Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault’s biggest roguelite challenge is running your own shop

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11 Bit Studios, in collaboration with Digital Sun, once pondered over an innovative twist for the action-RPG roguelite genre. Instead of the usual routine, what if the protagonist’s main hustle was trading, while their day job was as a merchant? This concept resulted in Moonlighter, a game that has thrived for the past seven years. Now, it’s time for a sequel, Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, with a fresh aesthetic and exciting new concepts. Shacknews recently visited this year’s Summer Game Fest and had a sneak peek at Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault.

In Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, I find myself once again stepping into the shoes of our hero, Will – a daring adventurer and shrewd shopkeeper. At the start, I was unceremoniously tossed into a dungeon by my greedy goblin landlord due to my late rent payments. Upon escaping with just enough coin to cover my expenses, I stumbled upon an enigmatic artifact called the Endless Vault. This mysterious object sets me on a merchant’s quest, filled with grand tasks that could very well lead me to fulfilling my deepest desires.

As a gamer diving into Moonlighter 2, I’ve found the gameplay mechanics to be relatively simple yet polished with an eye-catching 3D sheen. Throughout my journey, I engage in combat against foes, explore for loot, and search high and low for valuable items. Some of these finds might boost my stats or prepare me for impending threats, while others may initially seem worthless. However, it’s crucial to remember that their true worth lies not just in their appearance, but in the decisions I make as a player.

In Moonlighter 2, you’ll find that most of your time is dedicated to managing Will’s shop in the world of Tresna. All the treasures, trinkets, baubles, or junk collected are displayed within the shop. Once opened, customers will come and browse your inventory. Some may show interest in certain items. Selling items at their face value is an option, but a skilled merchant can successfully haggle for higher prices.

One exciting feature in Moonlighter 2 is that players are given limited resources, like negotiation tools, to bargain prices on items they sell. This can turn seemingly worthless items into valuable ones, earning more money than they would otherwise. To maintain the shop’s cleanliness and attract higher prices for top-quality items, players must keep the store tidy by sweeping floors and polishing podiums during their shift. Customers often leave muddy footprints, so maintaining a clean shop is crucial to ensure it looks presentable after each visit. Profitable shifts enable players to invest their earnings wisely, either enhancing their weapons for dungeon expeditions or upgrading the town as a whole.

You’ve only gotten a glimpse of Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault’s features, but it seems that its unique blend of tough dungeon fighter and easygoing shopkeeper has been perfectly captured. We can hardly wait to explore what 11 Bit Studios and Digital Sun have prepared for the complete game, which is coming soon to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S (including Xbox Game Pass). If you’d like a sneak peek of the game, be sure to check out the Steam demo that’s available right now.

As I got my hands on a preliminary version of this game during Summer Game Fest: Play Days, keep in mind that the final product might still undergo some changes.

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2025-06-17 22:27