Now when the Wii came out, I started to notice a trend in some of the games that Nintendo developed. More and more titles that Nintendo released for the console had 8-bit sprites of Mario and company hidden in the environment. An example would be in Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus where both had Mario sprites hidden on the running trails. Alone, this would just seem like a simple Easter egg, but there is more to be found.

With the fact that now even ONE pixel character has been officially named within the games, I propose that one of two scenarios will happen in the future. Either A: Nintendo will retcon the old arcade and NES titles to being set in the Flat Zone and ignoring Mario's past life living in Brooklyn, New York with Pauline and his pet ape Donkey Kong; or B: Nintendo is planning a new game in which the denizens of Flat Zone invade and have taken on the forms of the first people they see being Mario, Luigi and the people of the Mushroom Kingdom. Personally, I think the former theory holds more merit, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Momodora: RUtM (Reverie Under the Moonlight) is a game about a small priestess named Kaho who comes across the lands to a foreign kingdom where a dark magic has been slowly encroaching into hers. Kaho is no ordinary priestess though; she wields a small maple leaf that doubles as a sword/fan/thing? She also wields a bow, of which she is seemingly a master at. Her travels bring her to Karst City, the home of the kingdoms queen and hopefully an answer to where the curse is coming from.

Don't Ask me to explain. It's magic, there is none.

The games art style is obviously pixelized, but it makes the game look very charming. Combined with the music it can be very atmospheric at times. Mechanically the game works very well, combos feel satisfying to land, multiple times in a row with a few shots from the bow for good measure. But the thing to tie it all together is the dodge mechanic. A short and simple roll in one direction is by no means exciting on its own, but with a quick paced combo'em up style combat system it makes everything feel tighter. Granted your i-frames won't always save you. The game also packs a few upgrades/items that make things a little bit spicier. As well as the staple healing item in the form of 'Bellflowers' that work on a charge system (reminds me of orange juice for some reason).

Its obvious that Momodora: RUtM pulls inspiration from several sources, being a metroidvania, but packs quite a unique feel that sets it apart. It is however fairly short, and is possible to finish in one sitting (including all item collection, if you really wanted to). But has an NG+ system along with several hard to get achievements for those completionists out there. If you're experienced with metroidvania styled games you'll find this one easy enough to progress through, with just enough challenge to keep you trying again and again. If its too easy you can ramp up the difficulty all the way to hard, you masochist.

Beware amazing chest, in short try attack.

In my opinion the game was a blast; a short little gem packed with action and some good ole-timey exploration. However I feel like it could have been so much more. More enemies, more bosses, more challenge, more areas, more more more! But having played the previous iterations of the series I can say for damn sure that this is by far the best, in every way.

The story however for me is the most lacking aspect. Characters in the game operate similarly to those in Dark Souls where you'll encounter them at certain points of the game if you aid/interact with them. Dialogue is sometimes weird in English (likely a byproduct of translation), and the story arcs are a little confusing sometimes, but it's a minor gripe.

Whatever you say, Sans.

Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is now available in the Steam Store for 8.99 Euro, 9.99 USD. A reasonable price when you consider its replayability.

Recommended? Yes, definitely for those who enjoy the metroidvania genre. And for some if their looking for a game to pass a couple hours with and not have to get completely stuck in.

A solid 7/10. Hopefully enough incentive for another one to be made.

http://www.bombservice.com/momo4.html - Dev's Website.

The Game is set at the foot of an expansive estate, owned by a anscestor of the player's.The player soon learns that the ancestor has been secretly excavating beneath his manor releasing a great evil upon the world. Horrified and broken, the ancestor took his own life, leaving his hamlet in ruin. And so, the player steps in, inheriting their relative‘s lands and are set to undo the corruption that was unleashed. Controlling a group of four heroes, and a force of many more, the player is tasked on exploring and clearing wide variety of areas, ranging from undead infested ruins to twisted and cavernous coves. Each successful expedition into the the ancestor‘s lands uncovers more of its dark past and brings the hamlet closer to its former glory.

Darkest Dungeon delivers an unique and powerful aesthetic feel combining a grotesque Gothic art style, robust soundtrack and well-crafted sound effects. Although, what really sets this game from others is its great narration. Mechanically the game is very satisfying, each attack, spell and action feel like they have great import to a missions sucess. Obliterating the enemy front line with one well placed crit is indescribably fun. A unique game mechanic that makes Darkest Dungeon's absurdly difficult combat less impossible is the death's door mechanic. Once a hero reaches zero health, they do not instantly die, but rather, are put to death's door, where each hit on that hero has a chance to kill them. Having a hero brought to death‘s door is always terrifying, as the player is trying desperately to try and save the hero, delaying their inescapable end.

Another particularly striking aspect of this game is its stress mechanic, which introduces a psychological aspect to the game. Throughout the quests heroes will accumulate stress during battles and through object interactions and once they've had enough of the horrors, they will become afflicted. These afflictions greatly hinder their combat ability, stresses out their party and are overall unpleasant to have. Thus, stress relief comes into place taking up a huge part of this game. After the quest is over, a stressed hero could be sent to one of the many stress relief activities inside the tavern or the abbey, for a small fee, of course. However, if an afflicted hero fills their stress bar for a second time, they are treated with a heart attack, which immediately puts them at death's door, or if they are at death's door- instantly kills them. To sum, this mechanic is in place to make the heroes more human, it shows what inner turmoil a hero would actually face when traversing grim and harsh dungeon halls, forced to fight for their lives.

Darkest Dungeon is a brutally punishing and difficult game, that‘s what it‘s famed for. In the very start, right after the opening cinematic the player is treated with a little disclaimer warning you about the perils they will face ahead, stating that their favorite heroes will indeed succumb to the evil therein. But there's still an option for more casual players to disable a few hard game mechanics in the options screen, making the game so much easier.

To add, the game has a lot of riveting content, plentiful of fleshed out bosses and some replayability with NG+. For completionists, there are quite a few hellishly difficult and rare achievements to be had on steam.

In the end, I find this game worth all the time I had spent on it, even though the game felt a little bit grindy and repetitive at the end while preparing my expeditions to the final quest. Still, I had many really memorable moments while playing this game.

Also, there‘s an argument to be made that the game is too RNG based. That may be true to some degree, a good player is more than capable of keeping their heroes alive, no matter how grim things look, there is always the retreat button, which is often overlooked by most players. Having over two hundred hours of experience in this game I managed to beat NG+ only losing three heroes. RNG is not that terrifying and can be easily countered by good party compositions, equipment and planning, if you asked me.

8/10, Atmospheric, memorable and challenging game, yet a bit grindy at points.

Darkest Dungeon is available on steam for 22.99 Euros, 24.99 USD. The price may be a bit steep, but you‘re getting a lot out of this game.

The game still gets occasional updates, you can find out more about them before they get released on the game‘s website www.darkestdungeon.com

I would most definitely recommend playing this game for anyone who enjoys a challenge and appreciates a grim, Lovecraft inspired aesthetic. This game will definitely keep you engaged for weeks.