom in choosing how you fight the dungeons. When you’ve used up your inventory space or run low on health and don’t want to risk death, you can pay gold to your merchant pendant to escape from the dungeons and return to Rynoka.
Whenever you crawl out of the dungeons and back to your shop, you can then sell all of your hard-earned artifacts for gold. And it’s possible to place any price on an item, but you need to watch the reactions of the customers, to ensure you’re getting the most gold for your items. In this less dangerous, though equally entertaining stage of the gameplay, you balance selling the right items for the right price and making sure to keep track of the popularity of different items. While in town you can also spend gold to expand your shop, or request special vendors for the town, including a forge master, potion maker, retailer store, a decoration maker, and a banker. These people will help you in your dungeon crawling, giving you access to better items and stronger weapons.
Sound and Graphics
The music of Moonlighter is very enjoyable to listen to, and always manages to perfectly capture the mood of every situation. From the relaxing soundtracks of Rynoka, to the intense adventurous tracks of the dungeons, the music is one of the greatest parts of Moonlighter. The graphics of Moonlighter are also amazing. While it is pixel art, the animations are smooth and beautiful, making it very easy and enjoyable to play. From the evasive rolls to Will getting out of bed, the graphics are consistent and very pleasing to the eye.
Conclusion
Overall, Moonlighter is a very enjoyable game that sucks you into its gameplay. While the experience doesn’t last very long—usually taking around 40-50 hours—its great graphics, beautiful music, and compelling gameplay draw you into the experience every minute you’re playing the game. If you’re in the mood for a dungeon crawler, or just want to relax in your own shop, Moonlighter is a game for you!