Look, I love an Indie and I do like me a roguelike / roguelite. They are incredibly satisfying to play and return to over time. So the fact I let Moonlighter pass me by is a shame I shall never lice down. But with Moonlighter: Between Dimensions released as DLC, I got a chance to put right and end my shame.
Moonlighter itself is a fantastic game and despite only starting because of the DLC, I was very quickly drawn in. Visually it is stunning and the gameplay loop never grows old.
It is a of styles from Binding of Isaac to Stardew Valley. The styles are obvious but somehow it manages to still feel very unique. The familiar elements only help elevate it. The roguelike parts come from going throigh various dungeons, dying, rinse and repeat.
Yet added to that is a shop based mechanic that puts this game into its own space. You’ll find things on each run and you can then sell them in your shop. You’ll set the prices for each thing you sell, but it isn’t as simple as just setting a price and that is that. The market is ever evolving and thus trends will change throughout your time in the game. You need to judge how to get the most from each sale.
I initially thought this would be something I would tire of and wish I was instead be dungeon crawling. Yet I almost wished more of the game was based around the shop. I mean, a good portion of it is, but I sort of wanted more.
But this is where Moonlighter works wonderfully. The dungeon crawling parts are equally as important and just as fun to play. Enemies are challenging and the threat of death is always there, but without ever feeling unbalanced or unfair. It just works. It has that ‘just one more go’ feel that all the best roguelikes have, right up there with Spelunky in that regard.
Honestly if you haven’t yet tried Moonlighter, then you should rectify that immediately. I am super glad I did.
So onto Moonlighter: Between Dimensions the post-game DLC. It adds more of the same to the game, but with a couple of caveats. First of all, something which bucks a bit of a trend, is that the DLC isn’t available until you beat the main game, locking you out until then.
So it really isn’t worth picking up if you’re not yet done with the main game. Which I sort of get, but I also like the idea of being able to access DLC whenever I feel like it too. However it is what it is, just be warned.
With Moonlighter: Between Dimensions being more of the same, you quickly get into the groove and it feels like a wonderful extension to the main game and a reward for your investment. It is a little bit more grindy and loot heavy compared to the previous hours you put in. Which could put some off.
I found though that I enjoyed the grind and very much enjoyed trying out the new gear in the new dungeons on offer. There is just a lot more of everything you already know but upping the challenge with a few neat additions thrown in.
As said, I would have liked the option to jump into the DLC whenever I wanted, but I appreciate the reasoning behind it. It also forced me to play through the entire game and I regret absolutely nothing. The whole experience from the start of the base game to the end of the DLC is a purely joyful experience and very much recommended.
