Review - Moss: The Forgotten Relic
"It's a Reader!"
Moss: The Forgotten Relic
Polyarc / PC, PS5, XBSX, NSW, NSW2
Played on Nintendo Switch 2
Story & Lore
The game opens as you, a Reader, find a book and are transported to a fantasy land. You meet and help Quill, a small mouse who gets hold of a glass relic that is sought out by many. Quill finds herself on an epic adventure to save her uncle, who has been kidnapped by Sarffog, a giant snake. Along the way, you’ll learn about the history of the land and meet several side characters, each with their own motivations to help or potentially stop you.
As you go through Book One and Book Two, the story and lore expand, which I love because it adds to that adventure feel that books like The Lord of the Rings have done, where things start simple and then expand more and more. It’s presented in a storybook narrative, and I love how it feels like a storybook tale you would read to a kid at bedtime while still raising the stakes in the plot as you progress. I can feel The Tale of Despereaux’s influence.
Characters & Writing
The writing comes off as a storybook-type narrative, like a big fantasy story for kids. The speaking is done through narration, voiced by Morla Gorrondona, who does a great job making it feel like I’m listening to an audiobook. The marriage of the storybook style, as well as explaining that you, the player, are a reader, a godlike being important to the story, is a mix of interesting plotline, with a breaking the fourth wall tone.
We have our protagonist, Quill, a young mouse who finds herself teaming up with you and growing stronger as she becomes the hero of the story. There’s definitely a hero’s journey arc going on with her. Through the story, you’ll see her grow from timid to more confident and really lead the charge by the final act. The best part is how connected you begin to feel with her, as the player can high-five her after major moments, which I found to be such a cool and heartfelt touch. Quill’s arc may not be as cinematic as Ellie from The Last of Us or Atsu in Ghost of Yotei, but she’s grown to be one of my favorite video game heroines.
The character ensemble is great, starting with Uncle Argus, a former hero who fears Quill getting wrapped up in the larger events of the world, and whose kidnapping is the catalyst for her journey. Aderyn, a starling, who plays a role as an untrustworthy sidekick, actually has a deeper arc than you would think, and I found his arc as sort of both a hero and a villain to be intriguing. Sahima is a side character who comes to help Quill in Book II but is reluctant. There’s a huge toad that’s snarky with you, but you need their help to get stronger. Veda, a forest guardian who doesn’t seem to have a lot of trust in Quill saving the land. Of course, we have the villains.
Moss Book I has a giant snake as the big bad, Sarffog. While mostly a scary monster that we see in the final act, his presence and the tension whenever you see him are felt. The Book II villain is more ingrained in the overarching story - Tylan, a huge owl that has no problem hurting others to get the glass relics. Then we have the true villain in the whole story, who I will keep to myself to prevent spoilers, but it’s an interesting twist that I dug. Overall, while these villains aren’t going to be known for their memorable motivations and lines, they do have presence and feel like genuine threats in the story that you’re happy to take down by the end.
These characters are what make Moss. They are memorable and charming as can be, and they left a lasting impression on me.
Gameplay & Mechanics
Moss: The Forgotten Relic is an interesting case study of a popular VR game, translated for traditional flat screen experiences. The game is a package of two games in the franchise, made for modern traditional consoles after years in the VR space. So, did they nail the transformation, while still keeping it easy to pick up and play for normal controls? Yes… well outside of one thing.
The game has the viewpoint of the Reader, as in you, the player, overlooking a room or area as Quill looks to solve a puzzle to continue, while dodging enemies every now and then. The Reader can also interact, such as controlling enemies and helping grow new paths, to help Quill in her journey. The Reader is controlled mostly by using the right stick, and it sounds like it wouldn’t work, but it does. Somehow, it just works, and it reminds me of how well Nintendo was able to make Skyward Sword’s motion controls transform to normal controls.
