In an age when Cave Story has become practically a classic, the aesthetic choices that show large pixels and rigorously 2D settings have lost a large part of their irreverent drive and fall into a well-established aesthetic.
This does not mean that it is not yet possible to distinguish between those who adopt this approach with great commitment and criteria and those who adapt to what has in effect become a new canon, and Momodora: Reverie under the Moonlight shows how this kind of representation still has a lot to offer, especially if combined with a game mechanic that works well.
On the other hand it is not really a new title, being the fourth chapter of a series that, for those who follow a bit ‘the indie landscape, has already been noted for about seven years now.
The first Momodora dates back to 2010 and with the second chapter are available for free on the PC for some years, while the third was published on Steam as an affordable game, but it was with the fourth chapter that the series has made the definitive leap in quality , which has pushed
Playism to bring the game on console, where games of this type are affirming even if we are still quite far from the open and fervent landscape that characterizes the PC on these fronts, and a game like that comes more easily if it has already proven itself, he has contacts with some high producers’ sphere or he leans on some high-sounding name.
Momodora: Reverie under the Moonlight is instead a game developed with all the trappings of indie production: carried forward by the four people of the Bombservice team, identified by nicknames as befits the genuine garage developer style.
Momodora shows, once again, how much the return to classical styles can bring fresh air
ALMOST METROIDVANIA
Also because of its background, to expect a full metroidvania would perhaps be misleading, because Momodora, as well as the famous Cave Story, is moved on a few different mechanics, more focused on the immediacy of the action than on the rigorous construction of a level design to explore centimeter by centimeter in search of hidden passages or on the evolution of the character with ruffian ambitions.
THE HARD WORK OF THE NUNKaho has a rather peculiar fighting style, since he attacks with nothing but a leaf in his hand for short-range combat while relying on a more traditional bow for those at a greater distance. The idea does not mislead, however, because the leaf proves to be a lethal weapon and the effect it does is similar to the classic blow of Strider, so the protagonist is well equipped to face threats.
The meetings immediately proved to be rather demanding and require learning to use evasive maneuvers in an optimal manner to avoid attacks, given the small amount of energy and the remarkable ability to attack that demonstrate from the early stages
the various enemies scattered around the map , without obviously talking about the bosses. So we go back to the origins of the action for this element: analysis of the attack patterns, dodging with the right timing and identifying the weak points and the best moments for striking the blows, all very “hardcore” because small errors cost a lot and the
Game Over appears often and willingly, considering that the rescues are not always around the corner. Put together this characteristics, the reference to Dark Souls can only make its way into the mind, given the impact of the game From Software in the current landscape, but the connections are
much more solid with the action / platform of the era 8 and 16-bit without being able to bring out the usual known. It is therefore a challenge of another era, challenging and sometimes even frustrating, which balances with the need for various attempts a length not really impressive of the game (we are under 10 hours, close to 5), even if perfectionists they will have to go back to exploring the meanders.
