MO: Astray blends innovative movement, sci-fi horror, and Metroidvania elements together to create a unique indie package that demands skillful play if the player has any hope of completing the game. One thing to note is that MO: Astray is decidedly not a Metroidvania, however. While you unlock abilities that help you progress further and in different ways, there is no backtracking. You only move forward, ever forward—believe us, you do not want to go backwards.
Alien Meets Flubber
Without giving it away, the plot of MO: Astray is a blend of sci-fi elements and much darker themes. It’s a bit hard to believe that a game with such gorgeous pixel art can feel so creepy, but there is a marked lack of joyful elements in the game. A flubbed scientific experiment ended in disaster not only for the participants, but for all of the scientists within the facility.
The player-character MO is a result of this same experiment. The small, blue blob has a look of horror seemingly locked on his face in perpetuity. Another character chimes in periodically to speak to MO, provide details about the story, and give instructions on how to proceed.
Story details are doled out through conversation and through a unique ability gained early in the game. MO can leap atop the heads of enemies, corpses, and more and then “read their minds” to find out what’s going on. Of course, most of the enemies’ minds are filled with their final thoughts–again, not the most wonderful time of the year.
Precise, Demanding Gameplay
The controls for MO: Astray are one of the main aspects that set it apart from so many of the other indie titles released today. While MO can move ploddingly around the map, his primary means of movement is through jumping. Aim with the right control stick and then tap the LZ button to jump.
Players unlock more advanced abilities through gameplay, like a pseudo-double jump that allows you to change direction in midair or the ability to control a temporary clone of MO. These abilities help the player navigate the world differently, but no areas are locked behind these skills–instead, future levels are built with them in mind. As stated before, there is no backtracking.
The gameplay requires precision in jumping and timing. Many of the platforming elements demand the player land a jump with near pixel-perfect accuracy. Others require timing a leap down to the millisecond to avoid an obstacle. MO: Astray is heavily skill based, but the good news is that you won’t feel cheated. Respawning is fast, and you can almost always rest assured that you failed a section because of a mistake, not because the game is unfair.
Despite its difficulty, the sense of reward players feel when they make it through a notably hard section is worth all of the failed attempts.
Beautiful Art, Haunting Sound
MO: Astray is a work of art. It represents some of the most refined pixel art in indie gaming, with detailed backgrounds and foregrounds, as well as distinctive character art. There is madness among the beauty, however. Many enemies are vicious and the amount of blood and gore lies contrary to the rest of the game.
Enemies explode into pieces and a bloody mist when crushed by objects. Some enemies will attack anything around them, throwing spears that puncture obstacles and rip out the organs of any foe unfortunate enough to be caught in its path.
As the game loads, it tells players that it is best experienced with headphones. This holds true thanks to the detailed soundscape. The background music is soft to the point that it is almost soothing. Every movement MO makes is accompanied by a wet plop. Doors open with mechanical, sci-fi sound effects, while player deaths are often met with visceral puncture sounds.
The soundscape of MO: Astray sounds more at home in a AAA title than in an indie title. It’s an incredible experience on its own and I implore you to give it a listen.
An Atmosphere Worth Exploring
MO: Astray is worth the experience. The gameplay is, at times, punishingly difficult, and it often isn’t clear how to proceed forward–but the game rewards trial-and-error gameplay. In fact, it’s almost a requirement, as all those failed attempts helps players hone their skills for the greater challenges to come.
The combination of incredible pixel art, expertly crafted sound, and precise controls that are on par with Celeste come together to create a product that isn’t for everyone, but fans of this type of game will enjoy it for hours on end. That’s something else to note, too: MO: Astray is a lengthy title, especially for an indie platformer.
If you have the chance, give it a shot. It’s a refreshing gameplay experience in a world of titles that like to hold the player’s hand through the course of the story.
Review code provided by PR