The developer debut, staged with beautiful pixel optics, tells of the fate of a clay warrior named Irma the Gray. Awakened to a world where death and doom seem to exist, the wily swordswoman must discover who created her and why. But the path to this knowledge is long and merciless with tricky Metroidvania structure and numerous Soulslike mechanics. Attacking, dodging, countering, pursuing – only those who show perfect timing in the fights will make significant progress, which then motivates all the more to keep at it.
Endurance plays in Moonscars doesn’t matter, you have to think very carefully about when you heal your heroine and use magic attacks. Because Irma only earns the Essence ”Ichor” required for this if she inflicts damage on opponents. Two more mechanics provide additional thrills: firstly, a doppelganger that appears when you unlock certain Dark Mirrors (the beacons, so to speak) and leave the safe zone hidden behind them. On the other hand, it is always important to keep an eye on the current moon phase. If the star glows fiery red, enemies cause more damage, but in return they also leave behind more valuable bone dust. Ultimately, this “moon hunger” can only be neutralized if you sacrifice a certain item or flatten the next best boss.
