One of my favorite publishers is at it again, this time with the sequel to one of this past decade’s best roguelikes. Developers Digital Sun and publishers 11 bit studios released Moonlighter in 2018 — an action role-playing game where players become a down-on-his-luck merchant trying to save his parents’ store. By night, the merchant named Will would deep dive into mysterious dungeons in search of rare relics. The following day, Will would put those relics on display in his shop for the locals to purchase.
7 years later, Digital Sun and 11 bit studios have partnered together once again to send Will on a brand-new adventure into the dungeons.
A whole new world to explore
Following the events of the Moonlighter: Between Dimensions DLC, Will is no longer in his beloved hometown of Rynoka. His shopkeeper by day, dungeon crawler by night adventures have left our plucky hero stranded in an entirely different world. The location isn’t the only thing to change between Moonlighter 1 and its newly released sequel — the game also sheds its retro-inspired pixel art style for a new Breath of the Wild-era Zelda-like art style with an isometric camera.
Like its predecessor, Moonlighter 2 will have players exploring different dungeons in search of relics that can be stocked in your shop to turn a profit. The money earned is then divvied up to the other vendors in the town as the player upgrades Will’s armor, weapons, and potion stock. Moonlighter 2 does add some new mechanics to the fold, as well. Players will need to be more mindful of which relics they loot on their adventures, and placing them in Will’s backpack is a fresh new puzzle.
Relics looted in the deserts of Kalina, for example, can inflict burn or armor on one another. Moonlighter 2 challenges the player to not just pick which relics they want to take, but also how to store them in Will’s backpack so that they are the most valuable once you return to the village of Tresna. Value levels can increase or decrease as burn or armor is applied to some relics, and some relics can even be completely destroyed if affected by one of these modifiers.
Different dungeon biomes offer different modifiers that can impact relics. Relic shock — leading to destruction with overshock — makes an appearance in the second dungeon Will can explore, for example, and a new mechanic for eliminating the potential effect of overshock is introduced with batteries. It’s a lot to juggle at first, and finding the right balance for leveling up your loot without losing it takes some trial and error in the early stages of the game. Once you get the hang of it, though, you’ll be rolling in gold.
Modifiers aren’t just limited to affecting relics. A multitude of events can alter the entirety of each dungeon run. From the appearance of NPCs who offer unique challenges — like increased attack damage if you can refrain from using certain weapons — to a run-in with the blacksmith who can sharpen your tools for the journey. In classic roguelike fashion, each dungeon run gives the player the freedom to choose their path. Stops are marked with icons that indicate what the player can expect to find, like elite enemies, helpful NPCs, or other special upgrades.
Bring prosperity to a whole new town
In Moonlighter 1, the efforts of Will to bring his parents’ struggling shop back to life had a ripple effect across the village of Rynoka. Will’s prosperity was contagious as he spread his fortune out across the other vendors. That idea holds true for Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, as well. Exploring new dungeons gives Will access to new relics to sell, which further expands the roster of potential customers. What will generates in profit is then put back into the community by visiting other vendors.
Extra potions, stronger armor, and new weapons are all nice upgrades to have, but Moonlighter 2 doesn’t stop there. Players can customize Will’s shop for the first time by purchasing upgraded display stands that can enhance relic value and adding new decor that improves the atmosphere to better separate would-be customers from their coin.
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault enters early access
It’s been a long wait for Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, but Xbox PC users can get their first taste of vault adventuring and shop managing with Will now. The game just launched into early access for PC players for $29.99. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscribers can start their adventure at no extra cost as part of the subscription plan. 11 bit studios and Digital Sun have confirmed that Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault will launch on Xbox Series X|S when it is ready for its full launch, though no exact date has been set as of yet.
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