Moonlight Peaks

This has all the things I like from Stardew Valley with different progression tracks and ability upgrades. It feels fresh and fun. Very satisfied.

This was the first farm sim outside the Story of Seasons franchise to hook me this much, and I’ve been playing those games since the original on the Super Nintendo. I'm not big on vampires, but I do appreciate a dark aesthetic. If you're looking for something that is truly dark, though, this is not it. It got as dark as a Hello Kitty cartoon. This is also not a fast-paced game, so you won't constantly have story quests demanding your attention. That gives you plenty of time to collect things, work on the farm, decorate, gather materials, raise friendship, and, you know, actually play the game. The beginning of the game is a bit packed because there is so much to introduce you to, then mellows out into the familiar daily grind of a farm sim. [h3]Praise[/h3] The game itself is beautiful, and I really appreciate the work that went into its environments. They don't feel empty or lifeless, like those games that simply slapped textures onto shapes and sprinkled on some grass. I also liked the map layouts, they were easy to navigate and memorable. The character sprites are also very expressive which added a lot to some cutscenes - the slow angry turn with trembling fists is especially fun. I loved that this game actually leaned into its theme instead of just sticking to the same formula. It has its own version of crops, farm animals, and take on quick travel instead of sticking to the generic "here is horse". It did not feel like just playing another Story of Seasons clone, though the usual mechanics are still present. The fact that the watering can doesn't just water one single square alone is a step above what most devs do - and that is without any tool upgrades! You also get infinite storage that can be accessed from anywhere at home, which includes crafting from storage (why some devs still fail on this one I will never know), and reduces the usual reliance on having chests everywhere. This is one of those farm sims where you can get magic to do some chores for you. The magic system is unique and once I learned the patterns of spells and got a stock of food/potions it was very handy. Other farm sims that have had magic just have it a press of a button - this one felt more immersive and the spell upgrades were nice. I enjoyed getting to know the game's cast. They felt like an actual town of families that had been living together rather than a checklist of "this is popular" inserts to appeal to the player. You'll like some, you'll hate some, or you'll just stick to farming and pretend they don't exist. The little things that they comment on that the player does were a nice touch. There are two art styles for the character portraits that you can choose from in the settings. v1 is the game's own painterly cartoon style which I love for the rich character and subtle realism. v2 is more your typical anime style. I think it's pretty cool of them to give players an option since everyone has their own preferences. People will always complain regardless, though. The game within the game was well thought out and fun. I enjoyed collecting all the beautiful cards and building unstoppable decks. It was simple enough that anyone can grasp it with just enough challenge to require building a deck around your opponent's techniques. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this game but I was pleasantly surprised and had a lot of fun. There are a few weak moments in the story where things were supposed to have impact, but it also felt like a result of the game trying its hardest to keep from actually getting dark so I don't fault it on that. It was well worth its cost and I got more out of it than I've gotten out of games costing similar or higher. The game isn't perfect (demanding that of any game is unrealistic) but it stands out as a refreshingly original experience. The developers have been actively patching things and implementing improvements since launch that have already addressed some of the negatives (story cutscenes getting pushed back by dates, romantic partner fawning over other love interests, a rebalance nerf rolled back in a single day). [h3]Gripes[/h3] Fish - Too few, especially compared with the critters. They don’t even have as much seasonal variety. Death - Where's your head at? Llemi - The only datable option I had issue with: the imp who is nothing like an imp. Pumpkin Head would have been a better romanceable given the game's theme. Viktor - I wish uncle [strike]Bartok[/strike] had more daily involvement beyond sitting in his crypt all day, or that we could, like, help him. The rest of the family can stay in their house on the hill... Dates - Having a character locked into one type of date was not enjoyable, especially when they keep requesting to go on one even after marriage. So I just said no whenever it came up. Non-Giftable NPC Birthdays - Why even? Characters - There are no rugged or unconventional female romance options (both of the odd ones out are guys). I also felt that the male characters were given more pronounced personality flaws and troubled histories than the females, which made the cast feel biased (three single dads and four guys with huge egos... lots of variety there). Only one of the women had a flaw that made her unpleasant to me; the rest are mostly do-gooders who put up with the flawed men. Ironically, this made dating some of the female characters dull, while the male characters were more interesting to watch develop. [spoiler]Final House Upgrade - This felt like it should have been a bug. The last upgrade specifically adds "two towers", but only one addition is actually made inside. Would have made more sense if the earlier upgrade did not have the side room, so that the last upgrade actually adds two rooms and doesn't feel underwhelming.[/spoiler]