A highly ambitious and visually stunning RPG Metroidvania hybrid, featuring top-tier artistic direction and immersive world-building, yet occasionally held back by a gameplay formula that sometimes feels overly rudimentary and derivative.
From the very beginning, the ambitious undertaking that Aquatic Moon Games and its founder, the visionary Trent Kaniuga, embarked upon with Twilight Monk—the studio’s second project—felt like a daunting yet fascinating challenge. The bold goal of merging two highly celebrated and well-established genres in the gaming world—Metroidvania and RPG—into a cohesive hybrid experience immediately captured our attention. The promise was to create a game that would fully embody the distinctive traits, core mechanics, and beloved qualities of both genres.
For us, intricate and seemingly insurmountable challenges have always carried an irresistible allure, compelling us from the outset to immerse ourselves fully in this evocative new world. We must confess that our initial experience—that very first moment when we took the controller in hand to explore Twilight Monk—was remarkably positive: its refined aesthetic elegance, the strong and vibrant identity of its game world, the rich and almost exuberant palette of its eccentric inhabitants, and the painstaking care evident in its artistic direction all suggested a game capable of striking a perfect balance between these two genres.
However, as our journey unfolded, certain expectations began to wane—not in terms of the artistic vision or the consistently high-caliber animation quality, which remain flawless from start to credits—but rather in the gameplay mechanics themselves. While the game introduces several promising concepts, the overall execution ultimately falls short of fully engaging or surprising, revealing a gameplay philosophy that, though interesting, feels somewhat underdeveloped and derivative in parts.
That said, let’s take things step by step. In the next sections, we’ll dig into what makes Twilight Monk tick—its standout features, its creative DNA, and the shortcomings that kept it from reaching its full potential. Join us as we unpack what won us over—and what left us unconvinced—about Aquatic Moon Games’ new venture.
Twilight Monk’s visual identity: Trent Kaniuga’s unique authorship shaping the game’s creative direction
We fully acknowledge that opening a review with a thorough examination of the artistic and creative direction is not a convention we usually follow. Yet, in the case of Twilight Monk—a work where art, its exquisite artistic vision, and masterful animations form the very core from which all narrative and gameplay magic springs to life—there was simply no alternative but to begin precisely here.
The majestic and unmistakably singular artistic vision, the near-flawless craftsmanship of the animations, and the strong, unmistakable identity of a world teeming with eccentric inhabitants and over eighty-five vividly distinct hostile creatures—relentless harbingers of pain, death, and devastation across the lands of Speria—bear the unmistakable mark of an artist and animator whose career has already left a profound mark on the video game industry, and who never tires of creating, expressing, and sharing his art with the world: Trent Kaniuga.
It is certainly not our task to introduce an author whose résumé already speaks with authoritative and unmistakable voice: writer, animator, creative director, and screenwriter, Trent Kaniuga is a consummate artist in the broadest and most authentic sense of the term, having left a significant imprint on prestigious projects crafted by giants such as Riot, Blizzard, and Capcom. Endowed with a singular artistic talent and a stylistic signature that is immediately recognizable and distinctive, he is the demiurge of every detail that comes to life, moves, and flourishes in Twilight Monk—the very force that has breathed vital energy into a vibrant and pulsating world, upon which our steps gently fall.
What is the ultimate result? An authentic work of art in motion—a multisensory experience to see, hear, live, and feel—constantly evolving in perfect harmony with the protagonist’s growth. A sublime artistic vision, conceived with mastery and executed with equal skill, grounded in the stark and evocative contrast between the flickering light—bearer of a faint yet unextinguished hope—and the encroaching darkness that, moment by moment, consumes and destroys all forms of life, be they human, animal, or vegetal.
It is precisely this heartrending and hypnotic duality, this perpetual struggle between light and shadow—bestowing life and death, corrupting and purifying—that imbues the environments and creatures of Twilight Monk with an aesthetic of unique allure, capable of fully enveloping you and guiding you through a captivating sensory journey—an experience that will hardly leave you indifferent.
The Last Monk
Aquatic Moon Games infuses Twilight Monk with a narrative that, while deceptively simple in its premise and unabashed in its tongue-in-cheek tone, exudes a quiet yet irresistible charm. Despite occasional lapses in dialogue and a pacing that isn’t always taut, the game sustains the player’s engagement, offering a consistently delightful experience underpinned by its dry wit and disarming self-awareness.
In the game, players step into the shoes of Raziel Tenza, a young Moonken Monk and the last descendant of the venerable Twilight Monk lineage, destined to wield his symbolic weapon, the Phantom Pillar, to confront the primary threat of the adventure: the traitor Nox. Once a monk cast out from the Moonken order, Nox schemes to plunge the world of the living into chaos anew by awakening the dreaded World Eater from its captivity, harnessing the power of the three Triskelion rings scattered across the untamed wilds of Speria. It falls to Raziel, the last heir of his bloodline, to undertake a perilous journey through Speria’s treacherous yet unspoiled landscapes, racing against time to reclaim and safeguard the rings before Nox can execute his nefarious plan.
Let us now focus on Raziel Tenza, the protagonist of our story. Raziel’s most distinctive and original trait lies in his weapon: the Pillar, an imposing pillar with which he can strike enemies in two directions — right and left. Beyond its offensive function, the Pillar can be placed on the ground and used in multiple ways.
Its weight allows it to activate switches, serve as a shield against enemy projectiles, or act as a platform to reach otherwise inaccessible ledges. Additionally, when grounded, the Pillar can be kicked by Raziel to knock down enemies from a distance. Without the Pillar, Raziel can attack using a combo of bare-handed punches—an interesting feature, though less effective than wielding the primary weapon.
