Review: Momodora: Moonlit Farewell Shines in Its Simplicity

After 14 years of tight Metroidvania platforming and 8 years after the release of the last entry, the Momodora series is coming to an end with Momodora: Moonlit Farewell. It is always a bittersweet experience when the final game in a beloved series is out. Developers Bombservice are well aware of this, and with Momodora: Moonlit Farewell they crafted a simple and beautiful final love letter to fans of the series.

The Momodora series has always been light on its story, and Moonlit Farewell is no exception. The game is set 5 years after the events of Momodora III. We play as Momo Reinol, a high priestess of Koho Village entrusted with fighting back against a demon invasion, as well as to recover the bell used to summon them. For those that haven’t played other Momodora games or were introduced to the series with 2016’s Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, this final game is designed to be enjoyed by those just getting into the series or following after the spin-off. To make matters easier, the game includes various files that summarize the events of the first three games and the spin-off.

Gameplay in Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is very simple, and it draws from the Metroid side of the Metroidvania genre. Exploration and combat are the main bread and butter of the game, and the staples of the genre appear in the form of satisfying and precise movement, various health, magic, and movement upgrades including a dash, a double jump, and a wall jump. In combat, Momo has a three-hit melee combo as well as a bow and arrow she can shoot for some extra chip damage. New to this entry, Sigils are a set of cards that Momo can equip to add extra benefits to her tool set, such as shooting a more powerful arrow when stamina is full, or using magic points usually reserved for healing to shoot fire arrows. Sigils don’t drastically change the experience, but they offer a nice layer of customization to fit different approaches. Halfway through the game, Momo unlocks a mechanic that increases her attack speed and damage at the cost of her stamina bar, which also proved very useful against bosses and pairs perfectly with a couple of Sigils.

The game lasts about 8 to 10 hours going for all collectables and upgrades, which I think is the perfect length for a game of this style. I found the normal difficulty to be really adequate, with some particular mid to late-game bosses posing a fair challenge. However, making use of the perfect dodge mechanic will make short work of them. For those looking for a higher challenge, beating the game unlocks a boss replay with higher difficulty fights, as well as a perma-death mode, which ads some nice replayability. Additionally, if you’re in it for the exploration side of things, as well as the gorgeous visuals and to soak in the world, the game offers a Light difficulty option that includes a toggle for adaptive difficulty.

For those familiar with the series, beautiful pixel art is to be expected from a Momodora game, but developer Bombservice really knocked it out of the park this time. The world of Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is lush and teeming with detail, from the moonlight bathed Koho Village to the gold glimmering Fairy Village. Every single character and enemy sprite are beautifully animated and move fluidly, and the various areas and biomes of the game are embellished with a cornucopia of lighting effects and particles. Furthermore, the scale of some NPCs and boss sprites is really massive, without giving up quality. I feel like screenshots don’t make justice to how beautiful this game looks in motion.

The soundtrack is also beautiful and evokes a sense of longing and nostalgia. This being the last planned title in the Momodora series, it makes sense. In particular, the Koho Moonlight theme song that plays in the main village is particularly beautiful and matches the entire tone of the adventure and the locale perfectly. As you go progress deeper into demon territory, the soundtrack gets progressively more mysterious and even oppressive in some of the late-game areas, without losing the uplifting motifs in each track.

Momodora: Moonlit Farewell bids farewell to fans with a beautiful final adventure that captures everything that made the series so charming and displays the developer’s accrued experience. While the game doesn’t do anything new with the Metroidvania genre, Moonlit Farewell delivers a simple, elegant and polished adventure with tight platforming, fun and elegant combat, and a fabulous art style.

Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is now available for PCs via Steam.