Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault

In many ways, this is the same satisfying core experience as the first game. A visual overhaul and some significant changes to combat and dungeon exploration, however, make Moonlighter 2 a bigger, bolder sequel that's worth clocking in for.

Moonlighter 2 doesn’t revolutionise its core concept, but it improves on almost every other aspect of the game.

Moonlighter 2 is particularly enjoyable for players who like action RPGs, roguelites, dungeon crawlers, inventory management and shopkeeping. Its biggest weakness is that the central run-loot-sell-upgrade loop can become repetitive, but the addictive progression and excellent shop mechanics make it easy to keep coming back.

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is a worthy sequel that retains basically everything that makes the first game wonderful, while adding a little extra flavor to the experience to justify a follow-up.

Moonlighter 2 doesn’t push the boundaries of the genre, but with its intuitive mechanics and the relaxing aspect of running a shop, it offers an accessible entry point into the world of roguelikes.

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault combines dungeon crawling and shop management into a deep, addictive loop, with stronger combat, beautiful 3D visuals, and excellent music. Its demanding difficulty, simple story, and limited biome variety hold it back, but it remains an incredibly fun and rewarding sequel.

Before you reach straight for your wallet, take a moment to look inward: Why did you actually like its predecessor so much? The exploration, combat system, and entire roguelite aspect have been significantly expanded, while the streamlined shop system has lost much of its depth and almost lends itself to automation. For me, this makes Moonlighter 2 a pretty good game. At the same time, however, it loses the uniqueness that made its predecessor so special - something I greatly appreciated.

While some may be disappointed at some of the changes to core systems, or further leaning into its rogue-lite elements, Moonlighter 2 feels just so good, and that isn't just toward its combat, but its shopkeeper aspect too. Systems may feel streamlined, and many are, but these changes are intentional and do a lot to make each run slick and easy to jump into. Sequels rarely see this level of change, especially on the indie side, so I certainly applaud how much bigger in scale and scope Moonlighter 2 is.

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is more of the same, on a base level, but that’s not a bad thing. The cycle of dungeons and sales, with minor reflection on capitalism, worked then and continues to work well. The improvements to this, as evidenced by the jump from the Pixelsprite of the first game to the 3D animation, also feel meaningful. A good early access campaign can mean all the difference for a roguelike as it grows with its audience, and clearly the time was not squandered. If you want a game all about making money, this is well worth your money.

I was a big fan of the original Moonlighter, and I’m pleased to say that Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault did not disappoint. Although there are some bugs still present, they weren’t enough to take away from the incredible amount of enjoyment I got out of this game. Whether you’ve played the first Moonlighter or not, there’s a good chance that any roguelike fans will really enjoy this one. I’d bet my shop on it! Therefore, Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award!