There is something uniquely unsettling about being stranded on an alien planet where almost everything wants to kill you. The landscape is unfamiliar, the wildlife looks as though evolution has taken a particularly nasty turn, and every darkened passageway seems to conceal something that would rather tear you apart than let you pass. Moadra takes that uncomfortable premise and builds a dark science-fiction adventure around it, sending players into the hostile world of Protea VI in search of answers, survival and perhaps a measure of redemption. Developed by indie studio Gloomsoft, this Metroidvania draws inspiration from science-fiction classics such as Super Metroid, Alien and Predator, and its central appeal lies in combining the exploratory freedom of a traditional genre favourite with the oppressive atmosphere of a creature feature.
Protea VI is not presented as a welcoming frontier waiting to be conquered. It is a forgotten world shaped by danger, decay and the lingering consequences of events that took place long before the player’s arrival. The extinction of the protagonist’s ancestors some 20,000 years earlier adds an intriguing layer of mystery, suggesting that the planet’s horrors are connected to a history far more complicated than its hostile inhabitants. The promise of a terrible sin buried deep beneath the surface gives the adventure a narrative purpose beyond simply shooting anything that moves.
What makes Moadra particularly appealing is how its premise brings together several complementary ideas. The alien world provides the atmosphere, the platforming and combat provide the immediate challenge, and the gradual discovery of new abilities encourages players to venture into increasingly dangerous territory. It is a familiar formula for Metroidvania fans, but one that continues to work when the world surrounding it feels genuinely threatening. Moadra looks to have the ingredients for an absorbing journey into the unknown, although its success ultimately depends on how well its individual systems work together.
A Planet That Wants You Dead
The environments of Protea VI are designed to make exploration feel like an expedition into a place humanity was never meant to inhabit. Desolate landscapes give way to freezing mountain summits and research facilities overrun by hostile alien organisms, creating a progression through distinct forms of danger rather than simply moving between interchangeable levels. Each location has the potential to tell its own story through the environment, whether through the remains of an abandoned installation, the behaviour of its native creatures, or the unsettling presence of something that should probably have remained undiscovered.
The influence of classic science fiction horror is evident in the game’s overall direction. Alien made the unknown terrifying by turning an isolated environment into a place where ordinary survival became a desperate struggle, while Predator understood the appeal of confronting an enemy whose capabilities were not immediately clear. Moadra appears to draw from a similar tradition, placing players in a world where understanding the threat can be just as important as having the firepower to confront it. The result promises an adventure where curiosity and caution must coexist.
There is also a welcome sense of mystery in the planet’s history. The extinction of an entire ancestral civilisation naturally encourages questions about what happened, what remains, and whether the truth is better left buried. By tying exploration to a larger narrative, the game gives players a reason to look beyond the next obstacle or combat encounter. Discovering a new area becomes an opportunity to piece together another part of a much larger puzzle.
Atmosphere is especially important in a game like this because alien environments can quickly lose their impact if everything becomes familiar. Grotesque creatures and unusual scenery are effective at first, but a truly memorable world needs variation, a strong visual identity, and a sense that its different locations belong to the same unsettling ecosystem. Moadra’s combination of organic caverns, hazardous terrain, and abandoned research facilities provides a promising foundation. If these environments continue to reveal new surprises throughout the adventure, Protea VI could become one of the game’s most compelling characters in its own right.
Movement Is Your First Line of Defence
A hostile planet is much easier to appreciate when moving through it feels good, and Moadra places considerable emphasis on agility. Players can roll, dodge, leap, wall jump and sprint at high speed, giving the protagonist a flexible set of movement options for negotiating dangerous terrain and avoiding enemy attacks. This is an important part of the game’s identity because it suggests that survival is not simply about absorbing damage or carrying the largest possible weapon. Knowing when to move, where to land and how to escape an increasingly dangerous situation should be just as important as aiming accurately.
Fluid movement can transform a conventional platforming section into something genuinely satisfying. A well-timed leap across a hazardous gap, a wall jump that carries you away from an approaching creature, or a quick dodge that narrowly avoids an attack can make the player feel resourceful rather than merely lucky. When these mechanics are responsive, they encourage experimentation and give players the confidence to tackle more demanding environments. The satisfaction comes from developing a better understanding of the character’s capabilities and applying that knowledge under pressure.
Speed also creates opportunities for combat to feel more dynamic. Rather than remaining stationary and trading shots with every enemy, players can use the environment to maintain distance, reposition themselves and exploit openings. This is particularly important when dealing with larger creatures, where predictable movement or careless positioning could prove disastrous. The ability to combine traversal skills with combat gives Moadra the potential to create encounters that test several aspects of the player’s ability at once.
