''All things double as they approach the essence''
Moonscar follows the story of Grey Irma, a warrior dedicated to fighting the so-called ''clayborns'' —unstable clay human imitations—and searching for a semi-god known as ''Lo scultore''. This ''scultore'' is Irma’s master, but apparently he himself created the ''clayborns'' that Irma was tasked to hunt. While this game draws heavily from the dark atmospheres and cryptic lore of the Souls, the story and especially the storytelling of Moonscar is far too confusing and vague, likely to cover up these “gaps” in the lore.
But don’t worry, because you won’t have time to think about the lore. As soon as you begin your journey with Irma, a slaughter will commence, involving you, your sword, and any clay creature that stands before you. Don’t be fooled by the early battles — the further you progress in the game, the more you’ll realise how delicate the clay is and how deadly each strike you land can be, due to Irma’s very limited health bar. However, our warrior also possesses powerful tools in her arsenal; indeed, every slash inflicted on enemies recharges the “ichor,” which can be used to cast spells or heal. There are also secondary weapons that are “cycled,” chosen at random each time a new checkpoint is locked; each secondary weapon is very different, offering more gameplay styles and more combo possibilities.
Learning and remembering is important in Moonscars, both regarding the enemies’ attack patterns and their positions within each level. The parry is a very powerful tool that can save you in tight situations, rewarding your precision and timing. A red dot will indicate when the enemy will strike, but it’s up to you to press the trigger at the right moment to deflect the blow. But if you don’t feel ready or missed the perfect timing, the dodge remains always a good alternative that will allow you to avoid even the most powerful attacks.
The level design and platforming leave a bit to be desired; the main obstacle to overcome is spikes... and by “main,” I meant the only one. Traps become very intuitive, and after a few hours of play, they’re also quite repetitive. Spikes, as obstacles, are useful, however, for eliminating enemies if pushed into them, with gore effects worthy of Herschell Gordon Lewis. The platforming is very basic, and the ability to jump on walls often allows the player to reach places and avoid fights in a rather too simple way.
But beyond a frenetic and decidedly fluid gameplay, the true strengths of Moonscars are the scenarios and pixel art. The visuals in this game are truly well done, and every detail—though rendered in pixel art—is spectacular; a true bijou for the eyes. The soundtrack adds just as much pathos to the atmosphere, and while there are no iconic tracks that linger in your mind for the rest of the day, it does an excellent job supporting the game’s dark and shadowy environments.
As for the technical aspect, there’s still work to be done. I’ve experienced several crashes during my 20 hours of play, even after the latest NVIDIA updates; that was fairly frustrating because the game runs in manual save mode, so I’ve had to replay various sections of the game multiple times. The UI feels outdated, it could easily be that of an old Castlevania, in fact I suspect I’m offending Castlevania; the font is truly hard to read, and the pixel-art icons don’t convey well what equipment is actually being equipped.
Although I understand that this game is built around difficulty and pure skill (git gud), the game fails to clearly communicate what is happening to the player, especially during combat; having visual queues for the acquisition of currency, the increase of the "ichor" bar, a low health warning, would certainly have made an already smooth experience truly enjoyable to play. The dialogues are often strange and disjointed, and while I’d like to believe the reason is that we are "clayborn", therefore not considered fully human and thus unworthy of sensible dialogue, I believe it’s simply the result of a lazy, incorrect, and poorly adapted translation. The final point regarding the technical aspect is the controls, NOT MODIFIABLE, neither for keyboard nor for gamepad; in 2022, simply unacceptable.
In conclusion, Moonscars is a good title, with a fast gameplay, smooth and above all fun; the atmosphere and graphics alone justify the price. A few minor flaws — the technical viewpoint and the plot, which leaves a bit to be desired — are easily overcome, especially if you consider yourself a fan of metroidvania or soulslike. I can’t do anything else but recommend the game and wish you a good time (and good deaths)! Moonscars was released on 27 September 2022, developed by Black Mermaids and released on all platforms by Humble Games.
About the Author
