We got the chance to review Momodora: Moonlit Farewell before its release and we’re here to tell you all about it.
Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is the most recent and final Momodora game, bringing the overall story to a close with its release. Crucially, this game was designed so that you don’t have to have played Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, the previous entry, to understand the story of this game. The console version of the game, which I reviewed, was released on February 6, 2025.
Momodora: Moonlit Farewell
Studio: Bombservice
Platform: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: February 6, 2025
For this review I played the Playstation 5 version of the game on “Light” mode.
The Story
Momodora: Moonlit Farewell begins five years after Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, and follows High Priestess Momo Reinal as she seeks to find a mysterious bell ringer who is summoning demons to attack her village. The secret to this mystery can be found by exploring the veritable labyrinth of caverns, roots and various realms that exist underneath her home.
The Gameplay
As with many Metroidvania games, the primary gameplay of Momodora: Moonlit Farewell involves navigating through a series of maps, unlocking pieces of the story as they go. The map is divided into a series of areas, many of which can’t be reached until the player unlocks a new skill that will allow them to bypass a certain obstacle.
The trouble, as I found out, was finding the right area to learn this new skill to progress the story. For example, while making my initial exploration of the map, I literally moved in a circle at least three times because it wasn’t clear that the entry point to the next part of the map was literally right under my character’s feet. One of the game’s flaws is that the pathways down aren’t visible on the mini-map until you first access them, and I feel like that makes navigating the game world harder than it has to be. Similarly, it’s not always clear when there’s a path leading upward to a new area. The way forward could literally be several leaps away and you would never know because it looks like the map ends when it actually doesn’t.
The other issue connected to navigating the game world was remembering which path led where. One specific game area could not be reached until the double jump skill was learned. However, even once this skill was acquired, there was so much backtracking involved that I had to resort to watching several YouTube videos to figure out the route so the story could progress.
On the positive side, the game provides plenty of spaces to save the game and it is highly recommended to save the game as frequently as possible. This is done by striking a bell at the top of a small tower (these can’t be missed). Don’t hit the “inspect” button and expect to save, the bell must be physically struck for the save to take effect.
Another good detail is how the map differentiates areas from each other. Each “realm” you can explore is coded with a different color. This can be helpful in keeping track of where you’ve been, especially if your objective is to enter a new area. Speaking of new areas, players will quickly note that different areas include different obstacles and environmental hazards. The latter gradually become more deadly the farther into the map you progress. It is strongly recommended to seek out health increases and attack power increases whenever they can be found, they will make a difference in the long run.
The best part of the game by far is the boss fights, many of which can come with little to no warning. These fights are tough, but not unfairly so. Once you learn the boss enemy’s fight pattern, victory is inevitable. I also really enjoyed the wide variety of monsters that could be encountered. They ranged from cute to downright terrifying and were never boring.
Flawed, But Enjoyable
At the end of the day, Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is definitely a flawed game, but I still managed to enjoy it nevertheless. While the map design is beyond frustrating, you do eventually find your way around and the thrill of finally reaching that new area and saving your progress never gets old. Fans of Metroidvania games will no doubt find things to love about this game and the story, but it could have been crafted better.