Of course, movement systems only work when they are supported by precise controls and thoughtfully designed environments. High speed can become frustrating if platforms are difficult to judge or if a missed jump results in an unnecessarily punishing setback. Likewise, evasive manoeuvres need to feel dependable if the game expects players to survive aggressive enemies. The promise of fluidity is encouraging, but the quality of the execution will determine whether Moadra’s movement becomes a genuine pleasure or an occasional source of irritation.
When the Shooting Starts
Combat is another central pillar of the experience, with an arsenal of weapons and special abilities to help deal with the many organisms inhabiting Protea VI. The game’s emphasis on fast-paced shooting suggests an approach that favours active engagement over slow, cautious exchanges. Players are expected to respond to threats quickly, use their mobility, and choose the appropriate tools for the situation. Against smaller enemies, this may mean maintaining momentum and avoiding unnecessary damage, while the larger monsters promise encounters that demand considerably more thought.
The presence of gargantuan creatures is particularly appealing. Boss battles are often the moments when a Metroidvania asks players to demonstrate everything they have learned, combining movement, observation, weapon selection, and an understanding of enemy behaviour. A successful encounter should feel like a test of skill rather than a simple exercise in dealing enough damage before the player’s health runs out. If Moadra makes good use of its movement mechanics and varied arsenal, these battles could provide some of its most memorable moments.
There is a natural tension in balancing aggressive combat with the need to preserve resources and remain alert to environmental hazards. A player who charges into every encounter without considering the surroundings may find themselves cornered, while someone who relies too heavily on retreating could miss opportunities to exploit an enemy’s weakness. This creates room for different approaches, provided the weapons and abilities offer enough variety to make those decisions meaningful. The best action adventures make combat feel like a conversation between player and enemy, with every attack and evasive manoeuvre influencing what happens next.
The challenge is ensuring that difficulty remains fair. Hostile creatures can be intimidating without feeling cheap, and powerful bosses can demand repeated attempts without relying on poorly telegraphed attacks or excessive damage. Moadra’s premise supports a demanding experience, but the player needs to feel that success comes from learning and adapting. When a defeat teaches you something useful about an enemy or the environment, returning for another attempt becomes part of the adventure rather than an unwelcome chore.
The Scanner Bot and the Secrets Beneath the Surface
One of Moadra’s more interesting tools is its scanner bot, which lets players examine creatures and surroundings with X-ray vision. In a genre built around exploration and discovery, a mechanic that reveals hidden paths and previously unseen secrets has considerable potential. It gives players a reason to examine their surroundings more carefully, rather than treating every room as a corridor leading to the next fight. What initially appears to be a dead end might conceal a route forward, while an unusual environmental feature could reveal something important when viewed through the scanner.
This is an especially fitting mechanic for a science fiction adventure. The protagonist is exploring an alien ecosystem that may be fundamentally different from anything familiar, so the ability to analyse its inhabitants and structures feels like a natural extension of survival. The scanner can also encourage a more thoughtful approach to encounters, allowing players to investigate what they are facing rather than immediately resorting to violence. In a world where the difference between a harmless organism and a lethal threat may not be obvious, information can be every bit as valuable as ammunition.
Mapping explored areas is another welcome feature, particularly in an interconnected world where players are expected to revisit locations after acquiring new abilities. Metroidvanias can be wonderfully rewarding, but they can also become frustrating when players lose track of routes or spend too much time wandering through familiar territory. A useful map and clearly communicated discoveries help preserve the pleasure of exploration while reducing unnecessary confusion. The ideal balance encourages players to think for themselves without leaving them feeling that progress depends on aimless backtracking.
There is a delicate balance to strike here, though. If the scanner reveals every secret too easily, exploration may lose some of its mystery. If its information is too vague, players may struggle to understand why a newly discovered clue matters. Used well, the mechanic could become one of Moadra’s defining features, giving players a satisfying sense of uncovering the planet’s secrets through observation and experimentation.
Evolve or Become Another Casualty
The ability to evolve through collected Protoplasm gives Moadra a particularly fitting progression system. Defeated organisms release energy-rich biomass that can be gathered and consumed in organic chambers, allowing the protagonist to undergo metamorphosis and upgrade weapons and abilities. This is a wonderfully unpleasant idea for a game about surviving an alien ecosystem. Rather than relying entirely on conventional equipment upgrades, the player effectively turns the planet’s biological resources into a means of becoming more capable.
