Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault combines roguelike dungeon crawling with roguelike shop-keeping

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Everyone has areas where they’re not as knowledgeable or experienced. For me, that was the original “Moonlighter” game, even though it received many positive reviews, including our own. The upcoming sequel, “Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault“, is scheduled for release this year, and I recently got a sneak peek during Summer Game Fest Play Days. If you’d like to hear the thoughts of someone who hasn’t delved into the game before, keep reading.

In this sequel demo, I’m approaching things with a certain level of blindness, which might not be beneficial for those seeking thoughts on how the game has evolved compared to its predecessor. The fact that the art style has changed, and the transition to 3D models, understandably, may cause some hesitation. As a lover of excellent spritework, I personally feel that a significant portion of the original’s charm is diminished when moving from a top-down sprite-based camera to an isometric one.

In this sequel, it’s evident that developer Digital Sun aims to experiment with fresh ideas. One of many major alterations they’ve implemented is a shift in the art style, but this is just one of several substantial modifications they’ve made to the heart of the original game.

Based on a post from earlier this year on Steam, Moonlighter 2 is expected to enhance randomness not just in its dungeon part, but also in its management aspect. To an observer, it appears that the management side has undergone significant mechanical alterations. The shop minigame now seems to resemble a roguelike experience on its own, with unique bonuses appearing randomly each time you open your shop.

As a passionate gamer, I’ve noticed that the developer Digital Sun has been striving to mix up the item-selling aspect in the game to make it less monotonous, which is commendable. However, from what I’ve gathered from Steam reviews on the demo page (currently rated 54% positive with a “mixed” status), changes to the shopping system seem to be a significant point of contention among players, with many expressing their concerns. Additionally, the performance of the demo appears to have garnered quite a bit of criticism as well.

In the game, rather than focusing on calculating an item’s price for sale and negotiating with customers, the objective is now about strategically applying various bonuses to achieve the maximum selling price. Bargaining or bartering isn’t a significant aspect of the merchant part of the game anymore. Essentially, you aim to make money and hope that the game’s random factors cooperate in order to boost your profits.

As someone who didn’t spend much time on the original Moonlighter, I can’t fully express how the new system stacks up, but any major change to a fundamental game mechanic is likely to stir some debate. Both versions have their merits, and I hope Digital Sun can refine the systems based on the feedback gathered during the demo phase.

In Moonlighter 2, the battle system within the main vault follows typical conventions for games of its kind. Essentially, it’s a real-time action role-playing game, but this time presented from an isometric viewpoint.

As you venture deeper into the dungeon, you have the option to choose the types of rooms you wish to explore, a feature typical of games like this roguelike. Your goal is to discover valuable items to sell in your shop, as well as enhancements to boost your combat abilities.

In combat, you’ll find the actions quite routine. Essentially, you can perform a strong attack, a quick attack, an attack from a distance, and an evasive move called a dodge roll.

In Moonlighter 2, the intricate aspect lies in managing your inventory. Unlike many other role-playing games where picking up items and placing them in your backpack is straightforward, in Moonlighter, every pickup requires strategic thinking. The descriptions of each item indicate their interactions with neighboring items in a grid-like inventory interface. Positioning specific items next to others can boost an item’s worth or even destroy adjacent items altogether. This means that instead of hoarding everything you find, you must carefully consider the placement of each individual item within your inventory.

In the demonstration, my goal was to gather 5000 gold pieces within a day. To accumulate gold, you need to venture into the game’s randomly generated dungeon-like labyrinth, collect valuable items from chests that can be sold, then return to the store and sell them to the customers. Use your earnings to buy permanent improvements – either for your fighting skills or for your shop – and then give it another go.

During my brief encounter with the demo for Moonlighter 2, it’s clear that the allure of ‘just one more try’ typical in roguelikes is present. Upon returning from an expedition, you notice permanent advancements being made, which greatly increases the chances of success on your next journey. Digital Sun appears to be introducing significant modifications in this sequel, and it remains to be seen if the blend of novel concepts can prevent a potential disconnect for fans of the initial game.

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2025-06-13 12:26