Infusing horror theming works wonders for this cozy life sim.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/76266/moonlight-peaks-switch-2-review
Vampires, werewolves, and witches all make an appearance in Moonlight Peaks, not so they can do the Monster Mash, but so they can find peace and tranquility in a small charming town. As the child of Dracula, you start the game leaving home and escaping the shadow of your imposing father, complete with a text conversation with mom about your sudden departure. It's a breath of coffin-fresh air to have Halloween season so pervasive in a farming game, and it ends up working well given how much Moonlight Peaks leans in. Magic spells go hand in hand with axes and shovels, and the result is almost a surefire recommendation for fans of cozy time.
Unsurprisingly, you inherit a homestead overcrowded with trees, tall grass, rocks, and an abundance of potential. Your first objective isn't the one you'll complete first, but it introduces you to one of the most important characters and teases his Achilles heel. For vampire Olrock, you're tasked with bringing him a bottle of red wine, and getting there involves prepping your farm space, growing the grapes, constructing a cask, and then producing the wine. Shortly after, you meet his kids who also live in Moonlight Peaks, but you also discover how much of a weakness this fellow has for imbibing. By that time, you'll have picked up enough of the basics, which is helpful for those less familiar with the genre. That said, Moonlight Peaks does very much feel like a game designed for diehard fans looking for something unique.
How then is Moonlight Peaks different from a Story of Seasons or Stardew Valley? One of the main distinctions is obvious at first glance, the purple tinge that infects nearly every aspect of the visuals. The claymation-esque, Animal Crossing-like characters have an endearing look to them, but I wish their character portraits didn't look so different; the side-by-side is a bit jarring. The perpetual nighttime in which you experience the game makes sense for your vampire avatar, but never seeing daytime did start to weigh on me as the days rolled by.
The other major difference is in terms of a mana meter and the spells that use it. Once you get your broken magic wand repaired, you have access to an ethereal watering can that can be summoned to water some of your plants. From Sabrina's shop in town, you can purchase additional spells, like summoning individual tools to break rocks, or conjuring a pair of hands to help you harvest crops. This latter spell has an annoying drawback in that you basically can't take any other actions while the hands are gathering your produce, so some spells are clearly less useful than others. The restrictive mana meter and cumbersome process for refilling it end up muting the effectiveness of the magic system to an extent, but it fits the theme well and adds to the novelty in what's become a wellworn gameplay loop.
What's particularly enjoyable is the random story events that pop up as you move to different sections of the village, like Luna's farm, the swamp, or the vampires' manor. Some of these introduce new quests to take on; many give you insight into the townsfolk and their own stories and quirks. When you put nose to the grindstone and focus on your farming, you can still get visits from your acquaintances and letters that keep you connected to them. It's fun to learn more about how each person feels about their neighbours, especially when they're siblings or parents and kids. Seeing the genuine concern for Orlock from his kids, or the struggle between mayor Brook and his brother Ridge always makes for a compelling scene. Exchanges of animosity and frustration balance out ones of amazement and comedy such that the narrative moments end up being the most memorable.
Should you be in a rush to get hitched, you may grow impatient when the apple of your eye takes a while to warm up to you. In spite of my daily visits and gifts, I waited many a night for barista-baker Mina to show interest. Therein lies the difficulty in playing a game like Moonlight Peaks for review, where the enjoyment derives more in stretching out the experience rather than pushing through as fast as possible. In shorter sessions, there's less repetition, but even on a more condensed schedule, I could gain a great sense of the possibilities for relationships, with effectively no restrictions. There doesn't appear to be an option to have kids, but you can date multiple characters at once, so go ahead and woo a vampire and a witch simultaneously, if your undead heart so desires.
In addition to the aforementioned magic spells, you can also gain transformations that make traversal much faster. One sees you turn into a Hellcat, much like the one you have at home as a pet, which lets you sprint across town at double speed. Another turns you into a bat, which improves your mobility by letting you fly over hedges and other barriers. Fortunately, these don't cost mana and serve as a worthwhile reward for playing through the story rather than just devoting yourself to the farmstead.
A truly staggering aspect of Moonlight Peaks is how many recipes and blueprints you acquire while digging, mining, and completing requests. Completionists and designers will love to keep building up their stable of possible dishes, furniture, and decorations, but the sheer number of these discoveries could somewhat cheapen them for someone who's more into the story and the relationships. There's a decent number of structures to build, tool upgrades, and even recipes to prepare from the outset, and through the process of completing quests you'll open up the devices and structures to create to your heart's content. In short, game's got a lotta stuff in it.
Moonlight Peaks is a life sim with a unique backdrop and a keen awareness of what makes these types of games appealing. The gothic vibes add freshness to a genre filled with replicas, and the transformations and spells, while not perfect, make for a pleasant complement. There's plenty to do on your monstrous homestead and a charming collection of neighbors into whose lives you can insert yourself, however much you choose. It's worth noting that stamina and mana meters can feel a bit restrictive, especially early on, and the purple tinged nights of the spring and summer seasons can grow tiresome. All in all, though, Moonlight Peaks is a delightful cozy experience that is built for fans of the genre and welcoming enough to newcomers as well.
Topic: Moonlight Peaks (Switch 2) Review (Read 17 times)
