Halloween is right around the corner which means that we are getting more and more horror games as the night of spooks approaches near. Arriving just in time is Moons of Madness which takes a bold new direction of horror. It has been developed by RockPocket Games and published by Funcom. Since the console releases are planned for next year, our review of Moons of Madness is for the Steam version of the title.
Moons of Madness is a brilliant cosmic horror title that combines exploration and puzzle-solving along with Lovecraftian horror mechanics mixed into the play. This all combines to deliver one of the most solid horror experiences that we’ve had in a long time. Moons of Madness is set on planet Mars where you step in the shoes of Shane Newehart. Shane is stationed as a technician on Invictus which is a state of the art Mars research outpost.
Since you are just a technician, your main tasks are to maintain the working equipment around the facility and you are pretty much unknown about the senior management of the facility or what is the real purpose behind the current facility however they quickly change from maintenance to survival as you start seeing things which are one jumpscare away from taking away your sanity. Like most of my reviews, I will not really dig deep into the story of Moons of Madness for this review because you have to experience the horror yourself.
Mars is one of the most used locations for many horror games and some of my favorite horror games are set on Mars as well with Doom topping the charts. However, Moons of Madness creates its own spot on the list because it is set in the Lovecraftian horror genre which itself is pretty scary and when combined with the classic horror setting of choice for many, Mars, we get the ultimate spooky setting packaged into a single game.
Moons of Madness is not technically an open-world game. Most of the time, the path is pretty much linear however some of the locations are pretty big and they offer a lot of space for you to explore and find out different required items or solve puzzles. However even with areas being bigger, you are not allowed to leave the areas at that time and you are limited in that particular area until you solve the puzzle.
You will get to explore both the inside of the facilities and some sections of the game are also set on the surface of Mars where you will be required to wear a helmet that will ensure that you have enough oxygen for your trip. You will need to manage your Oxygen in the outdoor sections because if you don’t, you will die. However, this is not a big challenge as you will find plenty of spots to refill your Oxygen while you are out exploring the surface of mars and solving puzzles.
Another good thing about Moons of Madness is that the UI is literally non-existent. For the outdoor sections, your O2 levels and heartbeat info are displayed on the bottom of your helmet’s UI which becomes visible only when you look down and when you look back up, the UI is gone giving you a clear view of the screen. To interact with different computers, doors, and items, you will use your handy Biogage device which is attached to your left arm and comes up at the press of a single button.
The Biogage tells you about the items in your inventory, your objectives, and requirements for puzzles that you might need to solve at that particular point of the story. This also minimizes the UI and allows you to look at your surroundings like you are moving around Mars yourself. However, with a few option manipulations here and there, you can have UI display important information for you if you prefer having a UI on your screen. Apart from the traditional monsters that you avoid or run away from, you are also haunted by an apparition of a woman which will often jumpscare you at random occasions because why not.
Coming to the puzzles, some of the puzzles are really simple and easy to understand however a few of the puzzles in the game are really a brand teaser. There is very little backtracking in the game for these puzzles however sometimes you will need to explore a larger area which might make you loop around a few times in the same area as you try to figure out what to do next in order to move on. This keeps you active as you never know what might pop up around the next corner. You will, of course, visit the areas again however they next time you arrive in any locations; it is completely changed in worse ways possible.
Moons of Madness offers its own fair share of jumpscares throughout the campaign however they are pretty predictable and nothing special. Moons of Madness does not really want to jump scare you anyway. It excels at creating a haunting environment coupled with the perfect timing of its music which is enough to scare you. Throughout the facility and the outer environments that you explore as part of your journey, you will notice the signature elements of the Lovecraftian horror.
You explore different parts of Mars throughout the game and you can even drive the Rover however apart from opening its doors and shutting them again to reach the driver’s seat and sit in it, you do not do much driving in the game. The Rover drives itself as a cutscene begins to play as soon as you are in the driving seat. It would have much cooler if you would have been able to drive yourself to different sites around Mars however since the game is not open-world so we understand the limitations.
As you explore the world of Moons of Madness, you will find plenty of journals, computers, logs, and notes lying around. You can pick them up and read them to learn more about the working of the Mars facility or go deep into the lore of the game. They serve as an excellent source of information if you want to fully experience the game and know as much as possible about the facility, your colleagues and what is happening on it.
The game plays really well and you will easily get used to the mechanics. However, the game does not allow you to assign buttons to commands yourself. You will be required to stick to the default button mapping unless an update arrives later to fix it. So far, the best way to enjoy Moons of Madness on Steam is using a controller and there are no compatibility issues with either a PS4 controller or an Xbox One controller so you can pick whichever one you prefer.
Moons of Madness is also really pretty to look at. The level of detail is amazing and the game is really good to look at. As you explore the infested passages of the facility, open areas of Mars or the Caves of Madness, each environment really represents the best of both worlds. This coupled with the excellent audio design of the game, Moons of Madness is a great horror title that should be on your list for this Halloween.
Final Verdict:
Moons of Madness combines two of the best settings for any horror title, Mars and Lovecraftian Horror. During the calm, Moons of Madness plays like an excellent exploration game while during the horror bits, nothing will stop the madness from tearing you from limb to limb. For its price, Moons of Madness is the perfect horror game that you have to try this Halloween because it is the perfect combination of horror and exploration at the same time. It combines two of the best horror settings together and manages to get away with it with flying colors.
Final Score: 8.9/10