In classic Metroidvania fashion, the Pillar also serves as the vessel for the abilities that the player will progressively unlock. Once acquired, these enhancements expand the exploration capabilities within the dungeons, granting access to previously unreachable areas filled with special items and upgrades.
Beyond the Pillar and bare-handed attacks, the player can select from various secondary weapons via a radial menu, obtainable through exploration or purchase from merchants. Using these weapons consumes a resource called “Spirit,” which can be partially replenished by destroying elements in the surrounding environment.
Furthermore, Raziel can increase both his own level and that of the Pillar, thereby boosting the damage inflicted on enemies. These aspects, however, warrant a deeper examination, as they significantly influence build strategies and character progression.
Character Building and Progression
In Twilight Monk, creating a character build revolves around the use of talismans—an aspect that truly works to the game’s advantage, as a solid build and the careful selection of the right talismans can make a real difference, whether we’re farming experience points and money, traveling peacefully across the world map, or aiming to perform effectively in combat. Talismans are plentiful, and we can either purchase them from merchants or discover them by exploring the game’s dungeons.
At the beginning, we only have a limited number of sockets to equip talismans, but we can unlock more by fulfilling the requests of a hunter located in the main hub, Crescent Island. By completing his bestiary, we earn a range of rewards, including additional talisman slots, allowing us to create more diverse synergies while encouraging both completionism and backtracking.
As we continue to explore and tackle side quests, we also acquire summons—useful, situational companions that we can equip and swap depending on our strategy. The ability to level up, and with it increase our damage output, is a welcome feature, though it can turn into a double-edged sword: with the right build, we can become overleveled, making battles—especially boss fights—feel trivial. In some cases, we can even negate random encounters on the open map right from the start. To do this, we just head north after leaving the main hub; after a short fight, we’ll be able to purchase a talisman that makes exploration significantly easier, allowing us to roam the world in peace.
Metroidvania and RPG in One Game
Twilight Monk aims to merge these two genres, with a particular emphasis on the Metroidvania formula and its many nods to classic titles—especially NES-era games and Castlevania. It’s precisely in these nostalgic references that the game occasionally encounters some contradictions. But let’s proceed in order and focus first on the strengths.
The Metroidvania side is handled skillfully, particularly in level and map design, secrets, and dungeon navigation. True to tradition, the dungeons are thoughtfully designed, save points are clearly marked and strategically placed to avoid frustration, allowing us to resume our journey close to the areas we need to revisit. Secret rooms, breakable walls hiding rewards, and naturally the temporarily inaccessible areas are all cleverly arranged, often giving us subtle hints—essential for encouraging thorough exploration and backtracking.
The game also features several types of collectibles: fragments that, once gathered in sufficient quantity, enhance our health or spirit, as well as others that can be traded for items and upgrades at a specific location (we’ll steer clear of spoilers here).
The metroidvania feel is further reinforced by NES-Castlevania-style touches, like breaking street lamps and background elements to refill our spirit for secondary weapons. Anyone else remember the hearts dropping from chandeliers?
The RPG side, though simple, proves effective. As we mentioned earlier, with just a bit of genre know-how, we can put together solid builds—so powerful, in fact, that they can undermine the intended gameplay dynamics and lower the challenge level of a game that’s already on the easy side.
The Elephant in the Room
Unfortunately, we need to address what doesn’t work well in Twilight Monk, and that’s the combat system. Although the game pays homage to the great classics, the combat system also inherits their limitations. Being able to attack only from the side, without any ability to aim upwards, brings back old frustrations—especially when facing the notorious flying enemies.
This limitation also impacts the boss fights, which, despite being stylistically inspired and thoughtfully designed, suffer from the combat system’s simplicity, making them predictable and rather easy. We almost always defeated bosses on our first attempt, even when playing rather carelessly.
The Pillar mechanic, while conceptually clever, feels underused, and we often find ourselves relying on it only when the game requires us to. Furthermore, the controls and certain collision detections lack precision, leading to occasional frustration during segments that demand tighter execution.
Our Two Cents
Twilight Monk is undoubtedly a solid game, especially considering it is the first major project from Aquatic Moon Games following their debut with IKEDA. Its artistic direction, diverse enemy roster, fluid animations, and a straightforward yet self-aware narrative stand out as clear strengths. The level design and map structure are meticulously crafted, showcasing how the studio has adeptly internalized the lessons of the great classics, achieving a well-balanced interplay between portals, save points, and the strategic placement of items and secrets. This all reflects a meticulous attention to world-building.
Conversely, the gameplay feels somewhat unrefined, with promising concepts that are not fully realized and certain naïve design choices that can easily undermine an otherwise fundamentally simple game system. Although the combat mechanics are notably weaker—particularly when measured against the benchmark set by recent standout titles—this does not entirely diminish the overall experience, which remains enjoyable. Twilight Monk certainly serves as a good entry point for newcomers to the genre and offers a pleasant pastime for enthusiasts, provided they are willing to accept a modest difficulty level and some roughness in its execution.
Twilight Monk is now available for purchase on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
A special thanks to the publisher, GRAVITY GAME ARISE, for kindly providing the PC and Nintendo Switch codes that made this review possible.
For the latest news, updates, and future developments, be sure to follow the game’s X account and be among the first to receive timely updates.
That’s all for today. Until next time!
Twilight Monk
PRO
- High-quality aesthetics and art design;
- Well-crafted level design;
- Promising core concepts.
CON
- Overly low difficulty level;
- Easily breakable gameplay;
- Promising ideas left underdeveloped.
7.6/10
