Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider

About

In "Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider," players control a powerful mecha named Moonrider, on a mission of vengeance against a tyrannical computer system. With fast-paced side-scrolling action, Moonrider battles through futuristic environments using a variety of weapons and abilities. The game features challenging gameplay, stunning pixel art, and a pulse-pounding soundtrack that will keep players engaged and entertained.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 545 reviews

music122 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

Gorgeous pixel art and a fantastic soundtrack that captures the retro aesthetic.
Fluid and responsive controls, making the gameplay enjoyable and engaging.
Fun level design with a mix of challenging enemies and bosses, providing a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic 16-bit games.

The game is very short, typically completed in under 3 hours, leading to concerns about replayability.
Boss fights can be too easy, often allowing players to brute force their way through without learning patterns.
Some controls feel clunky or unresponsive, particularly with wall jumping and dash mechanics.

music
176 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
29%
2%
The music in "Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider" has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its fantastic soundtrack that captures an 80s synthwave vibe, enhancing the game's retro aesthetic and gameplay experience. Each level features memorable tracks that fit well with the action, making it a highlight of the game, although some players noted that a few tracks were less impactful than others. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a major strength, contributing significantly to the game's nostalgic appeal and enjoyment.
- “The music is fantastic; each level has an incredibly good soundtrack that fits the game so well.”
- “The soundtrack is absolutely amazing; it was the first thing that pulled me into the game. When I heard the high-energy trailer track, I knew this game was exactly what I wanted.”
- “The visuals and the music complement each other fantastically.”
- “The control is clunky and the background music is lame.”
- “There are a few moments where you are riding on a motorcycle across a highway avoiding and shooting at enemies in a more horizontal shoot 'em up style, these stages look good but like going through the main stages you just aren't challenged by enemies and the subdued music can give them a dull feel.”
- “Pretty decent action platformer with great art and soundtrack, sadly though, it's pretty easy, very short and with not so great replay value.”
graphics
131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
40%
2%
The graphics of "Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider" are widely praised for their stunning pixel art and nostalgic 16-bit aesthetic, effectively capturing the essence of classic side-scrolling games. Reviewers highlight the vibrant colors, detailed character designs, and impressive backgrounds, complemented by a fitting retro soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. While some mention minor gameplay issues, the visuals remain a standout feature, making the game visually appealing and enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- “The graphics are really good; it captures the feel and look of classic side scrollers, more precisely Contra and Strider, with incredible uses of color, detail, character designs, and background.”
- “The overall presentation is great: very detailed and stellar pixel graphics that don't get old even after finishing the game, great enemy and boss designs, levels filled with character and detail, all tied off with a great and very fitting retroesque soundtrack.”
- “The graphics are super clean and distinct, with a surprisingly grotesque look in a few environments and bosses that gives Moonrider a style I won't forget any time soon.”
- “It's sad because I could really see myself coming back to it if it had more to offer than just pretty graphics.”
- “This literally feels like playing a thirty-year-old game, both in terms of stodgy gameplay mechanics and in the presentation which seems to think flickery graphics and an overly busy display makes for a good combination.”
- “This game has the apparent distinction of being literally unplayable on my computer due to a graphics card incompatibility.”
gameplay
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
55%
3%
The gameplay of "Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider" is widely praised for its fast-paced, retro-inspired mechanics reminiscent of classic side-scrollers like Mega Man and Strider, featuring responsive controls and engaging combat. While many players appreciate the level design and variety of abilities, some note issues with difficulty balance and a lack of depth in mechanics, leading to a somewhat shallow experience. Overall, the game successfully combines nostalgic elements with modern gameplay sensibilities, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre.
- “Okay, the gameplay is really good and takes inspiration from classic side scrollers like Strider, Contra, and even Mega Man.”
- “Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a fantastic action side-scroller with beautiful pixelated 16-bit art style, solid gameplay, responsive controls, neat level design, and a good soundtrack.”
- “Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider kicks off 2023 in the best way possible with an immaculate retro platforming title delivering tight gameplay, gorgeous visuals, great enemy variety, and intense boss fights.”
- “The gameplay is a bit confusing at first: you are encouraged to speedrun, but the many abilities you collect also mean you are supposed to plan out your moves ahead of time.”
- “To me, there are 2 main 'weak points' with the gameplay: length and difficulty.”
