In true Aggro Crab fashion, ACT has a deceptive amount of depth in gameplay AND narrative, (including some very poignant, but relevant, sociopolitical commentary) masked beneath what is, aesthetically, a very cute and charming Soulsborne-inspired adventure game with the simple premise of an adorably tiny crab going on a journey to take back what's rightfully his.

Another Crab's Treasure is by no means a perfect game, particularly regarding a lot of the supposed "Soulslike" element (ie: of the 4 upgradable stats that are available to you, there isn't much incentive to build anything outside of HP and ATK), but there is just enough to where I feel as it folks who may be intimidated to try intentionally difficult games can enjoy the challenging aspects of ACT without getting overwhelmingly frustrated or stuck on one area for too long. The core combat loop is pretty simple, but the Shell system, Adaptations, and the Stowaway system provide enough variation to feel like you are able to "build" Kril in a way that matches your unique playstyle.

Otherwise, the worldbuilding is great, the secondary cast of characters are very charming, and each explorable locale feels unique and big in a way that really fits the "open ocean" theming. It's great to see how Kril grows and changes throughout the course of what he goes through on his journey.

I feel like my only gripe with the game (aside from the bugs) is that, while I still thoroughly enjoyed it, it's VERY easy to start feeling overpowered by mid-late game. Especially considering that barbed hooks are VERY abundant and work a little too well on most bosses, I was basically able to Hook > Stun > Dispatch > Repeat the late game bosses to death without dodging or blocking too much. That, plus my attack stat being pretty high without any grinding, some of the challenge of the final bosses got lost on me.

Otherwise, Solid 8/10 - a joy to experience the entire way through and the ending will stick with me for a GOOD while! :'-)

-------
The game can be a bit buggy at times, even leading to some potential softlocks, but it seems like the team at Aggro Crab has been working tirelessly to adjust most major bugs as they're being caught by the community, so kudos to them!

An overall well done metroidvania and a solid note to say Farewell to the Momodora series. In comparison to Momodora: RUtM, Moonlight Farewall does it's predecessor justice in most places, but somewhat falls flat in others.

Highs:
- Overall gameplay is tight and responsive, the combat feels great and just about as fluid as RUtM
- The addition of a stamina system doesn't always feel great, but new movement option make up for it by the halfway point
- The art direction is top notch, every sprite is fun and interesting to look at
- The Sigil system is well done and allows you to customize your experience to fit your preferred playstyle
- Melilot's Theme :-)

Lows:
- It's pretty short, and by the halfway mark, you're strong enough for the game to feel like it's lacking in any sort of difficulty.
- The story overall feels rushed and generally lacks structure
- There are a LOT of characters, but 90% of them are unmemorable and have nothing done for them to make the player care (including the two main girls)
> The game is marketed as not needing to have played the previous Momodora games to understand the story, but not enough is done to show who Momo and Dora are or make them feel like remarkable characters.
>> Dora feels like an afterthought, despite being the secondary titular character.
- The removal of Rare Item drops for Perfect-ing bosses takes away a good bit of challenge and gives no incentive to actually learn boss patterns

Overall, very well done gameplay, however, the story leaves something to be desired. I couldn't recommend playing Moonlit Farewell over RUtM for the "optimal" Momodora experience, but if you're a metroidvania fan, it's still a very enjoyable experience and I recommend the game nonetheless.

Very interesting story concept that was executed passably enough - not a bad game by any means, however, it seemed as if they had a lot of ideas for where they wanted to go, but weren't sure how to go all-in.

The main campaign was just the right length for me to not get fully tired of the game, and the side content had just enough whimsy (with a tiny bit of education) that made certain small questlines feel interesting enough to follow.

I think you have to have at least a somewhat of an interest in Japanese mythology/folklore to be able to look past what ends up being a pretty repetitive and underwhelming gameplay loop.