Moadra is Metroid but you’re the Predator

Occasionally, we share a compilation of game or demo recommendations, and you, our loyal readers, eagerly share your own suggestions in the comments. Little do you know, our round-ups are a clever ploy to tap into your expertise and save us the effort of discovering great games on our own. Remember that scene in Batman Forever where Jim Carrey’s Riddler steals everyone’s IQs through the TV? Well, imagine me doing something similar, except I’m not in tight green pajamas (unless that’s how you prefer to picture me – no offense taken) and I’m absorbing all your knowledge about, in Moadra’s case, subpar Super Metroid clones.

Comparing this news piece to Batman Forever isn’t quite right. Let’s refocus. I came across Moadra thanks to a comment by Galactic Man on our recent Steam Fest demo round-up. Developed by Gloomsoft, this game puts you in the shoes of a smaller Predator species, navigating dark catacombs of flesh to find a missing alien princess.

However, things take a turn when you locate the princess, and she disarms you. Luckily, a rogue scientist equips you with a new arm made of evolving primordial matter. With this upgrade, you unlock abilities like vampire wings inspired by Morrigan. Armed with your new appendage, you embark on a quest to find the elusive princess and, presumably, disarm her in return. Moadra seems to have an interesting take on monarchy so far.

The Steam demo plays similarly to recent Metroid games, featuring a swift protagonist who can crawl through passages and charge up projectiles that ricochet off surfaces. The environment resembles something out of Scorn, with a sickly lung-like appearance and broken, unclean technology.

A noteworthy difference is how you shoot doors to activate teleporters in Moadra, a nod to Metroid. These teleporters disassemble and reassemble you in the next room, prompting the classic teleporter question: do you die each time, only for a new version of you to materialize with the same memories and atoms?

If facing a bossfight that traps you in a cybernetic stomach with turrets and a rat ogre’s head isn’t challenging enough, there’s also a drone companion for scanning, reminiscent of Metroid Prime. Could a cloaking device be next, Gloomsoft?

Will Moadra diverge from Metroid in the long run, or will it be another metroidvania title coated in grimy filth, like a Samus figurine dredged from a toilet? Only time will tell, as there’s no release date yet. Thank you once again, Galactic Man.