Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society review

Toying with your expectations like a Mimic.

Although dungeon crawls are habitually gratifying, they are often gloomy experiences that don’t customarily tamper with convention. As a spiritual successor to 2018’s Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk, Nippon Ichi Software’s Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society merrily snubs those traditions.

Instead of seizing control of a party of taciturn party members, your chaperone through Galleria is the endearingly naïve Eureka de Soleil. Drawn with expressive azure eyes and ahoge (literally “idiot hair”, a lock that can’t be combed down), she arrives at Galleria Manor seeking employment. Promptly, a witch named Madame Marta summons a spirit who will work as Eureka’s psychic surrogate, exploring the mansion’s underground labyrinth. Woefully, the gateway to the dungeon has a nasty habit of grinding up any human trying to return from the depths. As such, ‘Fantie’ the lamp leads an extrasensory expedition from atop Eureka’s head.

Golden Goose Parable x Puckish Banter  

Like many of Nippon Ichi’s efforts, the banter between characters is consistently charming. Initially, Madame Marta sees Eureka as just another dispensable laborer, at least until she starts returning with the Curio d’art artifacts that the manor’s Count Bismont desperately seeks. It can be read as a spirited allegory where the ones at the top exploit, the middle-class schemes for survival, and oblivious workers shoulder all the danger. The manor also houses another lackadaisical witch who is irritated by Eureka’s persistent positivity. She injects some spirited conflict into conversations between journeys without all the socio-political symbolism. Either way, the game’s enjoyable visual novel segments counterbalance the 50+ hours of dungeon crawling you’ll be doing.

Like Coven of Dusk, Eureka and ‘Fantie’ won’t be confronting the dungeon creatures directly. Instead, puppet soldiers are responsible for fighting, springing to life with wooden parts and a soul vial. For new players, the nomenclature might be a bit confusing. There are terms for classes (“facets”), teams (“covens”, which influence special abilities), and magic (“donum”), making early hours in Galleria a bit bewildering. But you’ll eventually absorb the jargon, by deep diving into the non-compulsory in-game tutorials or by paying close attention to the deluge of details.

Be Your Own Puppetmaster

Wisely, The Moon Society won’t overwhelm you with too many mandatory lectures. Instead, you’ll have to figure out the best way to approach the labyrinth’s adversaries on your own. Familiarity with dungeon crawls will definitely pay dividends, spurring you to create a front row of durable aggressors to help protect a line of fighters with ranged weaponry. Pleasingly, the game extends a healthy amount of autonomy when it comes to the creation of your marionette army. Not only can you inscribe some eccentricity on their character sheets, but you can construct covens that accommodate a range of play styles- whether you favor magic, an offensive might, a sturdy defense, or any kind of synergistic mixture.

There’s a myriad of moving parts in Moon Society’s gameplay systems. Often, they intersect quite brilliantly. Beyond your typical currency system used to purchase weapons, armor, accessories, and consumables, you’ll also have a stock of mana. This resource is gained by exterminating monsters and finding pools randomly scattered about the game’s dungeons. As your supply of mana increases, so does the item drop rate. But also, the possibility of encountering an exceptionally powerful or numerous horde of enemies. Brilliantly, mana is also used to unlock game-tweaking possibilities through Witch Petitions. You can intensify or reduce the difficulty (affecting character experience), add notes to the auto-drawn map, or create exits that provide easy dungeon departures. Mana is also used to synthesize equipment, lessening the need for grinding.

Expect the Unexpected

But these aren’t Labyrinth of Galleria only splits from convention. Early on, you’ll be able to break through most walls inside the labyrinth, opening up new opportunities for exploration. But the sense of freedom doesn’t last long. Fiendishly, the developers will make you scour each hallway and alcove for items that advance the game along. Just when you think you’ve reached a dead end, the game reveal will reveal a new facet.

Without spoiling anything, that’s hardly the only instance in Galleria that will surprise you. Some moments will inevitably defy your expectations and there’s an entire New Game+ component that opens up the game even further. And that’s the most fascinating thing about Moon Society. Just when you think you have things figured out, Nippon Ichi will throw another wild curve ball. The downside of this ambitious technique is that you’ll probably repeatedly come to a standstill, combing over areas for the diminutive detail that opens up the path forward. You’ll likely kick yourself when you discover a curio positioned right next to the dungeon entrance you’ve passed countless times. Moon Society is a cunning swindler you’ll repeatedly exonerate.

Platform Agnostic Attractiveness

Regardless of platform, Takehito Harada’s distinctive artistry makes the marionettes truly eye-pleasing. But that’s hardly Moon Society’s only merit. Monster designs are varied and well-drawn, while depictions of the Galleria Manor exude grandeur. Voice acting is available in both Japanese and English. Save for one drab performance from the English cast, the acting is praiseworthy in both languages. Play is elevated by several quality-of-life inclusions, from being able to skip dialog to viewing a bestiary of Galleria’s goons. Since you’ll reference the full map frequently, it would have been great to be able to bring it up with a single button press.

Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society is an epic experience offering a crawl that could easily fill an entire workweek. Given the inclusion of a suspend feature to record your progress, it’s ideal for portable play, allowing you to cleave away at the labyrinth’s enigmas during recreational hours. But prepare to have progress paused by puzzle game-like impasses that can induce moments of frustration. This is an innovative dungeon crawl, rather than a monotonous cakewalk.

Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society was played on PC and
Switch with review code provided by the publisher.