Listen, I have a very detailed and well-constructed plan for whenever I somehow become a Billionaire with a capital B. It used to be million, but in this economy, that’s a lowercase m now. I don’t know if I am going to get lucky at the lottery (despite not gambling), I don’t know if I am going to inherit it from a relative (despite no one in my family being rich), and I don’t know if I am going to become the nextMrBeastwho gets rich through YouTube (despite only using YouTube to listen to music), but I have a plan for that Billion. That plan also ensures I don’t lose it all through reckless spending, but my life is also going to instantly get better via reckless spending. Listen, I have a plan. The closest I may ever come to fulfilling that plan, if I am being honest with myself, was my recent time withMoonlighter 2: The Endless Vault.
I recently attended 11 bit studios' hands-on event in Warsaw, Poland, where I played a few hours ofThe Altersbut also spent a little time withMoonlighter 2: The Endless Vault. A lot has clearly changed since the first game, but the core pillars remain the same. Players once again step into the shoes of Will, the Hero-Merchant, following the events of the first game. Now, players find themselves strange in the distant village of Tresna, with a not-so-understanding landlord demanding rent we owe on the shop we haven’t quite opened. Will was once a merchant who dreamed of becoming a hero, but having fulfilled his dreams (to some degree), he finds himself at the mercy of his ultimate weapon: capitalism.
Moonlighter 2’s Gameplay Loop
Moonlighter 2begins with the landlord throwing us through a portal into a dungeon, demanding we find relics to pay for our late rent. Questions on the cost-effectiveness and ROI of this random endeavor aside, we set off for the tutorial. The first thingMoonlighterfans are going to notice (and already have) is the change from its16-bit era-inspired pixel artpresentation to its 3D visuals. Luckily, it doesn’t rob the game of its identity; it still very much feels likeMoonlighter. It feels more like an evolutionary sequel than something foreign or a retread, which speaks to developer Digital Sun’s ability to balance the new with the familiar.
Combat has improved dramatically, with enemies feeling more like a puzzle to be solved and less like a performative roadblock. Of course, players have melee options, but some enemies are better handled with ranged attacks—which players must charge through melee attacks. When enemies are stunned, there’s also the option to wallop them with Will’s backpack and send them flying across the map into a wall, off a ledge, or into another enemy. The puzzle-like nature ofMoonlighter 2’s combatis both fun and frenetic, as players must also avoid enemies and manage everything on-screen (and off), while also juggling a few resources, health, and the like.
This tutorial also gives players their first look at the first major dungeon area of the game: a Wild West-like desert. The vibes are enjoyable, which is great because after completing the first run and working in the shop, players will be returning here for the next few runs. At this point, we were introduced to the familiar gameplay loop ofMoonlighter 2: run dungeons, acquire relics, return to town, and sell said relics. The story is also set up in this segue of sorts, where players are re-introduced to NPCs like Andrei and Eris, while also meeting The Endless Vault. It tasks us with the primary goal of the game, which also includes getting very rich relatively quickly. The landlord and I were listening intently, which is hopefully the one and only time I have to use the phrase “landlord and I” in such a corresponding manner.
Running the Shop
While players can upgrade the shop and the entiretown of Tresna inMoonlighter 2, we obviously only had the starter shop. It was set up with four displays, and we would have to put out our relics for potential customers. They would walk in and shop, and as soon as customers were in, something would break and require our attention, there would be a spill in aisle 6 (there are no aisles inMoonlighter 2), and all the stresses of working in retail came to the forefront in a fun format. Occasionally, angry customers would come in, and anyone who has ever worked in retail knows you just kind of have to deal with them.
The demands of capitalism wait for no one, and while all that is going on, we would have to spot when customers are interested in buying something. We’d speak with them, have a little mini-game of sorts where we could charm and haggle our way to more gold (the landlord and I have our ears perked), and make a sale. This mini-game could also stack effects as players pick upgrades in theMoonlighter 2shop, which in turn feeds this idea that I could get rich through working in retail, but that’s not going on my string board of “get rich quick” schemes. I’m not quite sure it would be worth it. Still, it’s a fun way to make some gold inMoonlighter 2at least, but our starter run was not enough money to fulfill the first goal from The Endless Vault. In fact, due to the short time we had withMoonlighter 2, I never accomplished this task. No one gets rich that fast by working in retail. We could acquire some potion and weapon upgrades from town NPCs, however, and set off on our next roguelike dungeon run.
Shopping the Runs
InMoonlighter 2, there are no heroics (at least out of the gate). We just need to meet the demands of capitalism, which involves dangerous dungeon delving to seek out valuable artifacts. We returned to this desert dungeon and fought our way to the end of the room. The best way to describedungeons inMoonlighter 2is a series of interconnected “rooms.” At the end of each room, players can claim whatever the reward is and choose the reward for the next one. Players can pick higher difficulties that have better treasure or go the safe route. The landlord would likely prefer it if we went with the highest-value treasure every time, but players also have to consider their health and how likely they are to make it through the next room. Other options could appear for the next room too, like NPC spawns to get more potions or perk rooms to acquire upgrades for the run.
Perhaps the most fun of aMoonlighter 2run is filling up the backpack. Players begin with a certain number of item slots, which does limit how much players can carry out of the dungeon, but how they increase the value of their items is incredibly fun. Managing the backpack is similar to theitem case inResident Evil 4, if with a more capitalist twist. For example, players could just take the standard relics at the end of the room, but there’s always at least one cursed relic. These relics may increase their value (or the value of other relics) under certain conditions, which means managing the backpack is key to getting rich quickly.
Overall, going on shopping runs and running the shop is a lot of fun. It evokes the same core gameplay loop ofMoonlighter 1, but it features several smart improvements to keep it engaging across the board. And, at least in the simpler opening hours, the focus on getting money is relatable.
Moonlighter 2 May Not Actually Make Me Rich, But…
PlayingMoonlighter 2may not actually make me rich, now that I’ve stopped to think about it, but my short time with it was a lot of fun. Its simple premise is highly relatable, its gameplay retains simplicity while introducing smart improvements, and it has a solid foundation to develop its core mechanics into something fun, highly replayable, and even more intensive.
You can bet the landlord and I are both looking forward to thesummer 2025 release ofMoonlighter 2.
Moonlighter 2releases in summer 2025. Game Rant was provided travel and lodging for the purposes of this preview.
