Moonscars

"With so many similar and far superior games out there, it&s;s tough to recommend Moonscars with its tedious game world and annoying gameplay. It does some things exceptionally well, though, but these aspects definitely don&s;t make up for all of …"

"Moonscars is an entertaining 2D action game with an approach that mixes soulslike, metroidvania and roguelite elements."

"Black Mermaid debuts with a brutal and punitive action but at the same time manages to give great satisfaction once you learn the different nuances that characterize its gameplay."

"Moonscars is a great soulslike for those willing to deal with the steep difficulty spike of the last two levels, but it will undoubtedly fall very short for those that don&s;t already like the genre."

"Moonscars tries to do too much making it feel often overburdened with ideas but it also offers some fun mechanics in a desolate and dreary world."

"Minor blemishes aside, I had a thoroughly great time with Moonscars. When all is said and done, Moonscars is an example of what makes indie developers so brilliant. Risks have been taken here, in terms of artstyle and approach, but …"

"Black Mermaid comes to the video game world with a product as black as obsidian and as red as the blood pulsing through its veins. Moonscars is a soulslike in which art direction and gameplay merge into a gloomy and …"

"Moonscars falls just short of greatness the same way Grey Irma occasionally falls just short of platforms she can definitely reach, but where it shines, it shines like a full moon. A rich, original story accompanies solid platforming and technical …"

"Moonscars is a video game that knows what kind of atmosphere it wants to create, how to create it and how to dance on those notes from the first to the last minute of play. The combat system is simple …"

"I wouldn&s;t call Moonscars a must play game, but I can appreciate that it tries to do a couple of new things with a sub-genre of Souls-like games that has become increasingly popular over the past few years. I think …"

"Moonscars is a great game, but your enjoyment will come down to how much patience you have for its style of difficulty."

"Black Mermaid understood the ideas that made the 2D Soulslike genre successful and added new mechanics that reflect its own identity. If it didn&s;t have flaws like story being too messy and combat having balance issues, it could have made …"

"Moonscars uses agile action to create a good interpretation of the soulslike genre. The fast-paced combat is the highlight and, as usual, the difficulty is intense, but fair. The maps are not memorable and the battle mechanics evolve little over …"

"Anyone who enjoyed games like Blasphemous, Dark Devotion or thought that Symphony of the Night was bloated with extraneous RPG elements, will adore Moonscars. The core combat mechanics are deep enough to carry a determined player and the multitude of …"

"Moonscars remain an utterly impressive debut outing for Black Mermaid, an entertaining action-platformer that is full of atmosphere and cryptic worldbuilding, and a visual style that showcases just how awesome pixel art continues to be in modern gaming. At about …"

"Moonscars brings a deeply satisfying core combat loop and exciting art direction to the Soulslike genre, even if it has some teething issues with its overlapping systems and narrative."

"Moonscars has a lot of promising ideas. Unfortunately, the threadbare plot, questionable level design, and odd execution of mechanics hold it back."

"If you&s;ve played any other Metroidvania game, you can easily pass this one up. It means well, and Grey Irma is a beast, but with a convoluted story and characters you will never care about, dying over and over is …"

"Moonscars won&s;t set the world alight, but is a decent enough time for soulslike fans."

"While it has visual flair, challenging combat mixed with not-so-great mechanics make it “Souls-like” in more ways than one"

"If you are interested in a tough soulslike game where you do, very gradually, become stronger, a soulslike where you really don’t want to be hit because you’ll be pummeled within seconds, and that healing ability also makes you weaker! …"

"Moonscars is not a bad game, but it struggles from its mediocracy and overall uninspired nature to find its footing in a genre with many more interesting and noteworthy games to choose from."

"Moonscars is a souslike (although &s;lite&s; would better describe it) with a very evocative visual style and well-written characters. The gameplay is also good, but it suffers from a certain lack of enemy variety and a poor balance of character …"

"Moonscars is a beautiful, grimdark homage to the Soulsborne genre, with engaging art and challenging action. Not everything is well explained, and both the game’s narrative and mechanics can feel unnecessarily opaque. It takes some time and effort to master …"

"Moonscars is a deep, dark tale about what makes us human in our darkest times and how we persevere. When it works, it really works and was some of the most fun I had playing 2-D souls-like in recent memory. …"

"Moonscars is an intentionally bleak adventure in an unforgiving world, but players who seek a genuine challenge will certainly find it here."

"Moonscars is a dark and punchy 2D action adventure that tweaks the Soulslike formula just enough to make it worth jumping into yet another entry in this most overstuffed of genres. The combat here is super slick stuff that&s;s meticulously …"

"Whether you’re into challenging Soulslikes or sprawling Metroidvanias, there’s a lot to like about Moonscars. Its atmosphere is thick thanks to its moody visuals and soundtrack, while its moment-to-moment gameplay is utterly engrossing once it has its hooks in you. …"

"Ultimately a failure to stick in the imagination is my main criticism of Moonscars. Had this game come out a few years earlier I would almost certainly be more favourable to it, but as it stands it feels a little …"

"Moonscars is an amalgamation of different ideas merged into one 2D Soulslike package, and while a few feel undercooked, the rest manage to tie everything together into an excellent action-RPG experience. The gorgeous visuals are also worth experiencing, as it&s;s …"

"The gorgeous pixel art and dark themes within Moonscars help make it an enjoyable action-platformer by new developer Black Mermaid."

"Did I enjoy it? Despite being the last (for now) soulslike of 2022, Moonscars is a convincing and fun debut for Black Mermaid. Though not entirely original and with some power balance issues, its element mix works well. It may …"

"Moonscars is a good debut by Black Mermaid with some unique ideas and missed potential. The gameplay is fun and engaging but some mechanics feel a little unbalanced and in some cases can even forget about them and still finish …"

"Moonscars is a standout example of what a 2D souls-like should be. From its beautifully atmospheric world, exceptional animations, to its fluid and gratifying combat, makes Moonscars an absolute pleasure to play. A best in class 2D souls-like."

"Despite taking clear inspiration from other prominent Soulslike and Metroidvania titles, Moonscars does enough with its unique art direction and gameplay features to stand out from an increasingly populated crowd. Although its lore and plot could have stood to be …"

"Moonscars offers an engaging level of challenge, however it suffers from a few unfortunate bugs and questionable design decisions."

"If the difficulty didn&s;t go up every time I died or I could activate checkpoints without having to fight a clone afterwards, it might be a different story, but I don&s;t appreciate being punished for doing inevitable things (dying, saving). …"