Moonchild
- April 22, 2016
- Aldorlea Games
- 20h median play time
Get on Steam"Moonchild" is a single-player Role Playing game with a engaging plot and colorful characters. As Queen Calypso, players must rescue their abducted child through 20+ hours of gameplay, featuring 9 playable characters, visible encounters, and various difficulty modes. With a Party Switcher, summonable creatures, and countless items and spells to discover, players can unlock 23 achievements in this unique 16-bit RPG adventure.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a fun and whimsical story with pleasant art and music, making it enjoyable for fans of classic RPGs.
- It offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of old-school RPGs, with engaging gameplay and a variety of side quests.
- The combat system is smooth and strategic, allowing players to choose their difficulty level and enjoy a relaxed gaming experience.
- The level design is often criticized for being tedious and confusing, with long mazes and dead ends that hinder navigation.
- The writing and dialogue are frequently described as poor, with unengaging characters and clichéd plot elements.
- Many players find the game to be slow-paced, requiring excessive grinding and leading to a lack of motivation to continue.
- story80 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally perceived as simple and somewhat cliché, revolving around a queen's quest to rescue her abducted daughter, which some players found enjoyable despite its predictability. While the narrative pace keeps players engaged, many reviewers noted a lack of character development and poor writing quality, leading to mixed feelings about the overall storytelling experience. Despite these criticisms, the game offers a whimsical atmosphere and interesting side quests that can enhance the enjoyment of the story for those willing to navigate its challenges.
“The story is about a queen whose daughter has been abducted and she goes a long way around the world to save her.”
“And albeit it's a simple story, I find it wholly enjoyable compared to super complicated ones.”
“I would like to highly recommend this game to any old school RPG Maker enthusiasts who like a great storyline and a detailed game world with lots of things to do.”
“I wasn't grabbed by the story enough to make all the tedium worthwhile.”
“Basically, the plot in this one has a few clichés and overall the characters could have been developed a bit more.”
“Con: writing is poor, with grammar and spelling errors on top of just a horrible story.”
- grinding20 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game, with some finding it tedious and time-consuming, particularly due to poorly designed mazes and an unbalanced leveling system. While achievement hunters may face grindy tasks, others appreciate the abundance of side quests and activities available. Overall, the grinding can feel like a test of endurance, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
“What specifically made me give up was how tedious the levels were to navigate, usually consisting of large mazes with dead ends.”
“Later, the usual JRPG grinding and massive dungeons come into play, and it becomes a test of endurance.”
“But as the game progressed, the massive grinding and the unbalanced leveling system made me drop it at some point.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
Gameplay in Aldorlea games, particularly in titles like "Moonchild," offers a rich storyline and around 20 hours of engaging content, though the world is noted to be limited in size and diversity. Players criticize the poorly explained mechanics and inconsistent battle difficulty, which can range from effortless to tedious, while the dialogue is often described as lacking. Additionally, there are calls to remove easier difficulty settings, as they can diminish the experience by allowing players to bypass the game's more interesting mechanics.
“Rich storyline and entertaining gameplay.”
“[i]moonchild[/i] is a cute game that hails from Aldorlea Games - a really promising RPG Maker-based developer team - that will easily offer you 20 hours of gameplay.”
“The world isn't that big, neither that diverse, but the main story itself would present you a nearly 20-hour gameplay and it's engaging enough.”
“The stats and mechanics are poorly explained, battles seem to run the gamut of effortless or tedious, with nothing in-between, and the dialogue is relentlessly awful.”
“A lot of 'bad reviews' seem to not understand that you don't play Aldorlea games in the afternoon as an adult addicted game player - they are for nighttime for sane people (or for younger players).”
“Doesn't get slaughtered in the first 10 minutes of gameplay.”
- music10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as pleasant and whimsical, providing a relaxing backdrop, but it lacks memorable tracks and can become repetitive over time. While some players find it adequate for gameplay, others suggest muting the game and opting for personal soundtracks instead. Overall, the soundtrack is considered average, with no standout moments.
“Pleasant art and music, whimsical story.”
“Music is nothing special, but good enough to listen to during playing.”
“Music was just average, no tracks stuck with me but nothing was horrible either.”
“Soundtrack is pretty, yet it becomes annoyingly repetitive after a while, so I strongly recommend muting the game and playing your own soundtrack in any of these 16-bit games - with some exceptions like ASM or FF series, of course.”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- humor8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely criticized for being poorly executed and unfunny, with many reviewers noting that the dialogue feels forced and lacks coherence. Attempts at humor are described as hamfisted, leading to a tone that detracts from the overall experience rather than enhancing it. Overall, players feel the game is far less amusing than it aspires to be.
“I wonder if it also includes the developer laughing at the fact that you bought a 'deluxe' edition of this game.”
“The rest is fluffy, unfunny babble.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, featuring beautifully designed environments and a fitting manga-style artwork that enhances the overall aesthetic without being excessive. While not groundbreaking, the visuals are considered suitable and appealing within the constraints of RPG Maker. However, some players noted that navigation can be confusing, detracting from the visual experience.
“I also liked the environment with richly decorated scenes, and the manga-style artwork fits the game nicely (thankfully it’s not overdone).”
“Graphics won't present you anything extraordinary, yet I found the environment design to be fitting and beautiful within the limitations of RPG Maker.”
“This seems like a pretty good game with nice graphics.”
“The graphics won't present you anything extraordinary, yet I found the environment design to be fitting and beautiful within the limitations of RPG Maker.”
