Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is a small game that knows exactly what it is. Bombservice’s fourth Momodora entry arrived on March 4, 2016, for Microsoft Windows, then spread to PlayStation 4, Linux, Mac, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. It is a side-scrolling Metroidvania about a priestess named Kaho, a cursed kingdom, and a leaf.
Trailer, via PLAYISM.
Kaho Carries a Leaf and a Bow
Kaho travels to the eastern Kingdom of Karst to stop a curse spreading toward her village. The game is a prequel, set 400 years before Momodora I. In Karst City she meets Cath, a Knightess who tells her the queen of Karst is the source of the curse, and that killing the queen is the only way to end it.
Combat splits cleanly in two. Kaho swings a leaf for melee combos and fires a bow at range, with dodge mechanics layered underneath. She collects items and spells, explores connected areas, and fights a boss in every one.
The structure is plain:
- Four crest pieces, gathered to open Karst Castle
- A boss in each area
- Items and spells to equip for combat
That loop is the whole game, and it holds.
Karst Castle and What Kaho Pays
The ending earns its weight. Inside Karst Castle, Kaho finds Cath dying — the Knightess failed to stop the queen. Kaho confronts the queen and defeats her, then draws the curse into her own body to seal it, sacrificing herself to save the land.
That is a real choice, not a cutscene flourish. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is a prequel, so the sacrifice lands with the knowledge that the series continues past it. The game plays the cost straight.
Here is how its two halves compare:
| Element | What it does |
|---|---|
| Melee (leaf) | Close-range combos |
| Ranged (bow) | Attacks at distance |
| Dodge | Avoids incoming hits |
| Crest pieces | Unlock Karst Castle |
| Bosses | One per area |
The combat is the argument. Melee and ranged cover each other, dodge keeps Kaho alive, and the bosses test all three at once. Nothing here is padding. The map is compact, and the game does not stretch it.
The weak spot is scope. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight runs short, and its areas do not surprise the way the best Metroidvanias do. It is a focused game, not a generous one.
A Prequel That Stands Alone
The 8.3/10 critic aggregate across six outlets tracks with what the game actually delivers. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight does not reinvent the side-scroller. It executes one — clean combat, a tight map, a boss at every turn — and it closes with a sacrifice that gives the whole thing a point.
Play it for the leaf, the bow, and the ending. It is the fourth Momodora, and it is the one worth starting with.
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