Pixel Perfect Platforming
Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is a 2D side-scrolling metroidvania and the 5th entry into the overall Momodora series. It is a continuation of the story from Momodora III and features the metroidvania gameplay similar to that in Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight.
When protagonist Momo Reinol’s village of Koho gets attacked by demons she sets on a journey to track them down and find the bell that was used to summon the demons.
As a fan of Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight I enjoyed the asthetic pixel art graphics so was excited for more with Moonlit Farewell. To begin with there are two difficulty options Light and Normal, Light difficulty allows you to enjoy the game for its story and not worry too much about the difficulty, you take less damage and there is more of a invincibility window after getting hit, if you are not familiar with these sorts of games you may very well have a hard time on Normal. Normal difficulty leaves little room for error where just a few hits can mean you are sent back to the nearest checkpoint and it is easy to get hit. Hitting a bell will your trust weapon will restore your Vitality and Magic and will act as checkpoints throughout the game.
The game begins with some narrative and you find yourself in a mysterious village talking to other characters and taking in the unique atmosphere of the game.
Being a metroidvania style game you will expect some difficulty not just in terms of not getting hit but this is one of those “where do I go?” kind of games and not everything is so obvious at first glance. Momo controls exceptionally fluid with her trusty Sacred Leaf. This will be your main use of attack against your opponents although you can shoot your trust bow by pressing R1 from a distance, this is especially helpful for those bosses where you need to stay afar but the only problem is it hits much weaker than your main weapon. You can dodge enemy attacks by pressing the Circle button which will use up some of your Stamina. You can bring the map up by pressing the L2 button.
Of course there will be areas to begin with where you cannot get through or reach but upgrading your skills will allow you to return to these areas later on. You will be able to double jump to higher areas, wall jump and upgrade your Sacred Leaf to cut through pesky demon vines that were previously inaccessible. These hidden areas usually contain a health upgrade, a new Sigil which can enhance your abilities or a new companion that you can take with you. Companions all have their own boons for example one that will act as healers and one that can drop extra Lunar Crystals, the Crystals being the currency which you can use to purchase new Sigils from Cereza. Eventually you will unlock most if not abilities which will allow you to move swiftly through the game including a fast travel option.
Some rooms or areas will become closed of as you enter them and will only open back up once you rid of the evil presence in them, enemies will spawn and rush towards you and defeating them will result in the spoils of that area.
Boss battles are relatively balanced and once you know the enemies pattern you can take them down with a bit of practice, I’ve had more issues with normal enemies than the bosses themselves. This is due to enemy placement being clever sometimes as the small bomb throwers can often catch you off guard as you try to dodge falling giant blocks leaving no room for error.
My favourite part of Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is the pixel art graphics and the design of the game overall. It features foreboding Dark and Light Forests, Springs and Castles all accompanied by a gorgeous Pixel art aesthetic, while most areas are exceptionally dark and uninviting there will be strobes of light that give an element of hope.
Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is a short game but does have some replay ability as after you beat the game you can play again in Arrange Mode. In Arrange Mode, the map is mirrored, and has more enemies with new enemies introduced. Hardcore Mode is another and certainly not for the faint of heart as once you die, the save will be erased and you will start from the beginning.
Overall Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is a fantastic general gaming experience, it has fluid controls, a narrative that continues from previous games and gameplay which can be on the lighter or harder side depending on personal experience.
A PlayStation 5 review code was provided by PLAYISM
