Revive of the Moon – Steam Review

Overview – developed by YMCAT in collaboration with publisher Regista, Revive of the Moon is an action horror title taking place in a Japan hit by a cataclysmic event where zombies roam the streets. As Mitsuki, a high school girl who gets caught up in an unprecedented disaster, make your way through the streets as you try to survive. This title is available on Steam with a Nintendo Switch version coming soon, a link to the game will be at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Regista for providing the copy of Revive of the Moon that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. Please note, I will only be discussing the core mechanics of the game, as I don’t want to spoil any of the surprises that this game has in store for players. Update – The Nintendo Switch version is available NOW. I have published a review of that version which you can find (HERE)

Story – during a typical day in Japan, Mitsuki, a high school student is travelling by train when a sudden catastrophic event occurs with a derailment and many dead. During this disaster, Mitsuki finds herself surrounded by monsters, quickly swarming her and her brother, taking his life in the process. After being rescued by her classmate, Mitsuki arms herself with a sword and while resistant, she easily slays the monsters. In this moment, Mitsuki’s destiny was set in motion.

Gameplay – Revive of the Moon is a 3d action horror title, where the player must make their way to the end of each stage, fighting off the “Crimsonbies” that roam each area. The game is made up of multiple stages, progressing in a linear manner where the player must complete objectives to push forward. During the course of the game, the player has access to two distinct characters, who have unique attacks that make them stand out from each other.

Mitsuki, the main protagonist wields a sword, which can slice through enemies with flames covering her blade with each swing. But it is ill-advised to recklessly swing the sword and try to attack, as she has limited stamina which recovers automatically when not attacking. Mitsuki can chain multiple attacks together in a combo, dealing damage to enemies that surround her, as well as perform dash attacks that let her leap into the air as she strikes.

Then we have Tsubame, a teacher at the high school who is a licensed hunter and a firearms enthusiast. She is armed with a shotgun when she joins the team, allowing players to attack enemies from a distance. However, to be able to use her weapon, players have to aim the weapon before they can fire at the Crimsonbies. This can be awkward, but there is a little bit of auto aim to assist. But don’t go firing off carelessly, as ammo is limited and it must be scavenged.

Both of the playable characters have shared abilities, with the capability to run, sneak and use a dodge roll that provides limited invulnerability. There is also a three view system that players can use, allowing them to change the camera that is used by the players. These views are far, close and first person, letting players experience the horrors in three distinct ways. It is even possible to play the entire game from a first person viewpoint.

To survive the zombies, players must do their best to take out enemies while not taking damage, but it is almost impossible not to be harmed. But thankfully, there are items that can help keep players alive through the game. Players can find HP recovery items that provide a small, medium or full amount of healing to keep the characters alive as health is shared. These can be stacked up when at full health, being used when the player loses a set amount of HP.

Then there are the upgrades that can be collected, with special Dango dumplings that increase the maximum health of the player. But these aren’t the only way to improve the chances of survival. As players slay the Crimsonbies they encounter, experience will be added to the onscreen meter, leveling up when it is filled. Each time the player levels up, they can improve one of three stats, which are speed, durability and attack with one upgrade point per level.

While making their way through the horrors of the catastrophe, the player will be given a few different objectives that will need to be cleared to progress. These challenges are as simple as reaching a set point, or eliminating a set number of enemies before being able to progress. There are more complex missions that appear, with some having the potential for automatic failure, resetting the player to the start of the zone and some only allow 1 character to be used.

At set points during the story, the player will encounter powerful bosses that will quickly decimate the player if they are not careful. During these battles, the player can only use Mitsuki, which locks the player into close quarters combat as being able to use the firearm may trivialize the battle. This works well as the story ties into this restriction, building an engaging and enjoyable battle. Do not take bosses lightly, as they can easily kill the player early on.

As players make their way through the game story scenes will play out, pushing the narrative forward as each of the chapters progresses. These scenes work well, but do have some minor issues as there are typos, as well some spelling and grammar mistakes that can make it a little confusing to follow at moments. However, they do not impact the overall experience of the game, as the story can quickly and easily be picked back up as you get further.

Last to discuss is the extra content that is featured in this release. Outside the main story, there is an endless mode that allows players to test their skills by killing as many enemies as possible. This will go on as long as players can survive, with the challenge starting off at level one and then going up as the Crimsonbies are slain. There is additional content that is planned for this release in future updates, so I look forward to that in the future.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to move onto the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – from a control perspective, this game works pretty well as the inputs that are used work well and are reactive, especially when playing with Mitsuki. The controls with Tsubame are a little awkward at times, but both of them work well when using a controller. There is also the ability to use mouse and keyboard, which functions well, but it is recommended to use a controller. Just be aware that the game uses Nintendo inputs, so they may not match what you expect.

Difficulty – there is a fair amount of difficulty to the game, with the chance of enemies swarming the player and killing them with ease. There are also the fail states and hazards, which can lead to repeated deaths and frustrations. The worst part of the game is the way that some of the ways that enemies function, which can feel a little cheap at times. Luckily, the stages aren’t so long that you lose a lot of time upon failure, but if you get a fail state, you will lose all stored items.

Presentation – there is a cutesy style to the game that may seem to clash with the setting, but it works well with the overall experience. There is a lot of action and the Chibi style makes it work, as it makes it feel different to others in the genre. The art is good too with anime style portraits and cut-in art. The sound is good, with music that matches scenes well and builds the atmosphere effectively, there is also solid voice work in Japanese, but some of it sounds a little off.

Final Thoughts – I very much enjoy Japanese action horror titles, like Fatal Frame and more specifically Onechanbara, which is another zombie action title. The gameplay is fun and the story was engaging for the entire time I played it, I was fully into it and finished the game in a single sitting. Going back to it to find all of the secrets, hidden details and trying to clear it completely in first person mode. There is a lot on offer with this game, but it does have its own flaws.

The aim mechanics for the firearm with Tsubame are a little awkward, but can be adapted to. Then there are the minor issues with the dialogue, with some minor translation issues but they don’t impact the overall experience. I can easily recommend this to everyone who likes action horror, as it is a good time with a narrative that is well put together. The price is pretty low for the content on offer, with additional updates that are planned for the future.

In the end, I give Revive of the Moon a final score of 3.5/5. This is a good, solid action horror title, offering players a narrative that is engaging and gameplay that does have some minor hiccups, but is polished to a pretty high degree for the low asking price. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to the game will be below.

Link to Steam version (HERE)