Moo Lander Review (Larry Fix)
As part of my Steam Sale Haul, I picked up Moo Lander. I do not remember where I first saw the game's name but it had lived on my wish list for the past several months waiting for a sale. My Steam Deck has become my indie/MV gaming device and I like to keep it fed.
One sentence summary: You are a flying saucer crash-landed on a planet with aggressive cows that you must abduct as your technology runs on milk.
Holy Hell. This game is currently sitting at 14 reviews on Steam which is an atrocity. I was concerned at first because the gimmick of the game is that you are a flying saucer. How do you do platforming if you are flying? They manage to make it challenging and fun including the final ability which I believe is truly unique and used in a innovative way in puzzling. Combat is challenging. Boss fights tend to be a bit repetitive but usually have enough variation to be challenging. The game is also fully voice acted with a heavy emphasis on story.
There is a lot of polish on display. Art style reminds me a bit of Ori. Combat abilities are fun with weapons to fit your play style.
As far as being a Metroidvania. There is a small amount of backtracking in each biome, but there is not a sprawling open map where you return to previous areas. The story necessitates this but this game is definitely leaning on the linear side of the scale. As a big MV fan, I was perfectly satisfied with progression. I'm in the final area and over 8 hours in.
Game is currently on sale, a full recommend from me.