(Art by Layeyez)

This game seems to have flown under the radar, and for the quality of a small team's (possibly solo developer? Unsure.) indie game, it could use some love. The trailer is here - I almost want to recommend watching it for the music alone.

Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is a prequel to Momodora 1-3, and a far cry from its predecessors in tone. You play as Kaho, a shrine maiden sent to the kingdom of Karst to purge the source of evil spreading even to her remote land. The premise is of lesser importance, however - more is to be said about plight of the kingdom itself, though there are scarce few around to tell it.

The characters are few, the bosses spread out, the void in interaction filled with a small sense of dread as you are left worrying both what lies in the next room and where your quest will end. The bosses themselves are memorable, as is the small dialogue you are provided with some NPC's, but much of the story appeal is found in the subtle details - details that could be accidentally glossed over, the implications of your surroundings, and even the items. As a comparison, some have tried to draw parallels to the Souls series due to its similar atmosphere and sparse storytelling style, though Momodora is ultimately simple by design.

On its own, the game is challenging, atmospheric, and most importantly fun. It plays like a more unforgiving hack and slash, with some platforming elements and variety of enemy types and scenarios. It controls really smoothly, and deliberately: your double jump is less for height and more for aerial control, your attacks are responsive, intuitive, and easy to get used to, and you can even roll to avoid damage or change your momentum mid-action. As the game progresses, your powerups change very little about the gameplay itself, but alter your strategy.

If I had to name any downside, it is underwhelming if you refuse to let yourself get into it. So don't just take my over-hyped review for it if you expect to be fed emotion. There is little actual plot, even if the gameplay greatly makes up for it, and it is a relatively short game. On Hard mode, I finished (true ending, but not 100%) in a total of 6 hours, and it left me wanting to replay it just to experience everything again... the atmosphere, the challenges, and all.

Bonus stuff!

Momodora 1-3 shouldn't be overlooked. Not quite the scale as the newest title, but fun nonetheless, these shorter (and might I add, cheaper - 1 and 2 are free) games are a good use of maybe over an hour or two each.

Momodora 1 is somewhat reminiscent of Cave Story, in both look and feel, and is important more as the foundation of the series than anything. It's a simple, arcade style platformer featuring the half-eponymous Isadora. There's little story, and an even smaller conclusion. rdein, the creator of the series, literally advises to play the sequels instead, as it is "very old and really unpolished". I think it's fun anyway.

Momodora 2 was different in design - it was mostly exploration, and a more fitting example of what rdein was working up to with the series. In this one you play as Momo, the other half of the series namesake. It had spikes in difficulty as you got further, particularly with certain boss fights - and if you were unfamiliar with the first game, one in particular may leave you stumped - but it's not too difficult all the same.

Momodora 3 felt the most polished of the three, unsurprisingly. It went back to a level-by-level scheme rather than metroidvania exploration, and it was a short but fun few levels. You choose to play as either Momo or Dora this time, who have a minor SMB2 Mario/Luigi dynamic in gameplay difference. The customizable powerup system seen in RUtM appears here, and a tie-in to the game itself is featured in a secret. Like Momodora 1 and 2, the plot is not much to speak of, but its value is as a short arcade game.

I've gushed enough about the series though. I'm just looking forward to whatever is planned next, after what they've shown they can do with RUtM. Even moreso if they get the support they deserve going forward.