Crimson Moon review – A Roguelike Soulslike

Love Soulslikes but don’t quite have the time for them? Crimson Moon is possibly the game for you. You see, this isn’t your traditional Soulslike. Instead, this is a game that squooshes together Soulslike elements with those of the Roguelike and loot-based action RPG genres, creating something that feels somewhat unique. And while it’s completely playable solo, you can also play it in co-op if you like.

Like Diablo 3, Crimson Moon lets you take control of a Nephilim, a half-human, half-angel hybrid that’s fighting against the forces of hell. With a church serving as a hub, you’ll set out on runs that challenge you to make your way through numerous districts, defeating challenging bosses at the end of the them. Along the way, you’ll grow more powerful by levelling up, finding new gear, and gaining access to an ever-growing collection of boons.

Straight away, you’ll find the action here reminiscent of titles like Dark Souls, with stamina management being of the utmost importance. The key difference in the moment-to-moment gameplay is that you can’t rely on finding resting spots such as a bonfire to refill your healing flasks. Instead, you need to complete a district, though the fact that you have numerous lives with which to do this makes things somewhat more manageable.

If you run out of lives, you’ll of course find your run coming to an end and will have to start again. Though while all the Boons you’ve obtained on your run will be lost, which include things like a chance to inflict Burning when performing an attack, or Bleed when performing a parry, there are a number of permanent upgrades available here that make each run feel worthwhile.

Your character level is persistent, for example, so as you level up and grow more powerful, you’ll find it easier to make your way through districts and complete a run. Then there’s your gear: colour-coded according to rarity, these not only change your appearance, but also substantially boost your stats and provide things like Weapon Arts and useful perks.

You’ll find gear as you make your way through each district, and upon completing one any new gear you’ve equipped or placed in your limited stash will be “Purified”, allowing you to equip from the outset at the start of your next run. Gear can be purchased and upgraded back at the church hub, too, so over time you can amass a wide variety of powerful weapons and pieces of armour to draw upon in future runs.

Add in some other neat features, like being able to momentarily turn into an angel to wreak havoc upon powerful enemies, and you have a game that has a lot going for it, especially considering its budget price. The only thing that lets it down somewhat is a lack of polish. Don’t be surprised if the camera goes a little haywire at times, putting you in unnecessary danger. You might encounter the odd bug, too.

Even as it stands, though, you can have a lot of fun with Crimson Moon, whether you play alone or with others. If you happen to love games like Dark Souls, Diablo and Hades and wondered what it would be like if they were all combined, look no further.