Moonscars
A clay warrior seeks her maker in a ruined world.
Moonscars is a 2D side-scrolling platform game from developer Black Mermaid and publisher Humble Games, released on September 27, 2022, for Windows, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Players control Grey Irma, a warrior crafted from clay and bone, who sets out to find her creator, the Sculptor. The game world is populated by clay-based creatures and the ruins of human civilization.
Combat centers on Irma’s broadsword, which can strike multiple foes at once, along with dodge and parry moves. A successful parry lets the player hit and push back an enemy. Damaging enemies yields Ichor, a resource used to restore health or cast magical abilities called Witchery. Upon death, Irma revives at the last checkpoint, and enemy strength increases. To counter this, players can collect Glands from slain monsters, which lower the game’s difficulty.
According to Metacritic, the PC version received “generally favorable reviews,” while the PlayStation 5 and Switch versions scored “mixed or average” ratings. Nintendo World Report gave it a 5/10, praising the art style and combat options but criticizing the high difficulty and scarcity of Glands. Rock Paper Shotgun lauded the art style and compared the game to Castlevania, though it found the Blood Moon difficulty mechanic punishing. Nintendo Life likened the game to Dead Cells and appreciated its combat deviations from other Soulslike titles, but found the difficulty frustrating.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Moonscars
- Developer
- Black Mermaid
- Publisher
- Humble Games
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows · PlayStation 4 · Nintendo Switch · PlayStation 5 · Xbox One · Xbox Series X/S
- Released
- September 27, 2022
- Genre
- Action-Platformer
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Moonscars places players in control of Grey Irma, a warrior made of clay and bone, who searches for her creator, a being called the Sculptor. The game's world is inhabited by creatures made of clay, with most human civilization lying in ruins. Irma must fight through this hostile environment to track down the Sculptor. Combat centers on a broadsword that can cut through multiple enemies at once, supplemented by dodge and parry mechanics. A successful parry allows the player to both hit and push back an enemy. Damaging enemies generates Ichor, a resource that can be spent to regain hit points or to use magical abilities called Witchery. Upon death, Irma is resurrected at the last checkpoint, and the power of enemies increases. To counter this difficulty escalation, players can acquire Glands from slain monsters, which can be used to reduce the game's difficulty.
Reader's Guide
Moonscars is significant as a 2022 entry in the Soulslike platformer subgenre, drawing comparisons to titles such as Castlevania and Dead Cells. Its reception was mixed: the PC version received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic, while the PlayStation 5 and Switch versions received mixed or average scores. Critics praised the game's art style and combat options, but many found the difficulty punishing. Nintendo World Report rated it 5/10, citing the high difficulty and rarity of Gland items as drawbacks. Rock Paper Shotgun appreciated the art style and Castlevania-like feel but considered the Blood Moon mechanic—which increases difficulty—a punishing addition. Nintendo Life noted the game's resemblance to Dead Cells and commended its deviation from other Soulslike games in combat, yet found the difficulty frustrating. The game's legacy lies in its attempt to merge precise platforming with Soulslike risk-reward systems, though its steep challenge and reliance on rare difficulty-reducing items divided opinion.
Did You Know?
- Moonscars was released on September 27, 2022.
- The game features a Blood Moon mechanic that increases enemy strength upon the player's death.
- Glands, acquired from slain monsters, can be used to reduce the game's difficulty.
More in Platform Games of the 2020s, Part 1 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced