Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault Early Access Impressions

Video GamesReviews

Feb 23

Moonlighter 2 is an even greater sequel to an already excellent game.

*Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault*. Credit: Digital Sun / 11 bit Studios

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault launched into Early Access last November, and so far it’s shaping up to be even better than its already excellent predecessor. Digital Sun’s original 2018 game cast players as Will, a shrewd shopkeeper by day and intrepid adventurer by night, blending shop simulation with action RPG combat that felt like The Legend of Zelda. The sequel keeps that core idea intact and builds on it in smart ways.

After the events of the first game, Will and the villagers of Rynoka find themselves stranded in Tresna, a town on another plane. Naturally, Will gets back to work. To rebuild the shop and help Tresna thrive, he dives into strange, unstable dimensions in search of relics, while also looking for a way to reclaim Rynoka from his nemesis. Tresna is filled with colorful characters, and I’ve genuinely enjoyed getting to know them as the town slowly comes to life.

The dungeon structure has shifted this time around. Instead of Zelda-style mazes, Moonlighter 2 uses a roguelite-style branching map, where each node represents a compact combat encounter or event. Clear a node, and you’ll earn relics or combat perks for that run. It’s a common format these days, but it works well here, keeping runs brisk and focused.

Combat varies meaningfully depending on your weapon choice—short sword, broadsword, spear, or cestus—all of which demand different strategies. The sequel adds a secondary weapon, a gun, which gives you a helpful ranged option that recharges by landing melee hits, encouraging you to stay aggressive. There’s also a dodge with no stamina restriction, which keeps fights fast and fluid. Combat feels great overall, assuming you’re hitting a stable frame rate.

I especially like the updated inventory management. Some relics modify or even destroy neighboring items, while others trigger effects when adjacent relics react. It adds a light layer of strategy without turning your inventory into a full-blown puzzle game. It’s just enough to make loot management interesting instead of just checking if you have enough space.

Visually, The Endless Vault makes the jump to 3D, replacing the original’s top-down pixel art with a vibrant 3/4-angle perspective. Characters and environments have a slightly looser, cartoon-like feel that suits the game’s vibe. I liked the look of the first game, but this sequel is gorgeous. Even running at a lower resolution on my Steam Deck to boost performance, it still looks fantastic.

I’ve had a blast with Moonlighter 2 so far. Even in Early Access, it already feels polished and confident. Digital Sun is focusing on larger content updates rather than small tweaks, with two major patches planned before 1.0. If you’re interested, it’s probably worth jumping in now, especially if the price climbs once more features are added.

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is available now on Steam in Early Access.

Played on: Steam Deck