- “This literally feels like playing a thirty-year-old game, both in terms of stodgy gameplay mechanics and in the presentation which seems to think flickery graphics and an overly busy display makes for a good combination.”
story
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
85%
4%
The story of "Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider" is generally viewed as simplistic and somewhat underdeveloped, focusing on a basic narrative of stopping a villain while touching on themes of tradition and revolution. While some players find the story oddly captivating and fitting within the retro aesthetic, many agree that it lacks depth and coherence, with writing that can border on cringe-worthy. Overall, the narrative serves its purpose but is not the main draw of the game, which is primarily celebrated for its gameplay and visual style.
- “The story is good; it's a simple stop-the-bad-guy story that does meditate a little bit on the nature of tradition, revolution, and tyranny.”
- “Controls are tight, the music is really good, the story is oddly captivating, the visuals resemble gritty early 90's sci-fi anime, and overall the game is fun.”
- “Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is an exceptionally fun, classically difficult 2D side-scroller with a consistently compelling 80's vibe that influences the storyline, aesthetics, and soundtrack in equal measure.”
- “The story felt like it sort of just existed, but the gameplay is spot-on as soon as you stop treating this like a ninja game and instead treat it as a Kamen Rider influenced game.”
- “Don't even get me started on the basic, almost non-existent story.”
- “The game's story, while obviously not important to the enjoyment of the game, also feels a bit unfinished, as if there were some key backstories or establishing conversations that were cut.”
replayability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
68%
11%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find enjoyment in collecting items, achieving high ranks, and speedrunning, others note that the overall experience is short and lacks depth once completed. Many appreciate the challenge of mastering stages and the inclusion of secrets, but some feel that the game offers little incentive to replay after achieving 100%. Overall, it caters well to completionists and score-chasers, though it may not satisfy those seeking extensive replay value.
- “Decent replay value to the stages as you look for power-ups and try for S-rank (felt to me like speed and not dying are the only qualifiers, so it's a pretty merciful endeavor for the most part).”
- “Sprinkling in a bit of the Mega Man X stage selection, secrets and special weapons, along with stage rankings for replayability and challenging yourself adds a lot to it as well.”
- “Even if a bit short, it has oodles of replayability for those who like speed running or achieving the elusive S rank.”
- “Zero replayability.”
- “There doesn't seem to be any replayability past 100% the game and the mainline bosses are easier than the mini bosses for the most part, but nonetheless, I'm happy to support the company.”
- “It's not without its issues (low replay value if you're bothered by that sort of thing, slowdown potentially caused by a memory leak), but the game itself is very fun and offers some relatively challenging gameplay in spots.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the wall jumping mechanic to be tedious and frustrating, often feeling unresponsive and serving as unnecessary padding in gameplay. This aspect is critical for progressing through certain levels, but its execution detracts from the overall experience.
- “Wall jumping is tedious and a lot of times doesn't feel like it sticks right.”
- “Wall jumping is tedious (think NES Strider) and is critical to succeeding in a couple of levels.”
- “Just more tedious padding.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The reviews highlight that while the game features impressive graphics reminiscent of classic side-scrollers like Contra and Strider, there is little focus on character development itself. Instead, the emphasis is on the visual appeal and nostalgic gameplay, suggesting that character growth may not be a central element of the experience.
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, particularly on the Steam Deck, where users report smooth performance and an enjoyable gaming experience.
- “Fantastic game, runs great on the Steam Deck and is extremely fun to play.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally solid, with users reporting only minor stutterings occasionally.
- “There are minor stutterings here and there.”
- “The optimization is lacking, leading to occasional frame drops.”
- “Performance issues persist, making the game feel unpolished.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game successfully creates a unique atmosphere that stands out, incorporating notable references like Ninja Gaiden, which adds depth to its overall experience. Players appreciate the evident effort put into crafting this distinctive ambiance.
- “You can really tell effort was made to give this game a unique atmosphere, while having some obvious references such as Ninja Gaiden.”

80%Critics’ scoreBased on 25 critic reviews

Buy Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider

4h Median play time

4h Average play time

2-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

83%1.2kreviews

Cyber Shadow

2021

Arcade Hack and Slash

85%7.8kreviews

Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight

2016

Role Playing

89%7.1kreviews

Freedom Planet

2014

Arcade Platformer

80%2.6kreviews

Strider

2014

Hack and Slash

87%5.3kreviews

Record of Lodoss War-Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth-

2020

Hack and Slash

92%2.9kreviews

Gravity Circuit

2023

Arcade Platformer

85%694reviews

Blazing Chrome

2019

Arcade Shooter

84%152reviews

Primal Light

2020

Platformer

92%1.3kreviews

Momodora III

2014

Platformer

88%1.2kreviews

Bleed

2013

Arcade Shooter

Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider Tweets

Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider

Platforms

About