Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is a retro throwback
2D Metroidvania with fantastic sprite work, awesome music, and satisfying
gameplay that fans of the genre will love. It isn’t as beefy or complex as some
of its contemporaries in the genre, but it makes up for it with extremely
challenging gameplay that rewards skill and punishes carelessness. In perhaps
the greatest design decision ever, however, it also offers an easy mode so that
almost anyone can still experience the full game even if they aren’t a big dick
internet hardcore gamer badass. That’s awesome. See all the details in our full
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight Xbox One review.
Game Details
- Publisher: Playism
- Developer: Bombservice
- ESRB Rating: “T” for Teen
- Genre: 2D Metroidvania
- Pros: Great visuals and sound; satisfying gameplay; Easy mode
- Cons: A bit shallow; extreme difficulty
- MSRP: $10
Reverie Under the Moonlight is actually the fourth Momodora
game, but the first to appear on consoles. It is also a prequel to the other
games, not that that matters much, though. All you need to know is that you
play as a priestess named Kaho who travels to a far away kingdom to try to stop
a curse that is spreading across the land.
Gameplay-wise, Momodora RUTM is very much in the 2D
Metroidvania style. You are free to explore a map full of enemies and
platforming elements and you find new abilities along the way – such as being
able to use a cat form to get through small spaces Kaho can’t normally fit
through – in order to reach new areas. Unlike most Metroidvanias, however,
Momodora is surprisingly shallow as there aren’t actually very many new
upgrades and abilities to find. It is also fairly short at just around 4-hours.
I do like that the game is kind of condensed and well paced without a lot of
fluff, but it also lacks the sense of progression and satisfaction that comes
with finding an arsenal of new abilities.

It has to be noted that Momodora: Reverie Under the
Moonlight is absolutely punishingly difficult, though I suppose that is to be
expected from a game that borrows from both 2D Castlevania as well as the Souls
franchise. You will die. A lot. Like, A LOT a lot. Developer Bombservice did
something remarkable, however, and actually included an easy difficulty mode in
Momodora: RUTM that will allow players of any skill level to play through the
game. It does go a little towards the extreme end of the spectrum by giving you
maximum health right from the start as well as some items to buff you up even
more, but I love that they at least give you the option for those that want it.
You still have to actually play through everything, and beat all of the bosses,
and thoroughly explore everything, and the game is just as fun on easy mode as
it is on normal. There, I said it.
I have always wondered what Dark Souls would be like if it
wasn’t so damn brutally difficult. The worlds you explore and the enemy encounters
you face are so cool and interesting but, even as popular as those games are,
only a very small percentage of gamers actually get to see any of it. Hardcore
Souls fans will balk at the idea of an easy mode, but they have to realize not
everyone is a closet masochist that enjoys slamming their head against a wall
repeatedly to show how much of a hardcore gamer they are. Making great games
more accessible to more people is a good thing. I love that Momodora: RUTM
offers an easy mode. I wish other hardcore games would do the same.
As far as the presentation goes, Momodora: RUTM is pretty
fantastic all around. The game runs at a 4:3 aspect ratio, so there are chunky black bars on the sides of the screen, but it enhances the retro vibe. I guess.
The visuals are great, though, with big fat gorgeous pixels creating some truly
awesome looking character sprites and surprisingly detailed backgrounds. The
music is also excellent and fits right in with the retro aesthetic.
All in all, Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is a
neat combination of ideas old and new that form a pretty solid all around
package. It is undeniably a little shallow, though, and I wouldn’t rate it
above fellow Castlevania-like Slain: Back from Hell or Metroidvanias AxiomVerge and Ori and the Blind Forest, but it is very solidly in the second tier
of 2D action/platformers on Xbox One. And I really, really love that it offers
an easy mode so more people will actually be able to see it all. At just $10
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is also perfectly priced so that anyone
with any interest in 2D action/platformers should give it a try without
hesitation. Buy it.