A Retro Metroidvania Masterpiece
Bombservice and PLAYISM come together for the latest installment of the Momodora series of games – Momodora: Moonlit Farewell. I’ve played a couple of these games before, loving the retro way that they not only play, but look as well.
As one would expect, Momodora: Moonlit Farewell doesn’t vary from that winning formula, and so the question we’ll be looking to answer in the course of the review is whether the fun formula has been upheld, and whether the game brings anything new to the table. In a retro style, of course.
A Charming Return
The story of Momodora: Moonlit Farewell takes place five years after the events of the third game in the series. One day, the inhabitants of Koho Village hear the tolling of an ominous bell, and moments after a demon invasion begins to threaten the village. After consulting with the Matriarch of the village, the most capable of all the priestesses is sent to deal with the bellringer, all in hope of sorting out the demon invasion. And guess who that priestess is? Yep, it’s Momo, our character. It is left to us to go saving the village. How hard can it be?
Well, that is a good question, as the difficulty of Momodora: Moonlit Farewell can be freely adjusted at any time to make sure you enjoy the game the way you want to play. Out of the box, on medium difficulty, it is pretty hard, to be honest, but a good challenge. If you want to make life easier for yourself (and I’m not judging here, believe me) you can.
Like the rest of the games in the series, Momodora: Moonlit Farewell looks very cute, pixel arty in style, with a good design for the sprites; not only of Momo and her friends, but for the enemies as well. The amount of personality that has been shoehorned into these relatively simple sprites puts many bigger budget games to shame. Similar too for the backdrops to the side scrolling levels; there are plenty of hints at the amount of work that has gone into this game. Even the bosses are well designed…
Sounds of Combat
Sound is also nice, with a decent little line in ambient music and also combat, with Momo battering foes with a leaf (yes, you read that right) and the sounds of combat sounding great. The story is also presented in a static, text based style, as you’d expect for a game this retro, and even that is perfectly in keeping with the rest of the design. All in all, this is about as good as the rest of the series.
Metroidvania Magic: Exploration, Abilities, and Collectibles
Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is also very much almost the definition of a Metroidvania game. As we begin, we are equipped with a leaf and a bit of bad language to keep Momo alive, but as the game progresses, and as bosses are defeated, new abilities are racked up. In fact, it often pays to revisit earlier areas of the game.
You see, exploration sees areas pop up that can’t yet be accessed, but gaining new abilities allows the opportunity to get to the hard to reach places, providing a reason to explore, dropping in the gathering of various collectibles that will either give us more health or a stronger attack. This is a nice touch that will keep you poking about long after the main story is finished.
Leafy Combat and the Sigil System
It’s the combat which is the other side of the gameplay coin, and while exploring is nice, kicking seven shades of enemies using the power of a leaf (or a bow, that we can find) is so much fun it is hard to explain. Jumping, dodging, smacking enemies around, learning boss attack patterns and when to exploit their weaknesses, ensures that huge enjoyment can be had.
Another feature that can change the way that Momodora: Moonlit Farewell plays is the Sigil system. This allows us to equip Sigils (surprisingly, I know) that alter the way that Momo fights. One of my favourites lets Momo fire projectiles with her leaf, allowing her to hit enemies from further away. As we all know, fighting from a distance is the way to go. Sigils are just another thing to find, so keep exploring!
A Charming and Challenging Metroidvania Adventure
You will enjoy your time with Momodora: Moonlit Farewell. If you are in the mood for a retro platformer, or are a fan of the earlier games, then this is an easy sell. But even if not, there’s no doubt that this is a well crafted game that is ripe for exploration.
Give it a try.
Your Links
Momodora: Moonlit Farewell – A Pixel-Perfect Metroidvania with a Touch of Gothic Beauty – https://www.thexboxhub.com/momodora-moonlit-farewell-a-pixel-perfect-metroidvania-with-a-touch-of-gothic-beauty/
Buy Momodora: Moonlit Farewell on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/momodora-moonlit-farewell/9NTN26MGX0MK
