‘Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider’ Review: Fast-Paced, Neo-Retro Action Which Never Feels Unfair
JoyMasher’s new game, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider, squarely delivers neo-retro, bloody action platforming without reinventing the wheel.
Amidst all the genre-bending indie projects coming out nowadays, some developers are still committing to retro homages which play things straight, and Brazil-based studio JoyMasher has been exceeding at this for nearly a decade now. However, this team isn’t a one-trick pony, and each of their games has had a distinct personality, following in the footsteps of classics such as Contra and Castlevania. This time around, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider presents itself as the upgraded, meaner cousin of the original Shinobi and Strider games.
Coming across a classical 2D action platformer usually means having to deal with a high level of challenge that can range from demanding but fair to supremely annoying. Thankfully, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider falls on the second group without sacrificing its identity — it’s not a stroll through the park, but it won’t make you pull your hair out.
The story takes us to an oppressed world, presented as dystopian and cyberpunk-ish, where humanity finds an unlikely hero in a super ninja warrior known as Moonrider. Instead of preserving the totalitarian state they were meant to serve, Moonrider rejects that purpose and wages war against its creators and fellow super soldiers. It’s a simple premise that undoubtedly feels familiar but provides more than enough excuses to nurture each of the game’s treacherous levels, which, for the most part, can be beaten in any order. This translates into a journey mostly devoid of the difficulty spikes linear progression entails, and allows the player to bow out if needed and try clearing a different mission.
While the moment-to-moment combat and platforming is as simple and traditional as it can be, there’s a “meta” layer of upgrades in the form of collectable chips for Moonrider’s cyber suit. One would expect small buffs and passives, but in most cases, these chips are strong modifiers that can heavily shape your playstyle and/or save your ass in the game’s tightest spots. For the most hardcore gamers, a case can be made against using these chips, as the higher “ratings” awarded at the end of each stage can be penalized by some of the strongest perks. Getting 100% of achievements doesn’t appear to be too time-consuming, but it’ll require finesse and mastering the missions.
You might often find yourself rushing through some sections of the levels thanks to Moonrider’s sprint ability (which also enhances their melee attacks) instead of confronting each enemy in your path, but in most levels, the game smartly summons mini bosses that break up the pace and warm you up ahead of each final boss (you can see a striking example in the screenshot above). For the most part, these fights are satisfying to figure out and beat, and never overstay their welcome. The generous checkpoint system also helps nullify the frustration that might come from falling to a boss’ deadly strikes for the fifth time in a row. Coupled with the aforementioned freedom of choice the game’s non-linearity presents, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider‘s balance of accessibility and challenge is arguably its biggest strength over many of its relatives.
JoyMasher’s pixel art is as good as always, and feels plucked straight from the early 90s. Some neo-retro games often spice the visuals up with newer effects and graphical enhancements, but the now-veteran indie studio has fully committed to the bit here. Likewise, the music hits all the notes you’d expect despite never reaching the rank of truly memorable. On the technical side of things, my only complaint is that Moonrider can sometimes feel a bit stiff in demanding (combat and platforming) scenarios that maybe needed a slightly upgraded control/movement scheme.
All in all, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is well worth neo-retro fans’ time and money. Some roughness around the edges barely makes a dent on this cyber ninja’s chromed armor. Their war on corruption and oppression is swift and and satisfying to cut through.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is now available on PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, and Amazon Luna (in selected territories).
Thanks to The Arcade Crew (publisher) and Tinsley PR for the PC review code.
Francisco J. Ruiz is that guy who has watched Jurassic Park a thousand times and loves Star Wars. His hunger for movies is only matched by his love for video games. He graduated in English Studies from the University of Malaga, in Spain. As he keeps writing about what he enjoys (and doesn’t) for websites all over, he’s continuing his studies.
