Using the RAD is fun, as you explore areas Kane cannot, find bonus items to unlock training missions, and attack enemies with weaker weaponry than Kane has. There are some times where you need to switch back and forth between the two in order to defeat bosses, keeping both out of harm’s way in order to succeed. It’s a nifty concept that works very well for Moon.
You also have access to a lunar buggy on occasion, to move from one area to the next. This buggy is equipped with a turret for battling enemies, and is easily driven once you get the hang of the combination stylus/D-Pad control scheme.
Graphically, Moon is gorgeous for a handheld title. Moving through corridors at 60 FPS helps you miss out on the lower resolution of the DS and makes the game look even better than it actually does. These corridors are also full of life, with pulsating lights and plenty of projectiles to avoid when you do find enemies to fight. The game looks better in motion than it does in stills, which is saying a lot.
The sound work is also done well in Moon, as it has that eerie, futuristic sound that the old-school Metroid games went for. It’s the kind of sound that, along with the use of a comm. link, adds to the sense of isolation and exploration in the mostly desolate lunar base.
The main complaint I have with Moon is that it can be repetitive at times, as some of the corridors and rooms look very similar, and the same kind of fighting is performed through most of the game. The use of seven different and effective weapons helps to break that up somewhat, but still, there are airborne security robots when you first start playing and when you are close to finishing, so if you expect a bit more evolution from your bad guys, you may be turned off by this aspect of the game.
If you play the game chapter by chapter though, the pacing will work for you and the game will not feel as monotonous. After completing a segment, you will be able to select it on the main menu and replay it in order to improve your time, accuracy and collect all of the scattered items that unlock training missions. These training missions are fun to play, especially since they are all different in the weapons they use and the strategy you need to utilize in order to complete them.
I’m a big fan of this game, even though I was expecting something with more action, like the previously mentioned Dementium: The Ward. The angle that Renegade Kid took with Moon is an excellent one though, as they nailed the story and presentation in a package that includes wonderful visuals and a nifty puzzle mechanic. Fans of exploration and adventure games will want to pick this up, as the lone knock against the title is the occasional sense of repetition in the gameplay.
Leave a Reply