Crimson Moon arrives with an appealing combination of gothic fantasy, roguelike progression and Soulslike-inspired action, putting players in control of a Nephilim tasked with fighting back the demonic forces that have overrun Gildenarch. Published by ProbablyMonsters, the game clearly understands the appeal of charging into hordes of grotesque enemies, collecting increasingly powerful equipment and heading back out for another attempt after a failed run. It is a straightforward proposition, and that simplicity is both one of its greatest strengths and one of its most obvious weaknesses. Crimson Moon rarely gets bogged down in complicated systems or dense lore, making it relatively easy to pick up, but it also struggles to give its world or characters enough personality to make the adventure particularly memorable. The Nephilim protagonist is essentially a blank slate, while the inhabitants of the Church of the Crimson Moon, which serves as the game’s hub, remain largely functional rather than becoming characters players will care about.
The story consequently works better as a framework for the action than as a reason to keep playing. The basic setup involving angels, demons, humanity and a fallen city has plenty of potential, and the scattered lore items and comments from the Nephilim’s guardian provide some additional context, but Crimson Moon rarely capitalises on its more interesting ideas. Side quests and bounties similarly tend to feel like excuses to send players back into areas they are already visiting rather than meaningful diversions with their own narrative payoff. That is not necessarily fatal for a game built around repeated runs, but it does mean there is little narrative momentum carrying the player between missions. The central appeal has to come from the combat and progression systems, and fortunately those are considerably more successful.
At its best, Crimson Moon is an enjoyable action game that combines familiar Soulslike ingredients with a more forgiving roguelike structure. Light and heavy attacks, dodges, blocks and parries form the foundation, while equipment can provide additional abilities and passive effects that substantially alter how a build works. Each section of a run also offers a choice of boons, allowing players to strengthen particular aspects of their character as they progress. The result is a system that encourages experimentation, particularly when new weapons and armor pieces start appearing during a run. Equipment can be kept for later use or immediately equipped, creating some genuinely interesting decisions about whether a promising item is worth changing an established build for. The permanent progression outside runs also makes failure considerably less punishing than in many roguelikes, as gold, upgraded equipment and character progression can make subsequent attempts more manageable.
The combat itself is generally satisfying, although there is some inconsistency in how responsive its systems feel. Against smaller enemies, attacks and dodges can feel suitably immediate, and learning enemy patterns can make parrying rewarding once the timing becomes familiar. The angelic transformation is a particularly effective addition, temporarily turning the Nephilim into a much more powerful version of the character and providing a welcome change of pace during difficult encounters. Executions also deliver the kind of exaggerated brutality that fits the game’s tone, although there are too few variations for the spectacle to remain fresh throughout repeated runs. The combat therefore has a strong foundation, but it does not quite have enough enemy, weapon and execution variety to sustain its ideas indefinitely.
That lack of variety becomes increasingly apparent because the roguelike structure encourages repetition. Crimson Moon’s runs are divided into several sections with objectives such as clearing enemies or defeating elite opponents, followed by a boon selection before moving on to the next area and eventually a boss encounter. The system works well as a framework for short, repeatable expeditions, and the relatively forgiving approach to death makes it considerably more accessible than many games in the genre. At the same time, the limited enemy roster and relatively small selection of weapon movesets mean that repeated runs can start to feel familiar rather quickly. The co-op option adds another dimension, particularly when two players develop complementary builds and tackle encounters from different directions, but resources and collectibles not being properly can be an issue. Those issues undermine what should otherwise be one of the game’s strongest selling points.
Controls and camera presentation are another area where Crimson Moon could use additional refinement. Movement itself is generally responsive, and the dodge provides a reliable defensive option, but the lock-on camera can become particularly troublesome around larger enemies and in confined spaces. The camera can swing into awkward positions or become obstructed by the environment, occasionally making encounters more difficult for reasons unrelated to the enemy’s actual behaviour. The jump is also an awkward fit for the game’s otherwise grounded combat and contributes to some clumsy platforming sections. None of these problems completely undermine the experience, but they are precisely the sort of technical rough edges that become more noticeable in a game where timing and positioning are supposed to matter.
Visually, however, Crimson Moon makes a much stronger impression. Its gothic environments combine ruined settlements, churches, castles, forests and other dark-fantasy locations with a slightly stylised aesthetic that gives the game an appealing identity. The Church hub is particularly elaborate, while the armor and weapon designs give the otherwise anonymous Nephilim a strong visual presence. There is a sense that the presentation is punching above the game’s modest scale, even if some of the individual environments draw heavily on familiar gothic-fantasy imagery. Unfortunately, the limited number of locations and recurring enemies eventually expose the relatively small scope of the experience, with repeated runs making some areas feel less impressive than they initially did.
The audio presentation is similarly ambitious, with the soundtrack combining orchestral and choral elements with prominent metal guitars and drums. That unusual mixture suits the game’s violent combat particularly well, with the heavier musical elements helping executions and major encounters feel more energetic. Other aspects of the sound design are more conventional, but the overall musical identity is one of Crimson Moon’s more distinctive features. The contrast between more ecclesiastical passages around the Church and aggressive metal-inflected combat music also reinforces the game’s combination of religious imagery and visceral action.
Crimson Moon ultimately feels less like a fully realised new take on the roguelike or Soulslike genres and more like a promising, accessible interpretation of their most immediately enjoyable elements. Its combat can be satisfying, its gear and boon systems give runs enough flexibility to encourage experimentation, and its gothic presentation and unusual soundtrack provide considerably more character than the thin narrative. Yet the camera problems, uneven parry responsiveness, awkward jumping, limited enemy and weapon variety, and relatively short campaign prevent it from reaching the same heights as the games that inspired it. The co-op is fun when everything comes together, but it too needs some refinement to make the multiplayer structure feel as carefully considered as the combat itself. Crimson Moon is therefore at its best when it keeps things simple: head into Gildenarch, build a powerful Nephilim, cut through whatever stands in the way and try again when things inevitably go wrong. There is a solid game underneath the rough edges, and with its strong foundation for additional content, it is easy to see why the experience feels more like the beginning of something than the final word on the concept.
Score: 7.5/10