XBOX REVIEW | Momodora: Moonlit Farewell

Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is the fifth installment in the Momodora series and the second to be available on Xbox, following Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, which was released back in 2017. In Momodora: Moonlit Farewell, you play as Momo, the High Priestess Warrior of a village called Koho. Momo must do her very best to save her people from imminent destruction at the hands of demon hordes summoned by an evil, malevolent bellringer. Not long after the toll of an ominous bell is heard ringing thirteen times, the village is threatened by a demon invasion. The village’s matriarch speaks with Momo and tells her to investigate the bell and try to find the bellringer responsible for summoning the demons that threaten the village and the sacred Lun Tree, the source of life and healing for Koho…

Things I liked!

• Gameplay | While the gameplay, as I began my adventure playing Momodora: Moonlit Farewell, was pretty slow—even Momo’s movement felt slow and sluggish—luckily, it soon picks up as Momo unlocks new abilities such as sprint and double jump. From the start, Momo has a sacred leaf which is used for melee attacks and a Kohonese Bow for long-range attacks and to interact with certain objects. Momo can also dodge enemies using her dodge roll, which is very effective especially when health is low. Something I really liked were special items called Sigils, these can grant you special abilities when attuned, such as increasing damage or health regeneration. These items are found hidden around the world, and some characters that you meet can also create them for you. There are a total of 36 Sigils to find. At the start, you can only have any two equipped at the same time, but later on, you will be able to have five equipped, and I had fun experimenting with them. You can save your progress at a healing bell, a magical artifact that can be rung to restore all your health and magic. During my playthrough, I did not unlock fast travel until much later, so there was lots of backtracking, but this was also helpful for spotting secrets such as hidden areas.

• Graphics | I was really impressed with the pixel-art style used in Momodora: Moonlit Farewell. From the beautifully crafted 2D environments to the hand-drawn sprites with fluid animation, it reminded me of the 16-bit era of gaming when I was growing up. I should also mention the lighting effects, which stood out for me. Remember, demons have appeared all over the world, and each area of the map is very distinguishable. The moonlit and mystical lighting, along with eerie background music, helps to set the mood and feel immersed in the world.
  
  
• Audio | The audio in Momodora: Moonlit Farewell plays a significant role in creating its atmospheric and immersive experience. The game features a beautiful and haunting soundtrack, with soft, melancholic melodies and sombre undertones that match its themes and dark tone. During battles, the music speeds up and becomes more frantic, elevating the action. This dynamic shift in music helps create tension and excitement, particularly during boss fights or challenging encounters. Sound effects are used sparingly but very effectively. The sound of Momo’s attacks, enemy noises, and the ambient sounds of nature add to the immersion. The background music throughout Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is subtle, often minimalistic, and atmospheric, evoking a sense of loneliness and mystery that complements the exploration and platforming elements of the game. The tracks change depending on the area, with each location featuring unique music that enhances the setting. I found this really helpful when backtracking to discover new areas I could reach with newly unlocked abilities, such as the wall dash.
  
  
• Collectables | There are absolutely tons of collectibles to find and discover hidden throughout the map in Momodora: Moonlit Farewell. While many will be out of reach until later in the game when you have unlocked abilities to help you reach them, I am a gamer who loves to explore and I really enjoyed searching for hidden items in each area. Most achievements are earned by finding each type of collectible on the same save file, so it’s great that you can continue exploring after the main story is finished. Some of the different types of collectible items are Sigils, Companions, Relics, berries, lilies, and fairies. Each item will help you on your adventure, from providing you with upgrades to assisting you when fighting enemies.

Mixed & disliked!

• Difficulty | When you first begin playing, you can select between Light and Normal difficulty. Light also has an option for adaptive difficulty, which is good to see. After completing the game for the first time, you will unlock two harder difficulty modes—one where areas are mirrored and Hardcore, where save file progress is permanently destroyed upon death. I found the most challenging part of Momodora: Moonlit Farewell to be navigating the map early on. Once you have earned a few upgrades that provide more damage and some of the more powerful Sigils to equip, general combat becomes fairly easy. Although I still really enjoyed this aspect, some players may find it a little too easy. There are numerous boss fights; some are more challenging than others, but once you learn their attack patterns, they are fairly easy to defeat.

• Lack of Explanation | A couple of times during my playthrough, it wasn’t clear exactly what I needed to do in order to progress. It was only by going back and speaking to various NPCs that I was given a specific item needed to progress, and I feel that this could have been explained better in-game.

How long did I play the review before publishing? 17 hours
How long to beat the story? 8 hours
How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 10/19 or 500/1000
How long to achieve 1000G | 18 hours +
You’ll love this game if you like these | Afterimage & Ultros

CONCLUSION

Score: 83/100 – After a slow start, the pace and action soon picked up, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Momodora: Moonlit Farewell. There is so much action, and I found the controls to be very responsive, especially when navigating the map. Some platforms require precision landing to avoid falling or deadly traps. There were a couple of times when I was not sure what I needed to do in order to progress, but backtracking and speaking with NPCs helped with that. If you are a gamer who likes to 100% your games, you will need to complete Momodora: Moonlit Farewell twice, with the second playthrough on the Arrange difficulty mode that unlocks after your first completion. This mode mixes up the gameplay with mirrored areas, new enemies, and other surprises also await. I really enjoyed the pixel-art visuals and the atmospheric music that accompanies the gameplay.