Factor of Games [linktr.ee] Steam Deck OLED Preview Here: https://youtu.be/Xj9xoJXRYEg

Following a six-year franchise hiatus, Moonlighter 2 has dropped onto Steam in Early Access. Does it meet the high expectations of its predecessor? Check out my thoughts and see the performance on the Steam Deck OLED along with the full Longplay on my channels.

Story and Characters:

Although this is the second game in the franchise, it doesn't require a play-through of the original game to enjoy the latest chapter. Moonlighter 2 picks up with Will the Merchant/Adventurer finding a new life after being kicked out of his hometown, Rynoka, along with his friends Tomo, Zenon, and a whole cast of townsfolk from the original game.

Gameplay and World Design:

The original Moonlighter brought a unique combo of looting and then selling said loot in your shop. This recipe offers much of the same, with the one significant change being a new 3D gameplay design compared to the original 2D Pixel style. Although there is a striking difference in the look and feel, the mechanics are just as solid, and the Roguelike mechanic is just as addictive.

Performance and Technical Aspects:

As mentioned above, the new 3D design has given the original gameplay a new look and feel, and thankfully, the combat has benefited from the change. Even though the game launched in Early Access, I didn't encounter any significant issues during my 20+ hour play-through. The Steam Deck can also run the game very well. There will likely be optimization in the coming weeks after launch, but on Low settings with FSR 3 turned on, you can see 60 FPS for the most part.

Sound Design:

The sounds and music are both excellent and feel familiar to the original game.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, Moonlighter 2 is an excellent experience for the Early Access release, but I do question why they felt the need to delay the full release of the game. Six years is a very long time for an Indie hit to have a sequel drop. Why not take another year and have the full release instead? We saw a similar strategy for Hades II, and, again, it didn't make much sense given the original game's success.

I look forward to seeing everything the full release will have to offer and very much want to see this franchise continue to flourish.

LongPlay Playlist of Full Early Access Release: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLPno8NGWvzvfQsY0S48F5nF52qrTppLO

Enjoy!
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