Luna Nights is absolutely stellar, probably the best metroidvania I've ever played. The elements are light, as most backtracking is just to acquire unnecessary stat upgrades. I actually appreciate this though, as it cuts down on monotony and put the focus on puzzle-solving and combat - which it greatly excels at. You play as Sakuya, a maid with the ability to manipulate time by slowing it, or stopping it completely. The game stays true to its bullet hell roots, especially in the phenomenal boss encounters. They really throw everything at you to balance out the power differential your time powers create. Having to juggle your time, health, and mana creates a fun gameplay loop that encourages you to take risks to recover them. This is the second time I've played through this game. The first being before the bonus level was released, and it's just as good as I remember. All this, and I haven't even mentioned the gorgeous pixel art and awesome Touhou jams that play throughout the game. I only have a two small issues with the game. One, towards the end they send a few too many spongey mobs at you, but they are at most a mild inconvenience and easily ignored. Two, you can get the ability to sprint in the bonus level, but it's a double tap input. The sprint is never necessary, and misinputting every now and then hurt me more than it helped. In the end, it's a short time, but damn if it isn't a good one.

Reviewed on Nov 03, 2023


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