[Nintendo Switch] Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society Review

Rated M for Mature dungeon crawler Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society from NIS America is ready for you on Nintendo Switch. Check out our Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon review!

Please enter your date of birth to access this video.

Rated M for Mature dungeon crawler Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society from NIS America is ready for you on Nintendo Switch. This one comes from the same developers that worked on Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk, which we got a chance to review on PlayStation 4 back in 2018. The game is fully voice-acted, and you can select between the English voice cast or that of the original cast. You’ll be joined in this one by Eureka de Soleil, a young woman who arrives at Galleria Manor after finding a flyer at her hometown for a very peculiar job that has caught her attention. Her job will end up being as a medium!

She’ll act as an assistant to Madame Marta Macaronage, an elderly witch who will serve as the head of the expedition into the depths of the underground labyrinth that lies below Galleria Manor. You’ll be taking the role of the wandering spirit that dwells inside the Lanterne de Fantasmagorie, trapped within its walls. You won’t be able to move on your own, hence why you must rely on Eureka to get around. Madame Marta is being employed by the owner of Galleria Manor, Lord Bismont de Fleur-Zette, Count of Aude, and the same applies to Eureka.

Your journey into the labyrinth will be to search for special things known as Curios. The stories say that Curios, while tricky and dangerous, being able to potentially curse those who hold them, can also have the power to grant riches, power, or wishes beyond life and death. The path that leads into the labyrinth is inside of a peculiar wardrobe… which also happens to be a Curios! It’s known as the man-eating wardrobe, which is why no one has managed to venture into the labyrinth since anyone foolish enough to enter the wardrobe is instantly consumed. This is when the puppets come into play. Known as Manania, they are vessels that can be commanded to do your will as they explore each area inside of the labyrinth.

The characters that will join your party are known as Puppets, and they need to be crafted before they’re put into action. There are many options for you to choose from, with more becoming available as you progress through your adventure, and finding the right group of adventurers to join your cause is crucial for increasing your odds of survival. There are plenty of options to choose from – known as Facets – which make it possible for both veteran dungeon crawlers and those new to the genre.

Some examples include the Wonder Corsair, which is a good all-around option with stats that make it possible to stand up against any situation. There’s also the Theatrical Star, a skilled dancer that is ready to inspire the rest of the puppets in the group. The Aster Crow are witch-created star soldiers. Then we have the Peer Fortress, a mighty tank-like character that can protect others with its mighty armor and shield. If you want a fast character that can pack a punch, then you can add the Rapid Venator, who can wield a crossbow and attack at long range.

As you explore, you’ll end up running into monsters. It is then that the group of puppets is called into action to try and defeat them. When in combat, you’ll have a handful of commands to consider. Commands are issued to each of the five Covens to which puppets belong. Each Coven can have up to three puppet soldiers participating in battle, for a total of up to 15 puppets.

You can choose to attack a monster to deal some damage. Some commands for skills or magic will require Donum Points (DP) to be activated. Some will deal considerable damage to enemies, while others will be able to heal some hit points (HP). You can also select Fortify Coven to improve its defense, thus considerably reducing incoming damage. There’s also the option of selecting Escape to try and run away from combat before it’s too late. Once you’ve finished selecting all commands, you’ll have to press the X button to have them carried out.

As you defeat enemies, your puppets will gain experience points. Once they have managed to gain enough experience points, they will be able to level up. Once this happens, a puppet will receive a random boost to its stats, which include HP, DP, CON, DMP, DEX, left and right-hand attack, defense, avoid, hit, strength, and agility. Leveling up will also make it possible for them to learn new skills.

You can visit the Puppet Workbench to create puppet soldiers, as well as repair… or destroy them! By crafting a puppet, you’ll be using soul vials and soul parts to bring a new unit to life. A soul vial will have an element known as Soul Clarity, and the higher its number, the more powerful the puppet soldier can be. Not all parts are as useful since some of them might be damaged and will need to be repaired. Speaking of that, you should also work on repairing the different parts of a puppet since if they’re lost, the puppet’s stats will take a considerable hit.

There’s also the option of using the Transfer Soul ability. By selecting it, you can transfer a puppet’s soul onto a new Facet, which is sorta like having it reincarnate. That soul will become stronger, allowing you to create more powerful puppets. You’ll start your journey with nothing but some small souls to work with, with a Soul Clarity of 1. Once you’ve used all three small souls to create three puppets, you’ll have to add them to a Coven so that they can fight for you. Take your time to customize each one by selecting its look, voice type, stats growth rate, a special ability to complement its innate ones, and more!

Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society is a fun dungeon crawler to take for a spin on Nintendo’s console. It pays homage to the classics in the genre while giving us some 21st-century quality-of-life improvements that make it a great fit for the system – especially since you can play in short or long bursts by quickly putting the console into sleep mode and then carrying on exactly where you left. Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society is out on Nintendo Switch with a $49.99 asking price. There’s also some DLC for you to consider, such as the Great Hat Quest one for $0.99, which will grant you a new helm after completing it, or the Special Soul Pact Quest for $1.99, that will reward you with a soul pact once finished.

Disclaimer
This Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by NIS America.