Moons of Madness Reviews
Moons of Madness tries to fit in a genre of experience games like Everybody's Gone to Rapture or What happened to Edith Finch. The potential is there because of the sci-fi setting and the Lovecraftian tale. Unfortunately, Rock Pocket Games did not have the courage to let go of your hand and leave you to explore and discover the world for yourself. They wanted to control the narrative too tightly and also felt the need to introduce some superfluous gameplay elements. As a result Moons of Madness feels like it's trying too hard and trips itself.
It is boring and relies too heavily on sci-fi tropes.
In the end, Moons of Madness was an interesting game that certainly fed my psychological horror hunger. The game was great at building chilling atmospheres that play with the themes of isolation and paranoia, but small changes to some of the game mechanics would have made this game even better.
There is something engaging here, but it’s marred by weak scares and, less forgivably, dull as dishwater gameplay.
It’s just too bad that, for what Moons promises, it so rarely delivers.
At the end of the day, if you feel like getting startled and wandering around a horror atmosphere for a few hours, Moons of Madness will serve adequately. The visuals and sounds are well crafted and immersive. Just be aware that the game itself is mainly a walking simulator with a B-movie plot and some minigame puzzles mixed in.
It's not that Moons of Madness is without merit, but it does come across as a game where the development team never quite reached creative cohesion and weren't able to quite work out what they wanted to achieve with this game.
Funcom brings to us this horror adventure that reminds SOMA but it's not alike it. An unoriginal story and simple puzzles. Good overall game but its mark is discreet
Review in Spanish | Read full review
There really isn't much to say about the Moons of Madness. While it poses itself as a big horror game and that there is a lot to be excited for, it never quite builds off the initial hook. Often times you're stuck dealing with boring scenes that pad gameplay and do such a good job of keeping you guessing, you forget why you were interested, to begin with. For some, it will still be great but for many, it just isn't worth it.
It won’t revolutionise either the horror or walking simulator genre, but it’s a strong entry nonetheless.
Moons of Madness is a welcome addition to the wider Lovecraftian catalogue, and its cosmic aspects really get to the heart of the mythos' insanity. While there are annoying moments when the developers see fit to include some of the worst excesses of modern horror games, the quality of the writing and the atmosphere is enough to justify seeing things through to a conclusion that is as epic as it is satisfying. This is one trip to insanity that you shouldn't pass up.
Moons of Madness plays more like a cinematic experience than an actual game. Its immersion visually is sublime, and though objects are intuitively interactive, the story lacks the emotional pull needed to match the tone and mood set forth. You will undoubtedly feel as if you are on an alien planet, but that's it. The imbalance of story, gameplay, and interactivity with the enemy becomes apparent the more you play. And with much of the story being told through accessing terminals and listening to banter dialogue, I often felt as if I was no longer interested in what was occurring around me.
An unsettling and beautiful experience, with a pace that's just too slow. If you can get past the walls of text and all too familiar puzzles though, Moons of Madness is good for a few scares.
Moons of Madness is an okay horror game couched within a super science fiction game. While this identity crisis may be a bit off-putting (and there are a few sections of the game that make you wish it would just get on with it), there is some fun to be had with the nice visuals, great writing, and solid puzzles. If there weren't so much Cthulhu, this would have been an even better game.
Moons of Madness is a pleasant and very beautiful adventure with nice puzzles and a well-written story, which includes references to the films "The Martian" or "Prometheus", and the legacy of the cult author. It is a pity that the oppressive atmosphere of sticky nightmare and horror failed because of not impressive monsters. Otherwise, if you are a fan of this format of games, it is definitely worth a try.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Moons of Madness brings us Lovecraftian terror on Mars, a curious combination that works very well, and that will delight fans of the genre. The first-person adventure lacks exploration and is forced to a linearity that will subtract tension from the action, something unhealthy for a horror game. In spite of this we will live some moments of nightmare, a good story, and a very well achieved atmosphere that will invite us to continue until the end.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Moons of Madness capitalizes on the Lovecraftian principles that made The Secret World such a great game. Unfortunately, the game play itself can feel tedious, and overly detailed in all the wrong ways.
In this regard the horror aspects of Moons of Madness lie squarely within the realm of forces outside of both human control and understanding.
A Lovecraftian horror title, Moons of Madness, is tense, and at times genuinely frightening. It does focus a bit too much on basic puzzle-solving. I did enjoy the stunningly haunting and interactive environments that you find yourself in. What other game allows you to escape from Lovecraftian cosmic horrors, and then proceed to pick up and fill a mug with coffee?
Moons of Madness tries to fit too many different ideas into a single game and that's the exact reason why this game is just average; not too scary, not too fun. Still, a nice alternative for those who like Lovecraft mythos.
Review in Turkish | Read full review