Was Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society Worth It?

Craft an army of puppets to snag some priceless art from deep within the labyrinths beneath the Galleria. Was Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society Worth It?

Full disclosure: We received a review code for the Nintendo Switch version of this game. Rest assured that this will not affect the quality or candor of our review.

Background

We covered the predecessor to this game, Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk back in 2021. Refrain was a good but grim dungeon crawler, but a victim of Switch tax ($50 on eShop, $35 used, but only $10 on PS4).

Fast forward a few years and we’re just now getting Labyrinth of Galleria in the west. It first released back in 2020 for the PS4, Switch, and Vita. GameFAQS tells me that this is the fourth entry in the Witch and the Hundred Knight storyline, though you’d be forgiven for not knowing that, and you don’t need to play any of the previous titles before going into this one.

Once again, you play as a sentient object. In Refrain, you were a book, and now you’re a lamp. I hope this series eventually goes sci-fi, because the logical conclusion would be playing as a demonic smartphone (wait, isn’t that just Megaten?). Fantie (the lamp) is more proactive than the book, and can actually possess puppets, with the caveat that if that particular puppet loses their head (body parts can be destroyed), then you immediately lose that battle.

The premise starts off simple: you’re heading into the labyrinth to recover priceless works of art, but the dungeons aren’t so keen on giving up their goods. The game drip feeds a steady array of enhancements, movement abilities, etc. to keep the dungeoneering fresh.

How to build your first puppet soldiers

Galleria carries over many of the features from Refrain, including the confusing puppet creation mechanics. I assume that most of the internal workings are the same as the previous game, so here’s what I did for my puppets:

• Name every character Lucky
• Standard Stance on everyone that isn’t a Peer Fortress (give them Sunny)
• Lucky No. should be even (doesn’t matter what it is, so long as it is even)
• Choose natures that complement your stats
• Sharp character growth (eventually, choose double sharp)

Certain pacts have different requirements, and there’s much more nuance to it than this, especially when you start soul transferring puppets (think Disgaea reincarnation). There are also plenty of other names that also grant high starting luck, I’m just using Lucky as an example. In the early game, you don’t want to have low luck, as that means you’re more likely to get hit with criticals.

Eventually you’ll want puppets that have odd lucky numbers or you’ll choose a different growth type, but that’s a conversation for when you’re very far into the game. The game gives you (and makes you create) plenty of wooden minions, so don’t fret too much about any given puppet soldier.

What does Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society do well?

Much like the previous game, the dungeon crawling is done well. Enemy and dungeon designs are interesting. The game rewards you for every step you take in the labyrinth, which reinforces the desire to check down that hallway or clear out one more room before you head back up to the surface.

I had several headscratcher moments where I was straight up lost, but it was easy enough to figure out how to get back on track. You’ll definitely want a guide for some of the later game content, though.

What could Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society do better?

It’s easy for me to gloss over a lot of the intricacies of the game because of my familiarity with the prequel. There are plenty of mechanics that you’ll have to learn to really excel in the later parts of the game, and it can take a while before all the parts actually “click” for some players.

I’m also still not a fan of the karma mechanic and I think we can all agree on hating teleportal puzzles.

Was Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society fun?

Galleria is definitely more fun that Refrain was. The tone has changed for the better: the first game was a “stranger in a strange land” vibe, but this is more akin to a fantasy heist.

Is Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society good value?

This game is on par with one of the Disgaea titles in terms of content. A hundred hours for full completion is probably a conservative estimate.

Who is this game for?

This is for hardcore DRPG players. Don’t expect to play this for an hour or two…you might spend that much time navigating a single floor.

I am patient with the genre. However, players who don’t like the slow burn might want to refrain from this labyrinth if they aren’t willing to sink a lot of time in. When I said this is a hundred hour game, I meant it.

Do you need to play Labyrinth of Refrain first?

No – Playing the first game will help you learn the mechanics, but you aren’t missing out on any story beats.

Was Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society worth it?

Labyrinth of Galleria is a solid DRPG. Players looking for a huge, sprawling series of dungeons with deep mechanics to explore will love this title. Labyrinth of Galleria is worth it for fans of the genre, and is a good entry into the canon of Switch DRPGs.

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