A Frustratingly Good Time

The Metroidvania genre is one that is somewhat difficult to define, simply because many games that fall into this category are all so different, often adding twists to what was once a classic formula. No matter how developers choose to implement this style of game, some core elements must be in place in order to entice gamers to dive into what are often difficult and intense adventures. A solid Metroidvania requires meaningful exploration, clever and organic level design, adequately challenging enemies and boss fights, and tight, responsive controls. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight delivers these in spades.

Interestingly enough, the developers do not think that Momodora classifies as a Metroidvania, but rather it is a “game of its own.” While this may be true in many cases, I think Momodora fits nicely into this odd and always unique box. You play as Kaho, a priestess from the small village of Lun, who journeys to the Kingdom of Karst in order to gain audience with a powerful queen. The lands have been cursed and corrupted, and Kaho believes that the queen may be essential in bringing healing to the land and to her village. Along the way, however, she is met with incredible challenges, fierce enemies, and oppressive evil.

The developers have constructed a world that is beautifully desolate and worthy of exploration.

The story and lore for Momodora are involved and well-crafted, but I really feel that they serve as more of a backdrop here rather than a driving force throughout the game. That said, they do feed into the characters and environment of the world that Bombservice has crafted. This is a cursed land, and it feels like it. Foundations of a once proud Kingdom lie crumbling and desolate, and the very atmosphere is sullen and foul. This is not to say that it isn’t pretty to look at; on the contrary. The developers have constructed a world that is beautifully desolate and worthy of exploration. This is good, because exploration is essential.

Momodora is laid out in a grid, where each “room” or area corresponds with a sector on the player’s map. This is vital, because it can be very easy to become lost amidst the twisting and turning pathways that you will encounter. Additionally, backtracking will be required, as many areas are initially impassable without certain items or abilities that Kaho will acquire as you progress through the game. Often, backtracking can seem like a chore in many games, but Momodora manages to keep things fresh by allowing players to tackle previous challenges in new ways when they come back stronger, smarter, and better equipped. Additionally, many of these areas present secrets that players may have missed over before, and they are usually worth searching out.

Momodora manages to keep things fresh by allowing players to tackle previous challenges in new ways

The primary component of the game is not exploration, however, but combat. It is not particularly complex, but it is very challenging. Even on the easier difficulty settings, many players will find the task of defeating even basic enemies to be a tall order. I recommend players that are new to the genre to start off playing on an easier difficulty. That said, if you consider yourself a bit of a veteran with challenging side-scrollers, bump your settings up to hard. It essentially lowers your starting health and adds more enemies, but for me it adds an extra level of satisfaction in victory.

The way combat works is simple and is comprised primarily of jumping, rolling, and striking. Kaho has two primary weapons: a maple leaf (I know, strange, but effective) for melee and a bow for ranged attacks. Attacking with each requires only one button press, and there aren’t really any combos to speak of, but that is just fine in the grand scheme of things. Though players will eventually have the opportunity to gain very powerful magical attacks later on, throughout most of the game, the basic methods of fighting will be used. Combat does not focus on memorizing a complicated series of button presses, but rather requires the study of enemy attack patterns and quick reflexes. You will die a lot initially (and perhaps even throughout), but with careful observation and practice, you are sure to succeed.

After successfully navigating basic combat, however, you will eventually come face-to-face with one of Momodora’s extremely imposing bosses. For these big baddies, it does not matter what difficulty setting you are playing on, you will lose early and often. As with all other enemies, however, each boss has a specific sequence of moves that can be learned; they never feel unfair mechanically, though their one- or two-hit attacks are often aggravating. If you want to further challenge yourself, any defeat of a boss without taking a single point of damage results in a special item or ability. It is usually worth the effort to at least attempt this, as the buffs you receive are incredibly powerful and can ease your way forward tremendously.

The journey continues much in this way throughout the game, adding new bosses, ever more challenging enemies, secret keys to find, and obstacles to conquer. The scenery constantly changes, keeping everything from feeling dull or overused, and I often found myself stopping to admire small details and subtle animations. Further keeping things interesting is the music, which is a somber and delicate affair. Soft piano creates ominous and eerie undertones, and the tempo cranks up a notch with pulsing and urgent beats during boss fights. It is not a standout element in and of itself, but the music perfectly complements the tone that Momodora attempts to exude.

The music perfectly complements the tone that Momodora attempts to exude.

Contrary to the gorgeous music, however, is rougher nature of many sound effects. Koho’s death cry in particular is quite harsh and piercing. It isn’t pleasant to listen to and only enhances the aggravation of defeat. There are a few enemies as well that emit sharp sounds when attacking. Normally this would be such a small gripe and one that doesn’t really need to be mentioned, but it happens often enough to be quite noticeable.

Overall, I found Momodora to be quite thrilling. It may be a bit too challenging for the casual gamer or for those that are not experienced with games of this nature, but for everyone else I think it is quite the gem. There are times when it can become very frustrating, but it still somehow keeps me coming back for more. I died countless times during my 8 hour playthrough (I am a bit of a completionist and played on “Hard” difficulty – it should only take about 4 hours for a normal run), but it was never too long before I finally managed to succeed, to overcome that obstacle, to defeat that troublesome boss. This is absolutely a journey worth taking, and for the price of admission you certainly cannot go wrong. The recent release on the Nintendo Switch also adds incentive to jump into this adventure, as it runs just as flawlessly as the PC version, with the added bonus of being able to challenge yourself on the go.

Is it Cannon?

Yes, if you: Love a good but not unfair challenge;Enjoy Metroidvania-style adventures;Are a fan of gorgeous pixel-art Love a good but not unfair challenge

Enjoy Metroidvania-style adventures

Are a fan of gorgeous pixel-art No, if you: Want a more casual gaming experience;Get frustrated easily;Like games with a more cheerful atmosphere Want a more casual gaming experience

Get frustrated easily

Like games with a more cheerful atmosphere

Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight originally released March 4, 2016 for PC, Xbox One, and the PS4, and is now also available on the Nintendo Switch (reviewed on PC and Switch)

Note: Dangen provided Cannonicity a review key for Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight in exchange for a fair and honest review.