Black Mermaid and Humble Games’ Moonscars is the latest take on the 2D pixel-art Metroidvania genre, and as an indie Soulslike it has many notable features and mechanics that fans of the genre will appreciate. It is true that a lot of these kinds of games are being made lately, and it may be easy to dismiss each new entry while the genre continues to grow in popularity. Rather, Moonscars demonstrates why each Soulslike is exceptionally interesting, because while they may have obvious influences from other Soulslikes, it is interesting to see how they iterate on the genre.
The game that Moonscars resembles the closest is Blasphemous, which also bears the identity of an indie Soulslike, as well as being a 2D Metroidvania action-platformer with pixel art. Blasphemous found success in the genre with its rich, high-fantasy Catholicism and exceptional art design, though some fans found its platforming to be lackluster in comparison. Blasphemous 2 was announced late last year with a release window of 2023, but Moonscars may be the perfect game for fans in the meantime, and is more than deserving of its own praise.
Moonscars is the Latest 2D Metroidvania Soulslike
Moonscars has its fair share of Soulslike mechanics and allusions to other Soulslikes—for example, Moonscars’ glands echo Mortal Shell’s own glands, Moonscars’ Mould Workshop echoes Bloodborne’s Abandoned Old Workshop and Hunter’s Workshop, and Moonscars’ doppelganger witchery echoes Elden Ring’s Mimic Tear.
But Moonscars’ original ideas are fairly unique, such as having certain Dark Mirrors unlocked at the cost of producing a hostile doppelganger. Moonscars also has quality of life features that fans may be surprised to see in a Soulslike, such as unlimited access to the last Dark Mirror players had interacted with via the map menu, and without having to abandon any accumulated bone powder. Moonscars also has roguelike elements in a couple of its mechanics, though the buffs they offer can be brief if players find themselves dying to enemies often.
Parries are as rewarding as they are counterproductive, however, since performing one instantly sends Grey Irma into an attack animation that enemies can hit her through, and movement can be quite slogged with animation cooldowns between dashes. Still, the experience is what any 2D Metroidvania Soulslike fan may be looking for before the highly anticipated releases of Blasphemous 2 or Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Moonscars is a Great Way to Pass the Time Waiting for Blasphemous 2 News
If fans have played Blasphemous, then they will already be incredibly familiar with Moonscars. Besides how similar both games are artistically, they also share a ton of similarities when it comes to gameplay structure, UI, and sparse narrative storytelling through compelling NPCs. This is actually a boon, since players who enjoyed Blasphemous but are not familiar with a lot of other 2D Metroidvania Soulslikes may find Moonscars to be a smooth transition.
The sequel was quietly announced amidst the reveal of Blasphemous’ Wounds of Eventide DLC expansion, and in that subtle announcement The Game Kitchen revealed that it is slated for 2023. This may or may not come to fruition if delays are inbound for whatever reason, but no news about it has been shared since. As fans wait for the sequel to appear again, Moonscars is certainly a game they should check out.
Of course, there are also many differences between Moonscars and Blasphemous that set each other apart. Likewise, there are qualitative things about Moonscars that some fans may enjoy or have their gripes about, like any other game. But ultimately, they are comparable enough that players are likely to have a fun time with Moonscars as they wait for Blasphemous 2.
Moonscars is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Series X/S.