Publisher Humble Games and developer Black Mermaid have announced a September 27 release date for Moonscars, a fierce 2D action platformer set to launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Humble Store. The game will also be made available via the Xbox Game Pass service, although it’s unconfirmed if it will be a Day One release for the platform. To celebrate the release date announcement, Black Mermaid unveiled a new trailer for Moonscars which you can check out below.
The trailer for Moonscars shows off a bloody and brutal 2D action game very reminiscent of Blasphemous, the hit indie Souls -like based on a bastardized Catholic mysticism. This time around, it’s a bit more on the dark fantasy side, as Moonscars features a dark and mysterious land populated with various monsters.
One of the taglines for the game is that every death serves a lesson, meaning that players should expect Moonscars to be somewhat challenging as most Metroidvanias nowadays are. Moonscars follows the story of Gray Irma, a fallen warrior who is driven by a singular and lonesome purpose: to find the Sculptor and unravel the mysteries behind her existence.
Moonscars tasks you with exploring a desolate world to fulfill that purpose, discovering and mastering many combat abilities and skills to bolster your resolve in this unforgiving land. Each death is an experience, and it’s expected for you to die to eventually master the game in a satisfying cycle of trial and triumph. The world looks to be gorgeously hand-painted in the same bleak style of Francisco Goya’s Black Paintings, more specifically Saturn Devouring His Son.
Gray Irma is not a regular fallen warrior by any means, and her tale in Moonscars is marred by strange mysteries. She is made from clay, bone, and ichor, and behind her creation is the Sculptor who holds all the secrets. She must endeavor to find him if she’s to complete her journey filled with suffering, betrayal, and revenge, backed by dark fantasy worldbuilding and with the power of her swords and Witchery.