Crimson Moon has the right feel, but it’s the rest of the game that I’m uncertain about

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If you saw Crimson Moon during that PlayStation State of Play back in February 2026, you’re not alone! It was shown off with a bunch of bigger titles, and honestly, since the developer – ProbablyMonsters – isn’t super well-known, I can see it getting lost in all the other game releases this year. It’s tough to stand out when there are so many games competing for our attention!

Crimson Moon is an action RPG focused on completing missions. You play as the Nephilim, a warrior with angelic heritage, and your main objective is to destroy a massive undead army called the Legion – and do so efficiently! While it might seem similar to games like Dark Souls, the developers drew inspiration from many sources. At GDC, I saw a demo of the game and spoke with Chief Product Officer Mark “Bot” Subotnick, who explained that the team plays a wide range of action RPGs including Dark Souls, Darksiders, Diablo, Lies of P, Nioh, and Elden Ring.

Having met with the developers twice and now having played Crimson Moon myself at Summer Game Fest Play Days, I’m immediately struck by how good it feels to play. It seems they’ve nailed at least one key element.

Attacking with different weapons feels smooth and responsive, making the timing of each swing easy to learn. When your weapon connects with an enemy, it feels solid and natural, and the sound effects add to the impact. As someone who’s played similar action RPGs, I found the combat controls picked up quickly and intuitively. It’s clear the developers worked hard to make sure the combat feels grounded and avoids feeling floaty. My only small issue is that the targeting system and camera could be a bit more refined.

Crimson Moon stands out from many action RPGs with its unique ‘lives’ system. Instead of instantly failing when your health drops, you get three chances to revive and continue fighting, briefly stunning enemies as you do. This adds an arcade-like feel, helping Crimson Moon differentiate itself from mission-focused RPGs such as Nioh. It encourages a faster, more aggressive playstyle, as players have a little leeway to recover from mistakes.

Crimson Moon also supports cooperative play, letting you team up with others. I wasn’t able to test this out in the demos I played at GDC and SGF, so I can’t say how well it works just yet. Even if it’s not perfect, playing with a friend can still make a game enjoyable—though there are other options like Nioh 3 that might offer a more compelling co-op experience.

I enjoyed the combat controls, but other parts of the demo were less impressive and sometimes confusing. The level design was particularly inconsistent. In action RPGs that don’t use maps – like Dark Souls or older Nioh games – good level design is essential. It should naturally lead players forward while also encouraging exploration. Unfortunately, Crimson Moon didn’t quite achieve this. The levels felt disjointed, almost as if they were randomly connected rooms. I only played one level, so it’s hard to say for sure, but that part of the demo wasn’t very strong.

Crimson Moon focuses on challenging missions you’ll want to play through again and again. The developers call it a ‘mission roguelike,’ but exactly how that works isn’t fully apparent. While many games use a mission structure, it’s unclear how this combines with the game’s action RPG combat. During my demo, I saw a familiar feature from roguelikes – choosing between three temporary power-ups that slightly altered my attacks. However, beyond that, it’s hard to say how much ‘roguelike’ influence there really is.

I’m still unclear on how character development works overall – what changes stick and what are temporary. I also didn’t understand how finding loot connects to building my character. Character customization and progression are crucial for action RPGs, but I couldn’t figure out those aspects of the game. Ultimately, playing the demo left me with more confusion than clarity.

It’s tough to get a clear idea of how a game like Crimson Moon – which seems to be a mission-based roguelike – is meant to play from a demo that only lasts twenty minutes. I couldn’t figure out how the game balances quick runs with overall progress, and even the developers weren’t completely sure when I spoke to them at GDC.

Crimson Moon is planned for release in September, but that’s a very busy month for RPG games – you can see how full it is on our calendar! Based on what I’ve played so far, I don’t think Crimson Moon will stand out enough to get my attention. With big titles like Fire Emblem, Trails, Onimusha, Control, and many others already competing for players, it might be hard for Crimson Moon to gain traction.

I’m still on the fence about Crimson Moon, but I’m interested to see how it turns out. There’s a real need for role-playing games that are moderately sized – not overly huge and complex, but also more developed than many indie titles.

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2026-06-18 07:58