There is a pleasing thematic connection between this system and the wider premise. Protea VI is dangerous because its ecosystem is unfamiliar and hostile, yet surviving it means learning to exploit what it offers. Every defeated creature can become a source of strength, allowing the player to adapt rather than simply endure. The process reinforces the idea that evolution is not always a gentle or predictable journey, particularly when survival depends on becoming more capable of confronting the world around you.
From a gameplay perspective, the system also offers a reason to engage with the environment beyond simply reaching the next checkpoint. Collecting biomass and investing it in new capabilities can provide a tangible sense of growth, while weapon improvements and traversal upgrades may open previously inaccessible areas. This is the heart of a satisfying Metroidvania progression loop: the player becomes stronger, and that strength changes how they interact with the world. A route that once seemed impossible can eventually become accessible, creating a rewarding connection between character development and exploration.
The key question is whether the upgrades feel distinctive enough to change how the game is played. Simply increasing damage or health can be useful, but abilities that introduce new tactical options or alter how players navigate the environment tend to be more memorable. Moadra’s emphasis on metamorphosis provides an opportunity to make progression feel organic and meaningful. If each evolution offers a worthwhile new possibility, the player’s growing power could become one of the adventure’s most satisfying elements.
A Dark Science Fiction Identity
Visually, Moadra embraces a grim, organic aesthetic that suits its themes of isolation and survival. The promise of gloom-drenched caverns, grotesque flora and hostile alien life gives the world a strong sense of identity, particularly for players who appreciate science fiction that leans towards horror rather than bright, welcoming exploration. The contrast between the planet’s vastness and the protagonist’s vulnerability can make even relatively small encounters feel threatening. It is a setting that encourages players to remain alert, because familiarity should never be mistaken for safety.
Environmental storytelling could be equally important to the experience. An abandoned research facility can communicate a great deal without lengthy dialogue, while the remains of an ancient civilisation may offer clues about the events that shaped the planet. Such discoveries reward observant players and allow the narrative to emerge naturally through exploration. Rather than constantly explaining its mysteries, Moadra has an opportunity to let its world speak for itself.
Isolation is another strength. Science fiction horror often works best when help feels impossibly far away, leaving the protagonist to confront unfamiliar dangers with limited support. Protea VI appears well suited to that approach, and the combination of environmental hazards, dangerous creatures and a buried historical mystery should help maintain a persistent sense of unease. Even when players gain new abilities and become more powerful, the world should continue to feel dangerous enough to command respect.
Naturally, atmosphere needs variety to remain effective across a substantial adventure. A constant stream of darkness and grotesque imagery can eventually become visually monotonous if the environments do not offer enough contrast. The freezing summits, desolate surface and infested research facility provide a useful starting point for variation, and their effectiveness will depend on how distinct each area feels during play. If the game gives each region its own visual character and gameplay challenges, Protea VI could be an engaging place to explore despite its hostile nature.
Final Verdict
Moadra has the makings of a compelling science-fiction Metroidvania, combining fast movement, shooty combat, organic character progression and a hostile alien world filled with unanswered questions. Its influences are clear, but they provide a useful foundation rather than an automatic guarantee of success. The ability to scan the environment, uncover hidden routes and evolve through the biomass of defeated creatures gives the adventure a strong thematic identity, while the promise of enormous monsters and dangerous research facilities offers plenty of potential for memorable encounters. Most importantly, its systems appear designed to support one another, connecting exploration, survival and progression into a coherent experience.
There are challenges to overcome if the game is to fulfil that promise. Precise movement and fair combat will be essential, particularly when the player is expected to evade dangerous creatures at high speed. Exploration must remain rewarding rather than devolving into a repetitive cycle of backtracking, and the upgrade system needs to offer meaningful changes to how the protagonist plays. These are familiar challenges for the genre, but they are important ones, especially in an adventure that appears to place so much emphasis on mastering a hostile environment.
What makes Moadra worth watching is its commitment to a particular kind of science-fiction adventure. This is not a cheerful expedition into the stars or a power fantasy in which every threat eventually becomes insignificant. It is a journey into a world that feels ancient, dangerous and profoundly indifferent to your survival. The promise of uncovering its buried history while gradually transforming yourself into something capable of surviving its horrors gives the adventure a compelling sense of purpose.
For fans of classic Metroidvanias and darker science fiction, Moadra offers an enticing combination of familiar mechanics and a suitably unsettling atmosphere. If its movement, combat and exploration deliver on their potential, Protea VI could be the sort of alien world that players remember long after leaving it behind. Sometimes, the most rewarding journeys are the ones that make you work for every step forward, and this one looks determined to make survival feel like an achievement.
