Moons of Madness takes us to the red planet to live a terrifying narrative adventure, although overall quite predictable.
Many are the video games that take inspiration from the galactic terror of H.P. Lovecraft, especially in recent times with various titles that take us to universes that share many of its wet and claustrophobic settings, very much in line with the classic works. However, from Rock Pocket Games in collaboration with Funcom they have decided to collect the witness and take the myth of Cthulhu to a location as unexpected as Mars, inside a research base in the middle of the plains of the red planet. A title that now reaches PS4 and Xbox One after its premiere on PC last year and that immerses us fully in a narrative nightmare in which we will have to overcome constant challenges under the threat of cosmic evil. Let's discover all the secrets of Moons of Madness in our Reviews.
Terror on the red planet
Moons of Madness can be perceived as the umpteenth adventure of a narrative, linear and low difficulty in which to solve small puzzles and escape from the typical nemesis-like creature; and so it is. From a first-person point of view and in the shoes of a technician named Shane Newehart, we find ourselves confined to a space base on Mars awaiting external help; our mission is to keep everything going, although soon we will begin to feel that something is wrong … It will be from this moment when the nightmare begins, our own space nightmare.
The development of the story is as linear as it is predictable; not even in a situation of confinement and terror does it manage to surprise or cause fear, beyond certain sections in which we will have to escape by running forward or hide with certain concessions to an excessively guided stealth. The mechanics are constant, narrative introduction, a new set of rooms to be unlocked through simple puzzles and a fresh start. All this dotted with scenes of terrifying themes, yes, but not very effective if what was wanted was to cause real panic, something that does not finish exploding in the 6 hours that can last us on average, depending on our ability with the different and constant setbacks that we will have to solve.
And is that one of the biggest problems of Moons of Madness lies in its extremely predictable linearity; there is hardly any place for surprise. Yes, throughout our descent into madness we will experience certain moments closer to jumpscare than to a truly oppressive atmosphere, but little more. The setting is very successful, no doubt, but its own development does not help to enhance an experience that could have been much more chilling, too pigeonholed by its own structure. Everything seems too premeditated, something, on the other hand, that responds to the peculiarities of many of the titles of this style or genre.
On the other hand, Moons of Madness boasts a rhythm that does not decay, it is always clear about its objective, although for many it may be too similar to a kind of science fiction witch train, with hardly any notable challenges or that make us feel true anguish. The puzzles are very accessible, since all the solutions are in the same area or set of connected rooms, different parts of the adventure that are perfectly identifiable that tarnish certain shocks, whether predictable or ineffective; and is that the feeling of knowing what will happen next is constant. If you die, you return to the most immediate checkpoint without major consequences; In this sense, there is no real feeling of terror or overwhelm that other titles with a similar concept do manage to convey.
Where it does show convincing is in its setting and staging, showing a totally atypical vision of the Lovecraft universe; In addition, the story manages to keep the player's attention until the end despite falling into certain topics, all to know what has really happened in the base known as Alpha Explorer and surroundings. And it is that the mixture of environments as disparate as the advanced technology and the organic horror of Cthulhu creates truly unexpected situations, all supported by a more than correct graphic section that manages to immerse us in such a disturbing situation of solitude and isolation from the protagonist, we, in the end.
The title moves with ease both on consoles and on PC with medium hardware except for the occasional drop in performance in specific scenarios; otherwise, both the lighting and the different atmospheric effects do their job. The dubbing, on the other hand, offers us convincing dialogues between the protagonist and the companions who can be contacted by radio, yes, only in English; the different texts are localized to Spanish.
CONCLUSION
Fans of horror and mystery adventures have with Moons of Madness the opportunity to revisit the genre through a vision of the universe by H.P. Very rare Lovecraft, leaving behind the most earthly typical settings to take us into space, inside a scientific base on Mars with serious problems. Despite the fact that its development is excessively guided and with little room for surprise, it will captivate those who like oppressive science fiction stories; Of course, it does not stand out either for offering real terror or for putting us in trouble beyond solving very accessible challenges and running away from the typical nemesis figure at specific times. A title that does not risk in its approach but that allows itself to be played without too many pretensions.
THE BEST
- Disparate settings
- Successful Rhythm of Adventure
- Immerse the player in their oppressive environment
WORST
- Total absence of challenge
- Too guided development
- Lost opportunity to enhance true terror
Right
It is not the latest or most original, nor does it have the best execution, but it can be fun if you like the genre. Good, but upgradeable.