The puzzles are usually solved by the mechanics of the Reader, and most of them are pretty much about finding a way to get higher or get to a switch or open a path. In Book II, the mechanics expand, and you learn later to use weapons as the Reader to take down certain enemies and obstacles. As for Quill, you’ll have the ability to fight back against enemies with her sword, or other weapons that are introduced in Book II. Combat with Quill isn’t bad, but it can get tense as you’ll have enemies coming at you, and you can get overwhelmed quickly if you play it too slow. I did feel the waves of enemies always lasted a bit longer than they should have. Also to note, in Book II, switching between weapons isn’t snappy or quick, which doesn’t hurt the game, but isn’t great.
As for boss fights, there aren’t many of them in the game, but they do a good job making them memorable. The final boss of Book II in particular was a really well done final battle. These battles are more than just waving your sword to get damage, as the majority of them have puzzle-like aspects to get your hits in.
The main gripe I had with the game overall, and this is where the translation from VR to flat fell short in my view, was the camera angles. Now, there are times that the camera is just fine, but there are so many areas where the camera became an issue for me to understand what I needed to do. This was especially annoying in chase scenes, including the final scene in Book I, where the weird camera angles kept confusing me when I needed to jump to certain platforms. Again, it’s not all the time, but when it shows up, it did frustrate me. Now, it’s not game-ending or even controlling throwing badly, but it’s something that kept rearing its ugly head every now and then.
World & Level Design
The world of Moss is incredible. The storybook narrative translates well with the environment and architecture you see throughout the game. The levels are essentially areas that act as rooms for you to solve puzzles and fight enemies, and they almost guide you towards what you have to do subtly. I never got stuck or felt like there was bad design in any of the levels. Even if you get lost for whatever reason, it’s easy to find your way back. Again, the only issue was the camera angle, which, a few times, gave me issues knowing where to go, but those times were extremely rare and more of a product of the game originally being made for VR.
Audio & Sound Design
Sound design is solid for this one. The sound effects and animal sounds add to the experience, but the overall soundtrack, while not bad, isn’t very memorable. Don’t get me wrong; this is a good, solid score as you play, but there’s not a lot of variety, and themes are reused for boss fights and battles. Again, definitely not a bad soundtrack, just not memorable enough for me to recall much of it.
Art Direction & Graphics
While this isn’t going to win points for incredible graphics, the art direction and art style fit the story and looks ageless, taking a page from Nintendo‘s art design. The best part is the attention to detail with the characters. Every character has their own unique body language, and Quill’s small motions with her hands and head tell a story in themselves. The art style fits the storybook aesthetic , so they did a great job having all of that tie in together.
Direction & Performances
Not much to write here, as the performance is down to the narration. But, as mentioned before, Morla Gorrondona does a great job sounding like I’m reading a well-done audiobook. The game direction helps navigate players like an invisible hand, and everything you see comes together perfectly without losing its personality. You can feel the love and passion the director had for this one.
User Experience
Considering this game was originally made for VR, it was always going to be tough to make this work on a flat screen, but Polyarc nailed it. Again, a few bad moments with the camera, but outside of that, it felt easy to play in the best way possible. The ability to interact with Quill and give her high-fives did help add some emotion to caring about her, which is a testament to making a connection using technology. I think players are going to come away with more love for her because they make you feel like she’s a friend every time you interact.
Replay Value
Both books are not long games, which, as someone who has issues with how long games have become, I appreciate. There are some collectibles you can pursue, so there is replay value to be had there. I also think that because both books are short, you won’t mind going back and playing one or both every now and then. When you consider that this game is $20, that’s a great deal.
Recommendation
If you are looking for a simple, charming game with a bit of a kick in the story, I think Moss is very easy to recommend. It has that timeless charm that Nintendo tends to master, where age and gameplay preference won’t matter because you get lost in the characters and the world. I would highly recommend this to pretty much anyone looking for a quick single-player story to pass the time or just relax.
A - Great
Moss: The Forgotten Relic is a charming, almost cozy, single-player adventure that leaves an impression. It’s like a childhood fantasy storybook come to life. The interaction with Quill only makes you love her more and connect with her journey. Polyarc deserves all the praise for being able to mostly translate it well to flat screens, considering that was not the original intent. By the end of it, I was left wanting more from this world, Quill, and the side characters introduced throughout the story. I hope this isn’t the end of Quill’s journey because I want more. A wonderfully charming experience.