The Sun and the Moon Review

There’s no denying how divisive platformers can be to fans of the genre, or even casual newcomers. Certain games stress too many ideas and simply feel too heavy to stomach, while others are too simplistic and bland. Some, rely on charm and good level design to get themselves into the shining critical spotlight.

Upon playing The Sun and the Moon, I pondered which case this would be. And as I came across the first level, I was worried that it would be the extreme of the second category I previously mentioned. But luckily, The Sun and The Moon introduces something new to get it through complete mediocrity. It’s just a shame it doesn’t stick the full landing.

Gameplay:

The game’s prime mechanic is certainly intuitive, but there aren’t many obstacles to make it more intriguing

In the Sun and the Moon, players objectives will consist of collecting black dots to slowly complete a level, and then having to traverse back without falling off the stage or hitting an obstacle. This could seem pretty boring, but the Sun and the Moon’s differentiation between this is how players can jump between different segments of the level, in order to get higher or lower to reach their goal. It’s a novel idea, and one that certainly works, but the biggest problem of the Sun and The Moon rests in it’s design instead.

Design:

Levels seem basic, but once you get used to the game’s features, some can become a challenge

While I do appreciate some of the minimalist variety present in The Sun and the Moon, it hurts the game for one specific reason. There simply isn’t a convincing amount of obstacles or enemies. The game still manages to be presentable, but the reason why this flaw is so sustainable throughout is that it lessens The Sun and The Moon from being a full experience, and instead something that could be played as a cheap pick up and play game, maybe on a mobile phone.

Presentation/ Visuals & Audio:

Level branches can become surprisingly complex and variegated the more you’ll progress

The Sun and The Moon also has a couple of issues present in it’s audio, technicality, and more. For example, the in game music quickly feels droning, and simplistic settings don’t cower this fact. I do appreciate the fact that the game gives you some stats upon finishing every level, but this will only be rightfully applicable for the people who are excessively into platformers, the few that would finish this game in the first place.

Conclusion:

The Sun and The Moon isn’t a bad game, but it’s far from spectacular. It’s an example of how one design aspect can simply not carry a game to new heights, as imaginative or entertaining it might be. Other problems will always arise, and without a proper panacea, everything can quickly seem shortsighted.

The Sun and the Moon gets a 5/10 (Flawed)

We’d like to thank Digerati Distribution for sending us a code!

If you’d like to read more features and or reviews like this, please check out The Cube on Medium.com, or our Twitter @TheCubeMedium for more updates.