A lot of first-person shooter games were released during this past generation. Hell, it’s more than just a lot. It was an outright epidemic. It seems like someone released a new FPS every week. But what’s odd about this phenomenon is that a good majority of these genre titles only came out for consoles. The handheld systems were all but forgotten. Sure, there were a few exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, first-person shooters avoided the handheld systems like a red barrel (because as you know, it’s never good to stand next to a red barrel). Aside from the Call of Duty games, there weren’t a whole lot of options for those of us who liked their FPSs on the go.
Enter Moon, a title for the original Nintendo DS. Throwing caution to the wind, the developers at Renegade Kid felt that the popular system would be a perfect fit for their mature, story-driven first-person shooter. And it paid off. Moon released to positive reviews, with many praising the game’s graphics, framerate, and moody atmosphere. And although many clamored for a sequel, the rights for the title were held by Mastiff Games, and the Moon IP was stuck, stranded in suspended animation. Until now.
Platforms: 3DS
Publisher: Renegade Kid
Developer: Renegade Kid
Genre: First-Person Space Oddity
Release Date: May 15, 2014
ESRB Rating: Teen
In January 2014, the contract between Renegade Kid and Mastiff Games expired, and rights reverted back to the developer. Understanding both the quality of the game and the general lack of first-person shooters on the 3DS, Renegade Kid quickly took action and announced Moon Chronicles, a remake of the DS title, to be released episodically through Nintendo’s eShop. The first chapter is out now, and is worth a playthrough whether you’ve played the original or not.
In Moon Chronicles, you play as Major Kane, the leader of a group of soldiers assigned to a research station set on – you guessed it – the Moon. The government has set up multiple facilities and you are there as the hired muscle to make sure everything goes as planned. But as any world-weary action hero can tell you, nothing goes as planned. A hidden hatch is discovered during this research, and a team of scientists are sent to investigate. Well, things didn’t turn out too well for this group, and Major Kane is assigned to enter the secret hatch and find out what’s behind the previous team’s mysterious disappearance.
The story in Moon is driven by the characters’ interactions. At various points throughout the campaign, Kane will engage in conversations with top brass and government agents, who always seem to know more than they are letting on. And as any good grunt would do, Kane follows orders (mostly) without question. You aren’t given a whole lot of info on who built the underground facility or why, but you can be sure those will be addressed in later chapters. In the meantime, you’re left to explore the secret base and report back to your superiors.
But it isn’t all about investigation. Moon relies as much on action as it does on exploration. You’ve got to hand it to Renegade Kid – they fit a lot of different types of gameplay elements into the first chapter of this title. Throughout the campaign I dabbled in puzzle solving, running and gunning, taking control of an RC robot, and racing. There’s also several challenging boss battles. This is quite a lot of variety for such a short game. And it is short – I was able to finish the title in about an hour and fifteen minutes. While this may seem counterproductive to the $8.99 price tag, keep in mind that the remaining chapters in the game are priced at just $1.99 each. Plus, when you’re finished with the campaign, you can unlock a survival mode, where you are pitted against waves of enemies.
The game looks good, and runs at a solid 60 frames per second, even in 3D. Speaking of the 3D effect, it works as it should, and adds depth without being too obtrusive. Some of the environments look a bit repetitive, and I found myself getting lost a few times due to the familiarity. This is understandable though, considering you’re in an underground alien structure. Something tells me these aliens aren’t too keen on feng shui. I was not a big fan of the cutscenes, which unfortunately look like they were ripped directly from the DS version. They were a bit muddy, and aren’t in 3D – but at least it’s not indicative of the rest of the game.
Moon sounds great – especially the music. The synthesized music sounds just like a sci-fi movie straight out of the eighties – it just screams “John Carpenter.” Moody and creepy, the music of Moon complements the game’s atmosphere perfectly.
The controls in Moon are also commendable. My only issue was that while using the assault rifle, the gun kind of shakes, making it a bit difficult for precision aiming. For what it’s worth, the controls work just fine – though that’s not why I’m so impressed. Amazingly, the developers at Renegade Kid included an option that utilizes the Circle Pad Pro! Remember that? The 3DS add-on that was supposed to bring about a more console-oriented experience that Nintendo was all pumped about, then never supported? Yeah, that Circle Pad Pro. This control scheme is by far my favorite. Having the dual circle pads to control movement and aim makes all the difference in the world. Thanks so much, Renegade Kid – you gave me a great reason to dust off the peripheral. Pay attention, developers: Moon is proof positive that you can have perfect console-style controls in a portable game.
If there’s one thing the 3DS needs, it’s more first-person shooters. I never thought I would hear myself say that, given the flood of console FPS games that never seem to end. But this first episode of Moon Chronicles just goes to show that the 3DS is capable of pulling off these types of games. Now, Moon isn’t a perfect game by any means. The visuals can look a bit dated at times, and it’s kind of a “slow burn.” But eventually the action does kick in, and things start getting hectic. The episode does end pretty unexpectedly without so much as a cliffhanger, but it still left me intrigued for what to expect in the next chapter. The game may be a small step at first, but by the time you’re finished, you’re in for a giant leap. You know. Because it’s the Moon.
Review Disclosure: A review copy of Moon Chronicles Episode 1: One Small Step was provided by Renegade Kid for the purposes of this review.
