Moonlight Online

Knights (all races)

• Strong and sturdy, Knights wield swords and shields.

Mages (all races)

• Casting spells to deal magic, Mages wield orbs and have high intelligence.

Sages (Humans only)

• Only healer class in the game. They wield staffs, hammers, and shields.

Rogues (Vampires and Werewolves only)

• Wielding daggers and claws, Rogues are single-target damage dealers.

Moonlight Online Review

By Chanel Hwang

In Moonlight Online, the destiny of the races of Humans, Vampires, and Werewolves are intertwined in the saga of world destruction. It was released as a Facebook game first in 2011, having been in production for over three years by IGG. The theme of vampires and werewolves was undoubtedly inspired by Twilight, as the IGG news blog speaks of the movie before release. In the game players must uncover the mysteries of impending doom and fulfill the prophecies as a hero.

Let Us Begin

Starting off, players are introduced to the character creation screen. You can choose from three races, each with their own Racial Skills and classes: Knights, Mages, Sages, and Rogues. Humans are the only race that can be a Sage, which is the only support class in the game. Vampires and Werewolves are the only races that can be Rogues. Character customization is quite limited, with only a handful of hairstyles and colors to choose from. What's the point of being a vampire who looks like everyone else?

There's a short cut scene to lay the bare bones of the plot before you're thrown into the game. I was pleasantly surprised at the graphics for a F2P game made in 2011. However, the beautiful view of a Gothic cathedral was soon marred with the terrible user interface (UI). There is text everywhere in big, bright colors. I understand that numbers flying everywhere makes sense when you're engaged in a battle. But what about when I'm standing still? I would be talking to an NPC when twenty different numbers and notifications would pop in and out, filling the whole center column of my screen with bright yellow. Oftentimes, a window would open and close so fast that I didn't even know what it was. Honestly, Moonlight Online has pretty decent graphics, but players can't enjoy them with such a cluttered UI.

And then there is the tutorial system. It's not the best, but it gets the job done. I found some parts of it helpful, but the built-in Help Guide is a better resource than the tutorial itself. The game also features an auto-pilot system. I personally hate auto-pilot systems. I understand that it can get tedious to walk through hundreds of areas to reach one NPC, but auto-pilot systems seriously take away from the gaming experience. You're disengaged and nowhere near immersed when you're running on auto-pilot. It's harder to invest in the Moonlight Online experience when you're not the one pioneering the world.

To Arms!

The battle system in Moonlight Online is a mix of button-mashing and combos. Most skills look quite flashy, and it's fairly easy to combo/chain your moves (as long as you don't have severe lag). Every class also has an ultimate skill, which requires 1k rage to initiate. For example, the Vampire's ultimate skill turns them into a winged vampire with a large AoE attack dealing constant damage.

In terms of gear MO follows the loot and reward system, similar to World of Warcraft. Weapons and armor range in rarity, and are randomized on drop. One interesting feature of Moonlight Online is that weapons have souls that can be awakened. These souls can be enhanced to level up as high as your character's level, meaning the stats of your weapon also grow. If you ever want to switch one weapon out for another you can transfer the soul of Weapon A to Weapon B. The same goes for relics, which offer buffs to your character. You can find various relics but equip only one, and enhance the relic's soul as high as your character's level. Weapon and relic enhancements cost Energy, which you can get from items, completing quests, and killing mobs.

PvP in Moonlight Online is pretty standard. It is open world PvP, but only in designated zones. To be honest, though, the PvP in the open world setting seems more like a button mashing war—and the winner is usually the one with the least amount of lag (because you can't initiate another spell/attack until the previous animation finishes). There is also the PvP Arena, unlocked at Level 50, where you can test your skills against others in a more controlled environment (still has some lag). Guild wars are also available at Level 60 (the current level cap), at Seradan Isle, for large group battles.

Racial Skills, Mounts, and Leveling Up

Each race has their own unique Racial Skills which can be learned from Racial Skill NPCs in the main cities, scroll drops from monsters, or purchased via the Item Mall. For example, the Werewolves have a Racial Skill that allows them to take a big leap to avoid damage or re-position themselves. Racial Skills become available at Level 15.

Mounts are available right off the bat. You receive a white bear as your first mount, which increases your movement speed by 100%. At Level 20, the pet system is unlocked. I was a bit confused by pets and mounts, but there is a difference; mounts you ride, pets fight alongside you. Mounts also give you an attribute boost, and look pretty sweet in-game. You can evolve your mount too when you hit Level 30. Pets can be equipped with gear and skills. They are an important part of PvP and PvE, as they have the potential to do a lot of AoE damage.

Leveling up is not too difficult in Moonlight Online. In fact it is a bit too easy. You can hit the level cap of 60 in less than a week. There are many milestones for leveling up, though. At Level 10, you can join a guild. At Level 15, you unlock Racial Skills, Meditation, and Mentors. Mentors are Level 45 players who help you out and grant you an exp boost. Meditation allows you to receive daily bonuses (similar to prayer systems). At Level 30, you can get married and evolve your mount. Dungeons are unlocked at Level 40, and Elite Dungeons and Guild Wars are unlocked at Level 60. Along the way to Level 60, there are various other systems that are unlocked (like an achievement system and a reputation system), which may keep you hooked a little longer.

Playerbase and Item Mall

The biggest detriment to Moonlight Online is the small playerbase. I don't think IGG did a great job promoting Moonlight Online, or maybe the vampire theme didn't explode like they expected. Either way, the small playerbase contributes to the weak community in-game and on the web. It's hard to find guides, walkthroughs, or even an active forum for the game.

There is an Item Mall for the game. It is a bit of a mess, and the descriptions are not always completely accurate. Players can purchase the usual MMORPG merch from the mall with real money, such as exp boosts, in-game currency, mounts, bag expansion slots, etc. It is not exactly balanced for the game, as players willing to spend hard cash will be able to get their hands on rare mounts, skills, and gear a lot sooner than F2P players.

Final Verdict – Fair

For a free MMORPG, Moonlight Online is not bad. The graphics are good, the various features are fun and intriguing, and the music matches the atmosphere. However, the lack of players hurts the game, along with the fact that there are lag issues. I think the low level of difficulty also affects the gameplay, with the level cap being so low. All in all, Moonlight Online definitely has the potential to be a good game, especially because it offers so much as a free game, but the lack of growth, development, and commitment hurts it.

Moonlight Online Screenshots

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Moonlight Online Videos

Moonlight Online Links

Moonlight Online Official Site
Moonlight Online Facebook Page
Moonlight Online Wikia (Database / Guides)
Moonlight Online Official Forum

Moonlight Online System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: Windows XP
CPU: 1.5+ GHz
RAM: 512 MB RAM
Video Card: Direct9 3D
Hard Disk Space: 2 GB

Recommended Requirements:

Operating System: Windows XP or higher
CPU: 1.5+ GHz or better
RAM: 1 GB RAM or higher
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce MX440 32 MB or higher
Hard Disk Space: 2 GB or higher

Moonlight Online Music & Soundtrack

Moonlight Online Additional Information

Developer(s): IGG
Publisher(s): IGG

Engine: Flash

Servers: Sagewick/Traster (PH), Delcrad (US)

Release Date: June 06, 2012

Shut Down: April 18, 2016

Development History / Background:

Moonlight Online was developed by Singapore based development studio and publisher I Got Games (IGG). The game first launched in December, 2011 in Taiwan. Then Moonlight Online released in the West via Facebook on June 06, 2011 before its own standalone client was available. The global release of Moonlight Online was promoted with the release of the third movie of the Twilight saga in 2013. Moonlight Online shut down in April, 2016.