Once lived in a distant, magical country, called “Switzerland”, a small indie developer with a large vision. It should be a game with a complex world, a profound story, action, crafting and lots of blood and intestines. Since then, more than five years have passed and the (Alb) dream has become a reality. I fought myself through the demo and at least I can tell you how confusing me the gloomy fairy tale and-hack-and-slay Moroi left me.
Moroi is most likely to imagine as a wild mix of the atmosphere of, the body horror of oneand the humor of. From a top-down perspective, you control the protagonist through a dark and dirty world in which everything is either or is gross and is usually both.
Specifically, you wake up in a dilapidated prison at the beginning of the game. However, the wooden door, which would bring you a little closer to freedom, is closed. You have no idea who or where you are. But one thing is clear: you have to get out of here as soon as possible.
Do you still eat that?
If you search for the adjacent cells, you will meet all sorts of bizarre designs. For example, right at the beginning you will find a prisoner who is currently eating your own hand. In a short banter, he tells you that he was chained here because he ate people for his life. Well, meal!
Now that he is already dying here, he can also indulge in ultimate cannibalism and eat himself. "If this is not awesome, then the flash may kill me!", His last words are and as on the keyword, a flash of flash drives from the sky and tattered the good guy.
Only his separated (and gnawed) hand remains. As a precaution, she inserts her, because you never know when you need something like that again. Moroi lives from exactly this bizarre and macabre situation comedy.
The first puzzle also starts with the said hand. Although "puzzles" are almost too much said. Actually, we only wear one object from one person to the other until we have exchanged ourselves that we hold a sword in our hands. With this we channel our inner Jack Nicholson and break shining-like through the rickety wooden door.
This first exchange campaign already offers a perfect opportunity to familiarize yourself with the world better. After all, we have to talk to every single person in prison during the first quest and they couldn't be bizarre. At least I don't know when I last talked to half anthropomorphic pig (upper half), to which the head burst in the middle of the conversation.
There is a little something to think about later. Towards the end of the first section you end up in a cooling chamber. The door falls behind you in the castle and there is nothing except for a PIN input field and some halves of the pig.
If you carefully read dialogues and notes, then you already suspect that you have to count the carcasses to get to the pin. Otherwise you will freeze after a short time. I would like to see more of such puzzles that require observation, attention and a little thinking in the finished game.
Look far, please!
For the riddle, the view from above into the world seems a little strange. But as soon as the fight goes, the decision makes sense again. Moroi suddenly reminds of classic twin stick shooters. With the controller you move by left stick and, regardless of it, set the direction in which you would like to fight. Ideally, towards the opponent. The WASD keys take over the movement and with the mouse on the keyboard and attacks it and attacks. In theory, it is possible to run backwards and to defend yourself backwards.
The combat system itself is quite simple. Left trigger (or mouse click) triggers an attack, right trigger a special attack that depends on the weapon. The name Twin stick shooter does not quite fit Moroi, after all you get a sword in your hand.
The fights really didn't want to ignite with me. Defending yourself with the sword against hordes in opponents is quite tedious with such control. And even the machine gun, which suddenly falls into my hands, does not make the situation much better. Unfortunately, the thing does not shoot where I target, but always very slightly wrong. Just so that it annoys in the long run.
A speaking duck then decides to help me later and just tear his teeth out. According to the duck, they would grow back anyway. I am well aware that ducks actually have no teeth, but this has a few remarkable bites that would make the grin cat from Alice pale in Wonderland with envy! Alice is a good comparison for Moroi anyway. Not necessarily the colorful Disney version, but Alice: Madness Returns definitely plays in a similar league with its twistness and surreality.
But back to the teeth: This is introducing a new game mechanics. In addition to two weapons, you also equip yourself with additional items such as headgear or teeth, which in turn have an impact on the weapons. A system that should definitely ensure fun and chaos.
In this case, the bites improve our sword, and so we can break through increased doors and boxes from now on. Thank you, dear duck! With your help - as absurd and bloody it was - we have come a little closer to our freedom.
Conclusion
Franz Kafka would play Moroi and would have fun!
My first encounter with Moroi definitely left me back with mixed feelings. The art style and the game world are so absurd and interesting that I would like to continue to dive immediately. But unfortunately neither the puzzles nor the fights have been really convincing me.
As for the puzzles and the adventure part, you simply have to wait for the rest of the game. After all, there has only been the first section to see. You don't want to cheat your players yet. However, if a few fine settings are not made on the combat system, this could become a dealer for some. Especially in more complex fights that require more precision (should there be such).
Nevertheless, one should give Moroi a chance because of the setting, insane creativity and special humor. The Swiss developer has always earned this for his one-man project! And since he has not died (hopefully), he is probably still programming today. However, he has not yet said when he stops and publishes the game.
