Moonlight Peaks Reviews
Overall I'd say my time with this game was enjoyable enough. It has the standard gameplay I expect from a farming sim and a consistent and well put together aesthetic. Unfortunately, Moonlight Peaks didn't quite do it for me. I personally felt it focused a bit too much on its story and as a result I wasn't able to focus as heavily on optimizing my farm as I would like, and while I appreciate the overall polish and the consistency of its vibe and aesthetic, it just didn't quite land the way I'd hoped. I also didn't feel like the farming gameplay really set itself apart enough from others in the genre, even with the spells and potions. If the look and feel of it appeal to you, or if you're a big enough fan of farming games, it may be worth a shot for you, but it sadly just wasn't for me.
Moonlight Peaks is one of the few Stardew Valley-likes which truly feels like its own thing, daring to lean into new ideas, Themes and mechanics. While it doesn't re-invent the wheel entirely, the ability to shape shift, brew potions, cast spells and generally lean into the life of a supernatural monster is very welcome. This is a game well worth checking out for all cozy game obsessives.
Even with its issues, Moonlight Peaks still offers a really solid farming game experience, and once it gets going, it nails that “just one more night” stickiness that the genre is famous for. The only reason the game isn’t scored higher here in my review is because of its loading times, as they are that bad. If and when those are improved, I’ll have no problem bumping the score up to a 4/5. Hopefully that fix comes sooner, rather than later. In the meantime, be prepared to do a lot of waiting around if you want to give this one a shot on Switch 2.
The quests are fun, the characters are occasionally quite amusing, and the story unfolds smoothly without becoming particularly emotional, profound, or significant. It's great for unwinding after long days.
Review in German | Read full review