Moroi [PC] | REVIEW

Moroi is a game that’s hard to forget after playing, if only because there’s nothing quite like it. Built by solo developer Violet Saint and published by Good Shepherd Entertainment, this grim, folklore-inspired hack-and-slash adventure is as unsettling as it is imaginative, with it crafting an experience that’s visually fascinating, narratively obscure, and, more so than not, mechanically uneven when it comes to gameplay.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Moroi sees players take on the role of a warrior who awakens in a grim and decaying prison within the Cosmic Engine – a twisted, nightmarish realm brimming with grotesque creatures, quirky NPCs, and a lot of grisly sights. From there, your journey is a mix of cryptic storytelling where you’re never quite sure what the hell is going on, combat-heavy encounters, and sporadic puzzle solving. The atmosphere is intense and unmistakably strange, and whilst it’s compelling at first glance, its absurdity can sometimes work against it.

Narratively, Moroi is dense, deliberately vague, and frequently confusing. The game avoids clear exposition in favour of fragmented lore, with players drip-fed pieces of the protagonist’s identity and the world’s backstory through environmental clues, cryptic dialogue, and the many oddball characters you encounter. While this ambiguity can create a sense of mystery and intrigue, it feels more disjointed than anything, with it often leaving me de-attached from what could be a fascinating world. It was just a bit… well… too weird. It has some cool ideas, but they’re buried under so much surreal abstraction that most players may not even notice them unless they go looking for context outside of the game. Multiple endings and hidden secrets could potentially give the narrative more coherence, but honestly? The game doesn’t offer enough incentive to piece it all together through repeat playthroughs.

“Moroi is a unique experience wrapped in surreal imagery, but it often struggles to tie those ideas together with satisfying gameplay or coherent storytelling.”

The gameplay is split between isometric exploration, environmental puzzling, and hack-and-slash combat. Exploration is mostly linear, with puzzle sections confined to small, enclosed areas. Puzzles are often made up of simple tasks, though there are some unique set pieces that blend in more intricate mechanics to add to the overall variety. Unfortunately, signposting throughout the game is largely inconsistent, and progress in puzzles (or simply when exploring) can sometimes hinge on simply speaking to the right NPC until something happens. It’s not always that satisfying, and whilst some puzzles hit the mark, the ones that didn’t stood out more.

Combat is more enjoyable, with the rich variety of ranged and melee weapons adding a chaotic charm to each showdown. Executions, dodges, and the occasional environmental interaction add some thrills, whilst the heavy metal soundtrack will really pump players up. It can be pretty gory too, making each kill you pull off all the more satisfying. It would’ve perhaps benefitted from more enemy variety and there can be some imprecision in your attacks, but for the most part, it’s satisfying enough. Just be warned: it has a few ass-kicking difficulty spikes that can come from nowhere, so expect to be kept on your toes.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Moroi’s best quality undoubtedly comes with its visuals, with the world design fascinating thanks to its grotesque aesthetic and genuinely unsettling character and enemy designs. Whether you’re talking to a duck that tears out its own teeth or confronting a clownlike monstrosity emerging from a corpse, the game is never short on visual surprises, and you know what? I loved it. It even manages to sneak in some humour, with some of the more absurd side characters and the information that they bestow upon you certainly lightening the otherwise oppressive tone. Whilst Moroi can be a bit grim to look at, it’s also clear throughout that it never takes itself too seriously, and it really is to its benefit.

It’s just a shame that the gameplay never quite matches this, and whilst I’ve never played anything quite like Moroi, it doesn’t always nail the delivery. With more rewarding puzzles, more precise combat, and maybe a bit more structure across the unhinged narrative, it could have offered something special. But as it stands? It’s hard not to feel a little underwhelmed by the overall package, even if the world it offers can feel special to be a part of.

Developer: Violet Saint
Publisher: Good Shepherd Entertainment
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed)
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2518410/Moroi/