What impressed me the most, however, is the amount of detail packed into the game. The characters and enemies are all distinct, and the animations are satisfyingly smooth. The sprite work in this game is truly impressive. Still, try to play this game with a proper D-pad if you can. The game feels great using that control scheme as well, and the action remained responsive. I also played for a few hours in handheld mode. Wireless adaptor, which allows for both GameCube and Wii classic controllers to be used on the Switch, a product that, as an aside, is very much worth its cost. I actually played through the game using a SNES classic controller, and it was an amazingly nostalgic experience. While the controls are not fully customizable, the game does offer two control schemes, and I suggest experimenting with both to see which one you prefer. Jump, melee attack, special item, ranged attack, roll (and air dash), and item cycle. This title uses just six buttons (and only one control stick or d-pad), adding to its old school feel. The encounters manage the balancing act of being tough without ever feeling unfair, and also with never having your character feel overpowered against them as can often happen in this genre. The bosses are big, well realized, and a ton of fun to fight. One area in which Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight shines are the boss fights. Over all though, the game stresses enemy combat and exploration over the more creative power ups found in games such as Ori and Blind Forest or Axiom Verge. Think of Samus’ morphball from Metroid or Juan’s chicken form from Guacamelee! If you want a good comparison. Kaho’s cat transformation, for example, allows you to explore passageways too small for you to access in your base form. That’s not to say the game doesn’t have upgrades that encourage additional exploration, however. When the upgrades do come, they are often in the form of stat boosting or tweaking items. Besides having two forms of attacks, she can double jump and do a ground roll from the outset of this adventure. I was actually surprised with just how much of Kaho’s kit is available from the get go. You start your journey with both a magic maple leaf, for melee attacks, and a bow (with unlimited arrows) for long distance sniping. Luckily, you are equipped with just the tools for the job. The enemies, especially early on, are no joke and take Kaho out in just a few hits. Like any good Metroidvania, Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight features quite a bit of backtracking and item upgrades, but it is an action platformer first and foremost, with an emphasis on the action. From there, you have to explore Karst, collect some magical seals, and see what can be done about that pesky curse. Lun is tasked with seeking an audience with the Queen of Karst in order to see if the darkness that has overtaken the world can somehow be lifted. You play as Kaho, a priestess from Lun, a land in the West which has fallen under a dark curse that seems to have originated from the Kingdom of Karst. Don’t worry though, as not knowing this fact during my play through of the title didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the game in the least. What does this game have to offer for long time fans of the genre such as myself? Read on to find out.Īs mentioned previously, this game is actually the fourth title in the Momodora series. Still, with so many fantastic 2D titles available on the Switch, I was not convinced. The sprite work was gorgeous, and the dark atmosphere immediately brought to mind hours of playing many of the 2D Igarashi Castlevania titles. When I first saw the trailer to this game, originally released on Steam on 2016, I was intrigued. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, the fourth game in the Momodora series, adds yet another title of this kind to the Switch’s ever growing library. The Switch has quickly become one of the best consoles to own if you are a fan of exploration based platformers, a genre more commonly referred to as “Metroidvania” that is characterized by 2D platforming, item upgrades, and a generous amount of backtracking. Very special thanks to DANGEN Entertainment for providing us with this review copy. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight Review