Moon: Remix RPG Adventure (Nintendo Switch) Review

By Luke Hemming 27.01.2021

Review for Moon: Remix RPG Adventure  on Nintendo Switch

With a firm foot in the Zelda camp as a child, very few RPG titles on the PS1 piqued the interest of this reviewer enough to stray from hours spent on Koholint Island (Except for Alundra, that game was all sorts of brilliant). One such game however was Moon, with a screenshot laden in a dodgy games magazine to a comic book ad, it rose to almost mythical status. Now with a release on the Nintendo Switch, has the wait been worth it for a Voyage Dans La Lune?

The initial feeling playing the first introductory hours of Moon is one of confusion and bewilderment, and don't expect that to dissipate at any point. With no previous knowledge of what is coming, expectations are going to be subverted from the outset. Without giving too much away, from the initial opening it's clear that anything expected from the genre is going to be thrown in the proverbial trash can in favour of some intriguing, if not totally bonkers gameplay decisions starting with your named hero being transported through the television into the gaming world (a clear Captain N homage if ever there was one) and waking up in the land of Love-De-Gard. As with any standard RPG that places players in the title role, it's to be expected that being the hero of the story comes with the territory of being placed in the role of the games protagonist. That universal fact couldn't be further from the truth; players are not the hero, but instead the ghost of a child who died some time ago and is often mistaken for by the townspeople… a nice cheery premise to get you started.
At least it can be relied upon that the tried and tested formula of find monster, kill monster, gain EXP, and take on bigger beefier enemies will be the meat and bones of the experience. Nope. Instead it's explained by the giant talking moon in your dreams (obviously) that the only way to save the land is through the power of love. After the initial hours the main way of achieving this is by saving the monsters that roam the hills and forests on Love-De-Gard. Those same monsters that are being slaughtered by the 'hero' to build his reputation and level.

Screenshot for Moon: Remix RPG Adventure  on Nintendo Switch

It's those initial hours that are going to be the most off putting for a lot of new starters with the gameplay choices leading to frustration, so much in fact that the developers did publish the manual online to give a helpful leg up. All actions are restricted by a meter with no warning beforehand. Talk to villagers, buy items, aid a distressed monster are all limited by a punishingly small meter determining all moves before returning to bed for the night. Complete too many and fainting leads to an instant game over. Stick with it however and more actions become available after the initial aggravation coupled with more beds located around the world to take advantage of.
For all of the RPG tropes reversed, Moon does follow the tried and tested formula of puzzles and fetch quests, it's just the implementation that ensures a fresh and often brilliant perspective to proceedings. This truly is a throwback to an age where difficulty was assured but with all stumbling blocks presented in charming 90's graphics and design. The power of the original PS1 was used to present an often fearful, but always bizarre worldscape filled with bizarre character models all spouting indescribable nonsensical gibberish. With such a unique world to explore, and with all the odd ways to interact with it, exploration becomes both addictive and most importantly, fun. Go feed the dogs, share the cookies, harass the bushes.

Screenshot for Moon: Remix RPG Adventure  on Nintendo Switch

Cubed3 Rating

8/10
Rated 8 out of 10

Great - Silver Award

Rated 8 out of 10

It's been a long wait for western audiences to get their hands on Moon and for the most part, it's been a wait worth taking. The initial hours are certainly going to put off gamers looking for a normal RPG experience but for the more patient, unlocking the full potential of what is on offer here is going to be extremely rewarding. Around every corner is a mystery wrapped up in a Mr E. Nygma presented in a gorgeous style only found in the games of the decade it was originally released in. Lose yourself in the world and characters, be helpful to anything and anyone and ensure that a world can be saved not through a fully levelled titan but with the power of love and cookies.

Developer

Onion

Publisher

Onion

Genre

Adventure

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  8/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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