14 DAY TRIAL // 
Some careful work with the jetpack and the ground gun results in the creation of a land bridge that would be impossible to traverse for anyone who’s not capable of rocket-powered flight. There are a few weird outcroppings here and there but I switch to my trusty laser rifle and smooth them out. Presumably, there’s no need to add another layer of material to account for the vehicle's significant weight.
With the bridge built, I hop into the big truck I started piloting at the start of the level. After three re-starts I know not to push for too much speed because it’s very easy to topple the vehicle. I also discovered the hard way that if I don’t bring it to the base the doors do not open and I cannot save the miners and complete my mission.
So I carefully push forward, stopping only once to shout at another darsanaut to get on board. I create a final bridge and reach the base. My score is low because I dented the vehicle and went over the time limit. I could try to do everything again but I’m more interested in seeing what weird new scenario the game will throw at me next.
Moons Of Darsalon is developed by Dr. Kucho! Games and published by the company alongside Astrolabe Games.I I played on Steam on the PC. The title is a 2D action adventure with escort missions at its core.
The action takes place on the planet of Darsalon, which has a ton of moons well-suited for mining operations. Gamers take on the role of a search and rescue pilot, sent to find the darsanauts who got lost and then guide them back home. There are mean green aliens around to try and stop our hero and not much else in the way of a plot to engage with.
Despite the limited narrative, this universe has personality. All the lost Darsalon miners are able and willing to express all their thoughts using text bubbles, talking about their dire situation and commenting on how inept players are when trying to get them home. They are sometimes distracting enough that I wanted an option to turn their yapping off. Even the protagonist breaks the fourth wall to comment on the lack of checkpoints and give advice to players.
Moons Of Darsalon’s main attraction lies in its gameplay, centered around a classic premise that modern titles have rarely tackled. The closest analogue is Lemmings but with more mechanics thrown in. Each level asks players to find lost miners, protect them from danger, and then get them to safety inside a base. Players can try to complete additional goals, like not taking any damage or completing the level within a time limit.
To get the miners and guide them, the protagonist can use a range of tools. A jetpack allows for relatively precise movement beyond the range of the classic jump. The laser rifle can destroy certain types of terrain, opening access to trapped darsanauts, while also killing aliens. A ground maker will create terrain, giving the group access to sky islands and other remote spaces.
The intrepid hero of Moons Of Darsalon also needs to use his voice to give commands to rescued humans. They can be told to simply follow, as well as sit tight or move to the left or right. The problem is that they’ll refuse to do any of that if there’s not enough light around, if a jump is too high, or if they can no longer see the group leader.
At the same time, the miner followers have no trouble walking right into alien blasts or losing health to environmental hazards. Even worse, they often perform the orders they get in nonsensical ways and the range for the vocal commands is limited.
Moons Of Darsalon is both funny and difficult. Moving the miners around, while protecting them from danger, leads to plenty of comedic moments with dire consequences. Levels are not very long, as indicated by the timed stars players can get, but I failed a lot before I understood how to balance exploration and solo work with the need to keep the darsanauts safe.
This is a game best enjoyed one or two levels at a time. If frustration sets in, do something else and let your brain work on a solution. Failure is just an opportunity to learn more. Make sure to only use voice commands when needed, rather than constantly spamming them. And always keep an eye on the heat level when doing complex work while using the jetpack.
Moons Of Darsalon opts for a retro look but doesn’t adopt the pixel-driven style of other titles that opt for this approach. It looks more like something running on a dated arcade machine (some of the effects can be turned off in the options). There are moments when the level layout can be unclear but the darsanauts, despite not being too detailed, are brightly colored to make it easier to locate them.
The sound design matches the graphics in terms of both quality and nostalgia. Darsanauts don’t directly talk, which is a good idea given how annoying they already are, but I love the soundtrack and its choice of songs, especially the chip-tune version of Misirlou.
The Good
- Mix of solo exploration and group commands
- Darsanaut herding hilarity
- Impressive soundtrack
The Bad
- Limited narrative
- Levels are sometimes hard to read
- A little too much fourth-wall breaking
Conclusion
This is the kind of experience where gamers will often know how to get to the base but will struggle mightily to remake the environment or defeat enemies while keeping all the darsanauts in line and alive. Moons Of Darsalon is clearly a labor of love and I like much of what it’s trying to do, even if I think the effort should have been spent on another core gameplay loop.
A review key was provided by the publisher
