Moonlighter 2 Early Access Review: The Best Shopkeeping Sim Just Got a Whole Lot Better
Seven years ago, Moonlighter let me fulfill my dream of being a dungeon-crawling capitalist. Now the sequel is here to ruin my sleep schedule all over again.
The original Moonlighter was a brilliant concept held back by execution that felt a little thin. You raided dungeons at night, sold the loot by day, and repeated the loop until you were rich. It was simple, it was addictive, and it left me wanting more depth.
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is exactly the "more" I was waiting for. Even in Early Access, this game feels incredibly polished, deeper, and just plain better than its predecessor in almost every way. It has taken the core DNA of the first game and injected it with a massive dose of steroids, transforming a cozy pixel-art indie into a sprawling 3D action-RPG that demands your attention.
A Whole New Dimension (Literally)
The biggest and most controversial change is the shift from 2D pixel art to a 3D isometric style. I was worried it would lose the charm, but I was wrong. The new art style is gorgeous. It uses a vibrant cel-shaded look that makes the world feel so much more alive and expressive than the flat planes of Rynoka ever did.
The combat has evolved to match this new perspective. It is no longer just about swinging a sword in four directions. You have guns, special attacks, and a dodge roll that feels as snappy as Hades. The new weapon variety is fantastic. You can wield a Greatsword for slow, heavy cleaves or strap on Gauntlets for rapid-fire pummeling.
Even the dungeons themselves have leveled up. They are no longer just a series of square rooms. They feature branching paths, verticality, and environmental hazards that force you to pay attention. In the first biome, Kalina, you are dodging spike traps in a desert ruin. By the time you hit the third biome, Aeolia, you are riding ziplines between floating islands. It feels like a real adventure now.
The Backpack Puzzle from Hell
The inventory management in Moonlighter was always a puzzle, but Moonlighter 2 turns it into a full-blown brain teaser that might actually hurt your head.
Each biome introduces new mechanics for your backpack that actively fight you. In Kalina, certain relics inflict a "Burn" curse. If you place them next to another item, they might incinerate it. But here is the twist: sometimes you want that to happen. Burning a cheap item might buff the stats of the artifact next to it.
In the second biome, The Gallery, you deal with electricity. Items can get "Shocked," and if you aren't careful, you can fry your entire haul. You aren't just stuffing loot into a bag anymore. You are playing Tetris with explosives. It forces you to make tough choices mid-run. Do I keep this high-value artifact if it is going to destroy the three medium-value items next to it? It adds a layer of strategy to the looting that was completely missing before.
Shopkeeping is Finally Fun
The shop management has also seen a massive glow-up. It isn't just about setting prices and waiting for people to buy stuff anymore. It feels like a proper simulation.
You can now decorate your store with functional furniture. You aren't just placing a rug because it looks nice; you are placing it because it provides a passive stat bonus to your sales. Different display cases, like the Prestige Display Case or the Sun Display Case, actually change how items sell.
The "haggling" feel is significantly improved. Customers give clearer feedback on your pricing with distinct reactions ranging from "Cheap" to "Overpriced." The game tracks your sales history in a handy log so you aren't constantly guessing what a broken sword is worth. It feels less like a chore and more like running a growing business empire.
Bosses That Actually Fight Back
The boss fights in the first game were memorable but often felt a bit stiff. Moonlighter 2 throws that out the window. The bosses here are multi-phase spectacles.
Take "The Herald," the first major boss. It uses shield mechanics and waves of energy that force you to dance around the arena. Or "Monte" in the second biome, who rides a giant stingray and rains weapons from the sky. These aren't just damage sponges; they are tests of your combat mastery.
There are still some Early Access kinks here, though. The hitboxes on The Herald can feel a little janky, and sometimes visual clarity in the 3D space gets muddy when ten enemies are on screen. But when it clicks, it feels incredible.
Early Access Woes? Barely.
Honestly, for an Early Access title, this thing is remarkably solid. I ran into very few bugs, and the content that is here: three distinct biomes, four weapon types, and over 120 relics - kept me hooked for over 15 hours.
The meta-progression is satisfyingly deep. You are feeding gold to the "Endless Vault," a sentient cube in the town square, to unlock new features. You are upgrading the town of Tresna, bringing in new merchants like Eris the potion maker. It gives you a constant stream of long-term goals to chase beyond just "get rich."
Sure, the story is a bit disjointed right now (why did Will forget how to make money?), and the difficulty scaling can be a bit wonky in the late game. But these are minor gripes in what is otherwise a pristine loop.
The Verdict
Moonlighter 2 is shaping up to be a masterpiece. It takes everything that made the first game special and expands on it with confidence. The combat is tighter, the shopkeeping is deeper, and the new art style is a delight.
If you liked the first game, this is a no-brainer. If you missed it, this is the perfect time to jump in. Just be prepared to lose a few nights of sleep muttering "just one more day" to yourself as you organize your burning backpack for the hundredth time.
8.6/10 (Provisional Early Access Score) A fantastic sequel that proves greed is good, especially when it comes with a sword and a backpack full of cursed artifacts.
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