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Now that farming life sim games are so mainstream, we’re seeing a lot of diversity in the genre. And that’s great! It’s exciting to see different sorts of interpretations that implement things like full JRPG storylines or fairies. These titles might not always be the absolute best things ever, but the options are nice. Moonlight Peaks is a perfect example, as its vampire avatar and supernatural focus feels like a strong follow-up for Wylde Flowers fans, even though it doesn’t feel as strong as something like Stardew Valley.
You’re Dracula’s grown child, and you aren’t happy with the way your family works. This is due to the count being a bit old fashioned and particular about how vampires should live. However, your mom and family once had a place in a town called Moonight Peaks that’s filled with other vampires, ghosts, mermaids, oracles, werewolves, and witches. In the hopes of finding a sort of lifestyle that better suits you, you pack up your coffin and hellkitten in search of the comforts of small town life.
Here’s the thing about Moonlight Peaks. Almost immediately after getting to town, we’re conscripted into undertaking a number of quests for different people. While this does always provide a sense of purpose at a time when someone might not have as much to do because they’re low on cash, crafting materials, and crops, I feel it messes with the pace. Because there are constant directives, some tied to unlocking certain places or actions, there’s a sense of pressure to get this missions done ASAP. Which, in turn, kept me from doing things like clearing out the area around my own home and accruing resources I needed for my own personal projects and development.
Another effect of this meant that I felt it messed a bit with character development. In games like Stardew Valley and Story of Seasons, it feels like you gradually become part of a community and that builds up through events and relationship development. Because of the quests here, it felt like an almost immediate sense of forced familiarity since I got pulled into every possible action.
As an aside, I’m not a fan of the character design direction, and sometimes it seemed like personalities focused a little too much on being quippy than genuine. There are exceptions. I liked folks like Alina, Dragan, Luna, Ridge, Sabrina, and Samael a lot. We do start to see motivations for even some of the more trope-heavy and comic relief type characters. But between some folks feeling like they’re always trying for a snappy response and everyone looking like they grew too old to be part of the Subway Surfers cast, I found it difficult to really find someone to romance. This is a personal nitpick, and I’m sure there are others who will like the look! Especially since the cast is diverse and there are actual adults to date and not people who look like they just turned 18.
Speaking of design, there are times Moonlight Peaks feels like a town with too much wasted space. This is mitigated by the fact that we can transform into creatures like bats, hellkittens, and mermaids to move more quickly or even handle certain types of otherwise impassible terrain. But considering how long the loading takes on the Switch 2 and major hubs where people tend to gather, I would have loved a more consolidated or tidy space like Stardew Valley, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, or Fields of Mistria. Or, failing that, a more accurate and helpful map with a dedicated map button. You have to go into the full menu each time to bring it up. to check locations or see someone is at that moment. I even gave up on collecting Vampsters after a while, as on this system I experienced framerate issues when trying to return them to their home.
I will say that once you do get access to supernatural abilities, it does make Moonlight Peaks a manageable farming sim along the lines of Sun Haven. Each night, you are farming, livestock tending, potion crafting, spice drying, wine making, cooking, and maybe even performing fetch quests before the sun rises. This can last as short as 15 minutes per “day,” or you could adjust it so you can spend almost a half hour getting things done. A stamina system is at play as well, as is typical of these types of titles. To help deal with that and add to the supernatural theme, spells allow you to do things like get stone and wood or water your fields. (Some crops even require that magic to thrive.) It’s a handy bit of delegation that also helps with time saving. I will say that fishing is a bit finicky, given how we need to respond to the way a fish is moving to reel it in, but I do appreciate that the bug-catching net multitasks as a means to catch ghosts.
Moonlight Peaks offers a serviceable farming sim with supernatural elements that offer a little flight of fancy. The farming elements can feel quite strong, once you build up your avatar’s otherworldly abilities. I’m not a big fan of the character designs, however, and I wish it gave me more time to breathe.
Moonlight Peaks is available for the Switch, Switch 2, and PC.
