Moons Of Darsalon
- April 19, 2023
- Dr. Kucho! Games
Get on Steam"Moons of Darsalon" is a sci-fi real-time strategy game set in a distant galaxy. Assemble your fleet, manage resources, and conquer planets across multiple moons while battling AI-controlled factions. Its unique blend of strategy and action provides a challenging and immersive experience for fans of the genre.
Mac OS
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Moons of Darsalon features a charming retro aesthetic with beautiful pixel art and a captivating chiptune soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The gameplay combines elements of action, platforming, and puzzle-solving, offering a unique and engaging experience reminiscent of classic games like Lemmings.
- The game is challenging yet fair, with a variety of mechanics and level designs that encourage creative problem-solving and replayability.
- The companion AI can be frustratingly unresponsive and prone to making poor decisions, which can hinder gameplay and lead to unnecessary deaths.
- There are numerous bugs and technical issues, including crashes and inconsistent collision detection, which detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- The addition of AI-generated art has disappointed many players, as it undermines the game's original artistic vision and raises concerns about the impact on the art community.
- gameplay30 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by intuitive and responsive mechanics that provide a satisfying experience, enhanced by innovative features like terrain destruction and vehicle use. While many levels offer engaging challenges and humor, some are criticized for being repetitive or poorly designed, leading to a mixed overall experience. Despite these inconsistencies, the game showcases a labor of love with its creative level design and charming aesthetics, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate its unique mechanics.
“Add on top of all of this a really cool sense of emergent, physics-based gunplay and gameplay, and you've got something that plays nearly as good as it looks.”
“The gameplay mechanics are intuitive and responsive, allowing for smooth and enjoyable gameplay throughout.”
“The game has an excellent balance of difficulty and fun, which keeps you engaged throughout the gameplay.”
“I think this had a lot of potential with its presentation and revisit of these mechanics, but the low quality level design leaves a pretty boring experience overall.”
“The worst ones are the ones featuring buttons (boring gameplay) and the ones which base themselves around avoiding encounters (digger drones, tanks etc.) where the AI of your darsonauts simply makes it too random to finish and they become a slog.”
“This is something you see in a mobile game - I myself hate this kind of mechanics in a paid PC game.”
- music20 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its celestial quality and retro charm, featuring a captivating chiptune soundtrack that perfectly complements the visuals and gameplay. Reviewers highlight the attention to detail, with animations syncing beautifully to the music, and many consider the soundtrack a must-have for fans of chiptune music, even outside of the game context. Overall, the musical score enhances the nostalgic experience and adds significant value to the game's appeal.
“The game's chiptune soundtrack perfectly complements the graphics and adds to the retro feel of the game.”
“Last but not least, the chiptune soundtrack of Moons of Darsalan is just incredible.”
“The attention to detail is impressive, and even the post-level screen dance routines are charmingly animated to sync with the music.”
“The game catches absolutely everything from the music and sound effects of old computers.”
“Also noteworthy is the musical score which is quite C64-like, and the voice acting via synth hits the sweet spot.”
“The music is also very detailed and very fitting!”
- graphics16 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are widely praised for their unique charm and masterful pixel art style, reminiscent of classic 90s games. Players appreciate the vibrant colors, evocative animations, and how the retro visuals harmonize with the chiptune soundtrack, creating an immersive experience. However, some users express disappointment over the inclusion of AI-generated images, feeling it detracts from the game's original aesthetic.
“The visual and audio design of the game is masterful, with a pixel art style that is reminiscent of classic games from the 90s.”
“It is visually stunning with vibrant colors and an immersive aesthetic that will impress any retro gaming enthusiast.”
“I love the graphics and it's a good combination of some old Amiga games like Push Over, Lemmings, Creepers, etc.”
“The game is a great concept in the spirit of the original Lemmings and actually does a lot of things right - especially the graphics, vehicle implementation, and enemies; however...”
“I got this game because I saw it circulating on Twitter and I thought the art style looked really neat.”
“The sound, the graphics, and the quirky humor all gel together to give that sort of vibe.”
- humor9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised for its fun and quirky nature, with players enjoying the clever dialogue and fourth-wall-breaking commentary. While the pixel art and animations add to the comedic experience, some feel that the humor can become repetitive, particularly with frequent remarks about the game's difficulty. Overall, the game's presentation and humorous elements contribute significantly to its charm and enjoyment.
“In which case, I highly recommend you check out a gameplay video of the game, or even better, try the game yourself: you will see how much fun it is, with its interesting gameplay, constant humor, and many surprises.”
“The pixel art is great and the animations are really funny (especially the dance at the score screen).”
“I also really like how comments from the characters are used for guides, tips, and hints, as well as for humorous fourth-wall-breaking commentary.”
- story3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story of "Moons of Darsalon" revolves around a scout on a seemingly repetitive mission to find a lifeform, which ultimately leads to an unexpected and poignant encounter. Despite the escort mission's familiar setup, the narrative unfolds in a way that feels fresh and engaging, highlighting themes of hope and surprise in the face of frustration. The emotional depth of the scout's journey adds a compelling layer to the gameplay experience.
“Yes, in some ways, Moons of Darsalon is an escort mission, but somehow, in one of the several heroic feats this game accomplishes, it's a fun, unprescriptive one.”
“The scout will be frustrated, as it's just another mission to find that lifeform, similar to many other missions that have gone before without result. He'll rush through the terrain, and when the cobalt lifeform surprises him and strikes him to the ground, he'll be amazed that it actually came true after all this time. He'll put up his hand in a friendly gesture of greeting, and the cobalt lifeform will do the same before fleeing immediately... and that's the vision from the scout.”
“The scout will be pissed off, because it's just another mission to find that lifeform, just like so many other missions that have gone before without result. He'll be rushing through the terrain, and the cobalt lifeform will be surprised and strike him to the ground. In the scout's amazement that it actually came true after all this time, he'll put up his hand in a friendly gesture of greeting, and the cobalt lifeform will do the same before fleeing immediately... and that's the vision from the scout.”
“The story feels repetitive and uninspired, as it relies on the same mission structure without offering any meaningful progression or depth.”
“The narrative lacks coherence and fails to engage the player, making it difficult to care about the characters or their journeys.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while it runs well on the Steam Deck and is enjoyable, players have reported significant bugs, such as vehicles behaving erratically after pausing and unpausing the game.
“Plays and runs great on the Steam Deck; the game is very fun too, you should pick it up! :)”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate, providing a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
“I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which makes for a really stable gameplay experience.”
“Still buggy too; if you pause it on the same saucer for a while and then unpause the game, my truck flew off the saucer into the sky and exploded.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I experienced constant frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the overall experience.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is impacted by frustrating mechanics, such as inconsistent damage from environmental interactions, which can lead to sudden and unexpected deaths, potentially causing players to feel a mix of anger and disappointment.
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and lacking creativity, leading to a monotonous experience.
“The problem with the levels is that they can be tedious and uninspired.”
“Grinding feels like a never-ending chore rather than an engaging part of the game.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay motivated to progress.”
