Moonlighter Reviews

Moonlighter is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Nov 30, 2020

Moonlighter remains great on iOS.

Read full review

8.8 / 10.0
Jun 24, 2020

While this game is a great adventure, it can become a bit of a grind. Working to get the loot to create the next level of weapons feels repetitive at times. Even working the store can be a bit of a bore after the 10th day in a row of manning the shop. Thankfully an upgrade comes in that lets the items be sold through an assistant for a percentage of the profits.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Feb 5, 2019

Will is adventurous shopkeeper and he is skilfull in his shop and inside dungeon as well.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

Renan Fontes
Top Critic
9 / 10
Dec 26, 2018

In spite of an ending that arrives too soon, Moonlighter manages to offer an engaging balance of commerce and action up to the very end. There is a natural rhythm to opening the titular shop during the day only to dungeon crawl once night falls. Progression is constant, emphasizing a design philosophy that prioritizes a lack of wasted time above all else. From enhancing weapons to upgrading Rynoka, every piece of gold Will spends is in benefit to not only the player, but also the flow of it all. With surprisingly tight combat and an economy influenced exclusively by the protagonist himself, this is one of the most endearingly creative takes on action-RPGs this generation.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Dec 2, 2018

Moonlighter turns a boring chore into innovative gameplay. Its concept is unique, and it deals with overcoming in its most varied senses. Its flaws, such as the unbalanced bosses, are too small and can be easily ignored. It's a charismatic adventure that you have to try for yourself.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Nov 28, 2018

Moonlighter is a fun and challenging game that will entertain you for a considerable amount of hours. Its visuals, melodic charm and addicting gameplay are the label of a good indie game. If you enjoy the genre, don't miss this.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Nov 22, 2018

"It's not as zeldalike as I first thought."

Review in Finnish | Read full review

8.8 / 10.0
Nov 20, 2018

Moonlighter creates an excellent dungeon-crawling experience for fans of the genre. It combines rogue-lite elements with procedurally generated dungeons to create an adventure that's packed with surprises. Collecting loot to sell in the store adds a new side to dungeon-crawling experience that we don't often see. Selling in the store is multi-dimensional, as we must take supply and demand into consideration. Sometimes by trial and error, we learn the true value of things to assist us in our progression. Progression can be slow due to clunky combat that causes us to die frequently, and a lot of grinding is required to achieve better upgrades. Moonlighter does an excellent job of getting the player to want to delve deeper into the dungeons, since venturing further yields greater rewards. Intricate details and visuals give Moonlighter a memorable style. Enemy designs provide an ample challenge for the risky adventurer, but the story falls short because the narrative isn't memorable.

Read full review

8 / 10
Nov 20, 2018

Moonlighter is an appealing and tough action game, with a management side and roguelike elements which builds up the Nintendo Switch catalogue further and further. With a challenging difficulty level and some eye-catching visual details, players will find themselves very much absorbed by Moonlighter's elements and it will be difficult to resist the simple but demanding mechanics of dungeon exploration and selling of items.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Nov 16, 2018

Moonlighter is a wonderfully charming adventure with a gorgeous style, Fans of the genre will have an absolute blast. Managing the store and exploring the many procedural dungeons never grew tiresome and the games upgrade system for both the Town and Will kept me going back for "just one more round" long into the evenings.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Nov 15, 2018

Who would have thought that the classic action-RPG would be revitalized by the typically boring prospect of running a small business? Diving into procedurally generated dungeons and slaying beasts with every manner of weapon answers the question, “What would a 2D version of Breath of the Wild look and play like?” Well, sort of like Moonlighter.

Read full review

4 / 5.0
Nov 14, 2018

Moonlighter is a fun, unique mashup of 2D dungeon crawler meets small business simulator.

Read full review

Essential
Nov 14, 2018

This roguelike stands as one of the best available among a myriad of challengers, and a must-buy for anyone who enjoys action RPGs or waxes nostalgic for the original Legend of Zelda. The progressive challenge of the dungeons and their floors never felt unbalanced or unfair, and the game's economy moves along at a satisfying pace, avoiding the feeling of grindiness or redundancy. The balance found in Moonlighter between dungeon diving and shop keeping creates an addictive gameplay loop that will keep you saying, "One more run. One more run."

Read full review

3.5 / 5.0
Nov 13, 2018

Even with it's own flaws, Moonlighter is an enjoyable ride that successfully mixed between two different gameplays

Review in Arabic | Read full review

85 / 100
Nov 13, 2018

Either going to the dungeon on an adventure or becoming a master shopkeeper, Moonlighter is the kind of game you'll struggle to put down. The Switch feels as it's true home, so if you haven't tried it yet, with this version you'll be out of excuses.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

6.5 / 10.0
Nov 13, 2018

Moonlighter is Zelda with a shopkeeper twist. Balancing beautiful animations and soothing tunes against an underwhelming plot, a thing combat system, and plenty of grinding, there's plenty to like and dislike.

Read full review

Nov 11, 2018

Moonlighter is a highly recommend action RPG adventure that's a must buy for genre fans with a Switch. Whether you dig deep into the shop mechanics or just do a quick dungeon run while on the train to work, it ticks a lot of the right boxes and quite frankly I didn't want it to end.

Read full review

75 / 100
Nov 11, 2018

Moonlighter's original conceit blends shopkeeping with monster-slaying in a way that's satisfying for most of its length. While both its combat and trading eventually get repetitive, the gorgeous graphics and pixel art make it a pleasant journey while it lasts. Unfortunately, your character's quest comes to feel as shallow as the merchant's life he wants to escape with its uninteresting goal and uninspired conclusion.

Read full review

Drew Hurley
Top Critic
8 / 10
Nov 10, 2018

Like all the finest indie titles, Moonlighter has such a simple premise but is done so masterfully it becomes fantastically addictive - from the basic combat, to the Resident Evil style bag management, to upgrading the shop, to selling the goods; every aspect feels great. Combine this with the charming old-school art and you have got a clear winner on your hands. The only real negative is how short the game is and how the story feels a little lightweight. Moonlighter also feels like it would be even better on Switch, so keep an eye out for Cubed3's review of that version soon!

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Nov 10, 2018

Graphics are the main standout feature of indie game and the games unique visual style leaves a strong impression on the player. The narrative whilst simplistic is endearing and the concept stands out as memorable and unique, Moonlighter is a intriguing and clever approach at the action adventure genre and one which will have no trouble standing out.

Read full review