It is finally here. Seven years after the original indie hit, Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault has opened its doors — though not quite fully yet. As of November 19, 2025 the game is available in “Early Access” on PC (Steam / Microsoft Store), with versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S confirmed as part of the launch plan. The first Moonlighter game has served me well for a better part of my winter depression days. The cozy feeling and the warmth I received during its playthrough and story made me feel GREAT.

If you played the first game, you will remember the routine: by day you ran a small shop, by night you delved into dungeons to gather relics and treasures to sell for profit. That dual life of merchant and adventurer made the original a refreshing blend of roguelike action and cozy shopkeeping.

In Moonlighter 2 the premise remains. You still play as Will, a shopkeeper turned explorer. But the setting and context feel very different. In the new game, Will and companions are stranded in a mysterious land, in the village of Tresna, struggling to make their way back. The world feels bigger, and so does the ambition.

Perhaps the most obvious change is the shift from 2D to 3D. While the original was pixel art with a charming top-down view, Moonlighter 2 embraces a fully 3D, isometric look. That alone sets a different tone: the world feels more immersive, though some of the pixel art charm is lost in translation. A number of early impressions note that the new graphics feel “cleaner” but also slightly more sterile compared with the warm vibe of the first. I genuinely miss the pixel art within the game in the first instalment, it was so beautiful and heartwarming to the point where you would really connect with the characters on a higher level. The item and monster art, shop art and overall day/night cycles looked so fuckin pretty man. I’d recommend to replay this game before you start with the second one because the transition will honestly blow your mind!

Gameplay has also evolved. The original’s Zelda-inspired dungeons — small rooms, waves of enemies, clearing one room at a time — are gone. In its place is a more roguelike structure. Dungeon runs are launched on a map where you pick your path. Along the way you choose between loot rooms, upgrades, mystery events, miniboss battles or merchant stops. It sorta makes it for a cool “Enter The Gungeon” competitor….

Inventory and loot management have become more strategic. Instead of simply grabbing everything and selling, you’ll need to carefully decide what goes into your bag on each run. Some items have modifiers that can affect their value or even other items. That makes each run more meaningful rather than just a loot spree. On top of that, crafting and upgrades are more layered. You can improve weapons, craft new ones, boost your stats like health or potion capacity, but that requires both materials and shop proceeds. The day-to-day shopkeeping has deepened as well. You can expand your shop, add display stands to make relics more appealing, invest in decor, and manage your business side more thoughtfully than ever.

So where does Moonlighter 2 begin relative to the first game? Official sources suggest that it builds upon the original story and setting, yet it is not exactly a direct chronological sequel. It is more like a reimagined second chapter. The studio behind the game, Digital Sun, says that 2 “builds upon the winning formula” of the first title – dungeon crawling, shopkeeping and adventure under one roof.

What that means in practice feels like both a continuation and a fresh start: you return to the dual life of shopkeeper and adventurer — familiar and comforting — but the world has changed. The village is now Tresna, the dungeons are more dynamic and the systems have matured. The result is sometimes described as less a true sequel and more a “reimagining” of what the game could be.

Thus while long-time fans might expect a seamless continuation of Will’s story from the first game, what they get is something more like a spiritual successor. Similar soul, different heartbeat.

Because Moonlighter 2 is currently in Early Access, not all features are final. At launch there are three biomes, about 120 relics (some sources say “120+” or more), and four main weapon classes available. The developers have said that the game might remain in Early Access “as long as it needs to be”, giving them room to polish, expand and respond to community feedback. And that’s what makes it cool, right? If every studio was like Techland and Digital Sun then we would have amazing games powered by community feedback and the smoothest experience ever because… Hello? No bugs! (or close to none).

How are players reacting so far? The sentiment seems generally positive. Many appreciate the deeper mechanics, the shift to roguelike dungeon exploration, and the improved shop and resource systems. The freedom to craft weapons, invest in the shop, and customize your approach each night gives a satisfying sense of progression and strategy.

That said, some of the charm of the first game — the pixel art, the simplicity of loot grabbing, the more relaxed pacing is kinda missed. Critics of the new style point out that the move to 3D and roguelike structure reduces some of the cozy, “pop-in, look-around, browse wares” vibe that made the original so appealing. It doesn’t mean that the second one is bad, just a different vibe ig.

In addition, since it is not yet content complete, there is still uncertainty about how deep the final game will go. According to a roadmap from the developers, when version 1.0 lands there will be a seventh challenge for the vault, a concluded story arc, additional shop improvements, a full codex and expanded features. That is when console versions are expected to arrive.

So is Moonlighter 2 worth your time? If you loved the first Moonlighter for its core concept — juggling shop management by day and dungeon diving by night — Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault brings that loop back with more depth and versatility. It swaps pixel charm for a 3D isometric world that feels fresh, and it enriches your gameplay choices with more complex inventory, crafting, and shop systems. For players who enjoy strategic loot runs, thoughtful resource management, and a heavier roguelike vibe, 2 might even surpass the first.

If what drew you to Moonlighter was its cozy, relaxed rhythm – the kind of indie comfort loop that feels like chilling out after a long day; then maybe 2 will feel a bit more intense. The pace is tighter, inventory matters, and you often need to think ahead: what’s worth grabbing, what’s worth selling, what’s worth crafting.

In short: Moonlighter 2 feels like a reinvention in motion. It’s not just a sequel, but a fresh take on what the original could have been. More ambitious, more mechanical, more modern. For many, that is more than enough.

GamersOutlet.net Verdict: Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault delivers a bold evolution of the beloved original. The 3D graphics, refined roguelike dungeons, and deeper shop and crafting systems give players a more strategic and replayable experience. Early Access has its rough edges, but for fans of dungeon dives and entrepreneurial chaos with a dash of charm, this sequel is off to a promising start. So, just get it. Trust me (please I need to make sales AHAHA). And check out our main site if you need this title, or others LIKE it 🙂