Summary
Developer – Little Chicken
Publisher – XSEED Games, Marvelous Europe
Platforms – PC, Nintendo Switch 2 (reviewed)
Review copy given by publisher
After a fight with your parents, you run off to an old neighborhood where your family used to live. It’s time to make a fresh start but there’s a lot you don’t know. Thankfully, there’s a wonderful community of undead residents, just like you. A variety of personalities keeps life interesting while daily activities ensure there’s always something to do. Creating a thriving nighttime farm isn’t normal but you settle in just fine.
Moonlight Peaks succeeds at creating a small but thriving community you enjoy being a part of. There’s always something to do and a new goal to pursue. You can take your time without missing anything vital as you learn on the job. There are some concepts that could use a better explanation and the story pace can be slow. Just like a good crop, this game needs time to grow. Should you make the time investment, there’s a lot of fun to be had.
You are a young vampire who has run away from home after another fight with your parents. It’s time to make something of yourself and you move to your family’s old neighborhood. There are several residents who welcome you and teach you everything you need to know. Even though you haven’t lived by yourself before, it’s not hard to pick up the basics and establish your own farm. Make something of yourself and learn more about the neighborhood you live in, as there’s something in store for you.
The general story is similar to other farming games in the genre. Instead of the typical human, you are an undead vampire. The community you live in consists of various mythical nighttime beings like werewolves or mystics. Everyone has unique personalities, making them fun to interact with. Moonlight Peaks also has a proper storyline with several concurrent side stories. This helps make the community come to life, immersing you in the everyday events and making you wonder what’s next.
Establishing your farm isn’t hard with the same limitations of energy time as other games. The main difference is that there’s more to do and craft than usual. Various characters you meet introduce new tasks for you to pursue. This can range from catching floating skulls to growing plants with magic. New activities are unlocked as you progress through the story and upgrade your tools.
It never feels like you settle in with the usual farming routine, even if it does feel overwhelming at first. There’s always something to do but you are never forced to complete something quickly. You can take your time and progress the story as you like, adapting to the game at your own pace. But if you are ready to take your game to the next step, there’s always a story quest you can complete.
The Nintendo Switch 2 runs the game well, there are almost no issues apart from some odd character movements. Moonlight Peaks isn’t the most intensive game but even several magic spells don’t slow down the frame rate. You can have many creatures running around and spells being cast without any effect on the gameplay.
However, some concepts aren’t properly explained and it would be helpful to have more elaboration. One example concerns location names as it’s hard to understand where some places are. You don’t know where the Cave of Echoes is at first, nor are you told the existence of any caves. Looking at your map reveals some cavern locations but doesn’t identify where you need to go. It’s not a major issue but it does mean you are sometimes stumbling through the game without a helping hand.
It also takes time to progress through the story, going through several motions. There aren’t any novel storylines, you can guess the following events with great accuracy. Triggering the next story event isn’t clear as well as the conditions aren’t always the same. Some events require you to visit town while others appear with time. Given that some upgrades or magic spells are locked behind the story, a clearer path to completion would be great.
Moonlight Peaks is definitely a game that demands a time investment but pays off once it’s there. You will spend lots of your time figuring out how to progress the story and learning where everything is. Once you find your groove and develop a solid routine, the fun starts to kick in. Spicing up a routine with an exciting activity is always nice and you never feel rushed. It’s a farming experience you won’t forget and probably won’t put down with all the activities to do.
