Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault

I couldn’t put Moonlight 2: The Endless Vault down. The dual gameplay loops are so much deeper than the first game, and that makes them even more compelling than they already were. They feed into each other masterfully, creating a cohesive whole that completely justifies the need for a sequel, while only enhancing the core of what made that experience so amazing.

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is appropriately a veritable trove of masterclass design choices, such that the original Moonlighter becomes a waning moon by comparison. Aside from its story, the sequel takes everything that made the first game special, stuffs it back onto the shelves, and gives nearly every part of it an upgrade. Maybe it shouldn’t have traded its ending for near-perfection in every other aspect, but it did, and we’re still left with some much-needed roguelite love for the shop layer and an overhauled combat loop that’s closer to traditional roguelite ken. I wouldn’t call that a bad deal, and I think neither would any of Will’s regulars.

For me, Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault replaces Moonlighter since it’s a great upgrade in literally every aspect. While it certainly has its shortcomings, I feel it’s the definitive Moonlighter experience, and the fact that it has such a great roguelike integration makes it even better. All you have to do is to avail the opportunity and play it, as it’s chock-full of content, while offering great build variety as well. Not only that, but it runs very well too, and it never crashed or had any performance problems, either.

Overall, I think if you’re the kind of player who is more interested in ‘numbers go up’ than I am—for example, if you couldn’t stop playing Ball x Pit, MegaBonk, or Vampire Survivors for the progression rather than the gameplay—then this is probably right up your alley as a deeper version of the original Moonlighter. But if you’re like me, and you need the RPG elements or story as primary motivators for the dungeon diving or the mercantile gameplay, rather than simply earning gold, you might be left unsatisfied. I was left nostalgic for the 2018 original more than I thought I would be.

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault feels like a meaningful evolution of the original game’s premise. Both the dungeon-crawling and shop management gameplay elements are more engaging and detailed, buoyed by a successful leap to 3D graphics. As a roguelike, it does perhaps overstay its welcome and run out of steam and new locations before long, but it’s a fun shift at Moonlighter while it lasts.

Moonlighter 2 is an accessible roguelike with a strong sense of progression. Its mix of combat, puzzles, and shopkeeping makes for an enjoyable gameplay loop. The grind eventually becomes a bit noticeable and the loading times could be shorter. Overall, it is a visually appealing and polished improvement over its predecessor.

With no one interesting to talk to between runs, and only so much drama to be had out of the cash customers are willing to pay for your broken batteries, Moonlighter 2 eventually captures the soul-crushing ritual of clocking into a dead-end job perfectly. [Issue#429, p.120]