Momodora: Moonlit Farewell Review: Gone But Not Forgotten

I think a trap that we gamers often fall into is comparing one example of a genre with all the others we’re familiar with. It’s an understandable thing to do, but sometimes, it prevents us from appreciating a game for what it accomplishes. So, instead of starting this review of Momodora: Moonlit Farewell by talking about other recent Metroidvanias, I’m only going to compare it to the last entry, Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight. There are actually three other games in the series as well, though I haven’t yet had a chance to check them out quite yet. Thankfully, I got a strong enough reference point from exploring Momodora: RUtM that I can confidently say not only is Moonlit Farewell the final game in the series, but it’s also the best I’ve played.

Much like the last game, Moonlit Farewell offers an engaging experience from the get-go, with all of your core combat techniques ready from the beginning. Unlike the last game, this adventure takes place in the present, and instead of Kaho, you play as the titular Momo (and occasionally get cameos from her pal Dora as well). The story this time around is that some mischievous demons have stolen an artifact called the Black Bell from the fairies and, in ringing it, have summoned a whole horde of demons to wreak chaos. As a priestess, Momo’s task is to restore the balance, find the bell, and defeat any monsters that block her path. Thankfully, things get a bit more complicated as the story progresses, and Momo quickly finds herself confronted by a mission with no less than the fate of the world at stake.

Can’t Unring That Bell

As much as I enjoyed Reverie Under the Moonlight, Kenny was right when he noted that the story wasn’t its strongest suit. Though I’d be hard-pressed to say this adventure is story-heavy, there’s much more of it that’s presented through interactions with a variety of characters. Here, the story actually does a wonderful job of matching the mournful yet idyllic soundtrack of the game. I felt actual sadness when Momo came across scenes of violence and destruction and I wanted to help her put things right. Which is important in a great Metroidvania. But what’s even more important is how the game actually plays, and I’m happy to say this adventure plays like a dream.

Momo plays a lot like Kaho, meaning she’s armed with a magical leaf as her primary weapon, but can also start firing arrows off at a moment’s notice. Her dodge roll is also a literal lifesaver and often the thing that will save you from premature death. There’s also a stamina meter that affects how often you can do things like dodge roll and firing arrows or how long Momo can run before needing to take a break. I don’t always like the use of stamina in games, but it’s implemented very well here. It forces you to play more strategically and time your movements accordingly. I especially appreciated how accomplishing a perfect dodge fully refills Momo’s stamina.

One way Moonlit Farewell differentiates itself is through the use of mana and Sigils. Instead of healing items you have to carry around, Momo is armed with a magical bell she can ring so long as she has enough mana. Doing so will heal her, and later on, the bell can be upgraded to damage nearby foes whenever it’s rung. You can also fully recover by ringing a stationary bell at save point shrines, or pray at them to get progressive healing for a short period of time.

Pick a Card, Any Card

Then there’s the Sigils. These powerful magical cards are scattered all across the world of the game, and once found, you can Attune them, essentially equipping them and gaining enhanced properties. An early Sigil fires a gust of wind from all of your leaf attacks, one make arrows deal more damage, another automatically gathers Lunar Crystals and plenty more. My loadout for much of the game was the wind gust, gather Lunar Crystals and healing whenever I picked Crystals up. This let me save Momo’s healing bell for when I really needed it and made exploring the game more seamless. Eventually, you’ll come across powerful Grimoires, which let Momo Attune more Sigils, ultimately capping out at five total.

You’ll also encounter magical creatures called Companions. You can only equip one of them at a time, and they’re split between three different varieties – Healer, Explore, and Brave. Healers provide magical stones to replenish your mana; Explore will search for and reward Momo with Lunar Crystals; and Brave actually attacks your foes alongside you. There are a lot of different Companions for each type, and my only real confusion was a hierarchy within the same category. The pause screen doesn’t do a great job of explaining nuance, other than how the three types vary, but I suppose the developer simply wants to encourage the player to try everything and see what sticks. Which is sort of an ongoing game theme, in my experience.

I really enjoyed the combat in the game, which is both simple yet nuanced. Though there’s nothing like a Parry system, Momo is a very capable and speedy fighter. Her Sigils do a great job of providing a ton of freedom in customizing how you like to play the game. And no matter how strong Momo gets, you’re never so overpowered that she can’t get wiped out quickly by a group of foes. I took a lot of joy in juggling enemies with my magical leaf, interrupting their attacks in the process. Though there’s plenty of larger foes that caused me grief, such as an armored crab I had to roll behind to damage, angry goat mages that summoned glowing orbs of pain, reptilian bruisers and plenty more.

Vicious Bosses

As you might expect, there are some truly epic boss battles in Momodora: Moonlit Farewell. They start out pretty tame, but by mid-game, they escalate to brutal encounters that require precise timing and sound strategy. I’m happy that the game does an amazing job of using both visual and audio cues to help you know when to dodge an attack since doing so is necessary for these battles. One early boss is armed with a devastating aerial attack that instantly kills Momo, which forced me to learn what to look for and hurriedly avoid it. There’s a good variety of bosses as well, from gigantic, crying spiders to a voluptuous Naga, and even a truly memorable battle against a Succubus that quickly became a much harder tag team battle between her and an Incubus brother.

In my mind, true Metroidvanias have to be fun to explore, and that’s definitely the case. While the game isn’t overly long, and I managed to beat it in a little over 8 hours, I really enjoyed every minute spent with the game. The world map is split between several different areas, from lush forests to sunny beaches and more dire locations like a toxic swamp, derelict village, and shadowy demon domain. Areas of interest are marked with a question mark symbol on the map, and I managed to uncover all of them except one that still taunts me. You’ll find a variety of berries, which, when eaten, will provide Momo a permanent boost to a stat such as HP, MP, or stamina regeneration. There are also Lumen Fairies you can rescue from pods, not to mention some exciting side quests that reward you handsomely. Last but not least, by praying at heavenly lilies, you’ll boost Momo’s ATK, which is vital.

Pretty Kitty

There are also plenty of Sigils you can find as you explore the map. Besides those, there’s also a character named Cereza who lets you buy more Sigils, and by bonding with her, you’ll unlock an even greater variety. Also, as a fan of cats, I’m really happy to recognize a love for all things feline in Moonlit Farewell. Not only is there a Steam achievement for petting every cat you can find, but there are some cat characters, such as a fat Grimalkin who will eagerly transport you around the world map, not to mention some memorable feline boss fights.

Visually, Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is wonderful, almost like a haiku brought to life. The game is very much about the natural world viewed through a mystical lens, and it’s layered with mournful yet beautiful music. If that wasn’t impressive enough, the game has incredible pixel art as well, with a large variety of different enemies and very few color-swapped clones. Honestly, the only small complaint I have about the design is that I really wish the game featured a bestiary so I could return and marvel at the artistry present in the adventure. But other than that, the design is incredible.

Moonlit Masquerade

Honestly, I had much more fun with Momodora: Moonlit Farewell than I expected. Not only is the game beautiful and full of wonderful art and music, but it’s well-balanced, challenging, and engaging. Though the experience isn’t overly long, and I managed to get about 60% of the Steam achievements in one playthrough, there are some reasons to return, such as an enhanced boss rush post-game and Arrange Mode. If you’re at all a fan of Metroidvanias and are looking for a new obsession, look no further—a truly outstanding final entry in a great indie series.

Final Verdict: 4.5/5

Available on: PC (reviewed); Publisher: PLAYISM; Developer: Bombservice; Players: 1; Released: January 11, 2024; MSRP: $16.99

Editor’s note: The publisher provided a review copy to Hey Poor Player.