Moon Hunters

Release Date: March 10, 2016

RPG, fantasy, 2D, crowdfunding, indie games, action RPG, multiplayer, singleplayer, internet

6.7

OpenCritic

80%

Steam

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An old-school 2D role-playing game by the independent Canadian studio, Kitfox Games. The action of Moon Hunters takes place in the ancient, fantastical land of Mercuria, where the Moon is regarded as a holy entity and the source of all life. When it does not rise one day, monsters awaken in its absence, and the adventurers of Mercuria join their forces in order to solve the mystery.

Plot
Gameplay
Mechanics
Technical aspects

Moon Hunters for PC, PS4 and etc. is an old-school action role-playing game set in a mythical world in which four players assume the roles of the titular hunters – searchers of the lost Moon. The game is developed by the independent Canadian Kitfox Games studio that had successfully debuted with Shattered Planet. The project was part of the platform supporting independent creators called Square Enix Collective, and it gained popularity among the community. However, the Kickstarter campaign, which needed only two days to raise the required amount of money, was the main source of financing the project.

Plot

The action of Moon Hunters takes place in a fantastic, ancient land called Mercuria. Treated as a holiness and the main deity in the pantheon, the Moon in this world is regarded as the source of all life and prosperity. In the opposite pole there is the Sun, widely regarded as the source of all evil. It is no wonder that with the day the Moon does not rise, the forces of Mercuria join together with the purpose of solving the mistake. In the Moonless world, wild creatures rise up and the chaos intensifies. All signs indicate that it is the evil Sun cultists who are responsible for this dramatic situation. The objective of your crew is to solve the mystery and find the Moon before the power of the evil forces grows up.

Gameplay

Gameplay offers a co-op up to four players who travel through an open, procedurally generated world with a complex topology – there are deserts, forests, mountains, caves. The action is non-linear and the choices players make influence the story and the way it ends. Each of the characters establishes his or her own reputation and it is up to you how will your hero be remembered – praised or despised? The key ingredient of the game is the world exploration. Each location may be filled with both dangers and useful objects that are essential for the story to progress.

Mechanics

Combats take place in real-time and each member of the team may specialise in close range combats or in distance attacks. The characters have their own arsenal of weapons – traditional and magic. Interestingly, the behaviour of the enemies and the settlers along with the effects of some spells may be different during day than at night. Gameplay introduces an original crafting system by which you use rare materials to create new, useful objects, spells, or to summon friendly creatures.

The characters in Moon Hunters for PC, PS4 and etc. may belong to one of a few classes – Witch, Druid, Spellblade, Occultist – and specialise in different kinds of magic corresponding to different phases of the Moon. Each class can be visually modified and combined with other classes in order to create a unique hero. With the gain of experience and another levels of power, the characters develop and update their traits, both physical and magic. Even though you can play the game having an incomplete team, the proper co-operation of the heroes with different, supplementing skills is the key to success in Moon Hunters.

Technical aspects

While developing Moon Hunters, the creators drew inspiration from the first parts of the world-famous The Legend of Zelda series. The action is shown from the classic top-view, while the old-school nature of the game is highlighted by the hand-drawn pixel-art visuals. Moon Hunters is not very time-consuming – it should not take more than three hours to finish the game. However, the game invites for re-playing the game by offering the randomly generated world, a variety of characters, and different possible endings - all of this makes each session a bit different.

Last updated on March 13, 2016

Videos and Screens

[1:13] Moon Hunters launch trailer

[2:23] Moon Hunters trailer

6.7

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 34% of Critics. There are 27 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

SwitchWatch: 55 / 100 by James Romero

I found Moon Hunters to be a game I really wanted to love, the clever world building that takes place over generations and the stat and skill building that is on offer leads me to want a deep and rich experience that never quite materialised. There are some fantastic moments and clever storytelling but the loading times, bugs and such short campaign runs hold back what could have been a very good game with a few tweaks.

Full Review

Nintendo Insider: 7 / 10 by Daniel Lipscombe

Moon Hunters is easily summed up by saying it's akin to a Dungeons and Dragons-style "choose your own adventure". Some choices you make can play out very differently with your third, sixth, or twentieth playthrough. Every tale has the same start and end, but the middle can be incredibly varied. It's a sumptuous title in both story and presentation; with visuals that could stand up next to Hyper Light Drifter and sound design that sweeps through orchestral themes and folk songs. It's a shame that the fighting mechanics feel a little too similar because the story itself is a real treat.

Full Review

RPG Fan: 65 / 100 by Bob Richardson

A short adventure worthy of the breezy gamer's attention — once multiplayer is fixed.

Full Review

80%