Review: Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault (Switch 2) – Shopkeeping Dungeon Crawler Returns With Big Changes, But The Same Addictive Loop
Nintendo Life's review covers Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault on Switch 2, the sequel to 2018's shopkeeper-dungeon-crawler hybrid Moonlighter. Developer Digital Sun has overhauled the visual style and reworked combat and exploration mechanics, but the review finds the sequel preserves the addictive day/night loop that made the original popular, blending shopkeeping with dungeon raiding into a compelling package.
The story picks up after the events of the first game, with protagonist Will stranded in a new hub town called Tresna after the villain Moloch seizes control of the dimensions from the original. A mysterious device called the Endless Vault drives Will to keep earning gold through his shop while exploring randomised dungeons at night. Changes include a more roguelike-style run structure with risk-reward node maps, four distinct weapon types (spear, gauntlets, shortsword, greatsword) each with deep upgrade trees, more nuanced combat with staggering and ranged options, and an expanded inventory-management puzzle system with new relic types that can destroy, protect or copy other items.
- Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault reviewed for Nintendo Switch 2.
- Sequel overhauls visuals, combat and exploration while keeping the addictive core loop.
- Adds four weapon types, roguelike run structure and richer inventory puzzles.
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Moonlighter 2 follows Will, a shopkeeper who also explores dungeons for goods to sell. After the first game’s events, he is stranded in Tresna, where a device called the Endless Vault draws him into a new cycle of dungeon raids and shopkeeping.
Developer Digital Sun has changed the sequel’s look and reworked its combat, weapons and exploration. Players choose routes through randomised dungeons and manage the items they bring back, balancing the risks of a raid against the gold they can earn in the shop.
The series combines two activities: fighting through dungeons at night and setting prices and selling loot by day. That blend is central to the sequel, which builds on the original game’s routine while changing how players fight and explore.