How Moonlighter 2 builds on its Zelda-inspired twist as it moves from 2D to 3D

The Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is making 'the shopkeeper' the heart and soul of this fantastical video game. The classic gaming character trope is lifting the counter lid and leaving the store, and it's looking quite wonderful.

When it comes to video game NPCs, the most memorable is surely the merchant who's always conveniently around to hawk you new wares to help you on your adventure. They come in all manner of guises, from the stylish ones whose bonds you can also grow in Persona 5 to the shopkeepers in Spelunky, who can be just as deadly if you try to rip them off. 2018's Moonlighter, however, went with the premise of, what if in this classic Zelda-style adventure, you actually played as the shopkeeper?

Seven years on from its charming debut, Digital Sun is returning with a sequel where you once again play as Will, who dutifully runs a shop selling precious artefacts by day, while delving into dungeons by night.

The big difference is that while the original was a traditional top-down affair in pixel art, The Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault revisits this world in full 3D. It's as much an evolution for the series as it demonstrates how the Valencia-based studio has grown in that time.

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Making the move from pixels to polygons

"Moonlighter was our debut, and the incredible response and support from players immediately got us thinking about how we could expand on that foundation," says the game's co-director, Luis Pérez. "After working on other projects and growing as a studio, we felt ready to return, this time with deeper, more dynamic gameplay. The core mix of dungeon-crawling and shopkeeping is still here, but now everything’s layered with more variety, complexity, and strategy."

Two games that Digital Sun worked on following Moonlighter was the League of Legends spin-off The Mageseeker, which Pérez says taught the team to build deeper combat systems, but Cataclismo was perhaps the most impactful as it "gave us the tools to create rich, immersive 3D Worlds" in Unity, in particular using the platform's Data-Oriented Technology Stack.

"3D opened up fresh opportunities - more expressive animation, bigger environments - but also new challenges like rethinking how we deliver charm and storytelling. We took what we learned and applied it to make Moonlighter 2 a true next step," says Luis.

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For those who played the original, it's heartening that the leap from 2D to 3D doesn't feel off as the character design and visual palette is still recognisably Moonlighter, and it even retains the emote system in the shop that lets you know what your customers think of your goods and their prices.

In terms of Zelda influences, Luis says, "If the first game was inspired by The Minish Cap, then Moonlighter 2 looks Wind Waker right in the eye." He also cites Risk of Rain 2 as a heavy source of inspiration, given this was also a sequel that leapt from 2D to 3D while staying true to the original's aesthetic. "Like them, we leaned into stylisation over realism, aiming for something timeless, expressive, and full of personality."

Another key inspiration was Hades, which is evident in both Moonlighter 2's isometric perspective as well as its faster, tighter combat, but also in its roguelite elements. Of course, the original Moonlighter was also a roguelite to an extent.

According to Luis, "we lean hard into the roguelite identity. Dungeon runs are now more dynamic thanks to mid-run choices and upgrades, and relics with biome-specific effects. Meanwhile, shopkeeping has evolved too. Relics have fixed values, so the real challenge is optimising perks, loot decisions, and shop decor. It’s all about giving players more unpredictability, more agency, and a richer loop between dungeon and storefront."

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Moonlighter 2's has a Hades connection

Given the subtitle, it also sounds like this is shaping up to be a bigger sequel, certainly compared to the original, which consisted of five types of procedurally-generated dungeon biomes. While Pérez doesn't share just how many more biomes we can expect, he does confirm there are returning themes, such as forest and desert.

He tells me: "But now they directly affect how you play, so for example, wind or fire aren’t just visuals; they shape combat, exploration, and even how relics behave. A fire-based relic might burn others to boost its value, changing your loot strategy entirely. Expect familiar themes, but with brand new gameplay twists!"

The same can also be said for the shop items, which are naturally more tangible and expressive when rendered in 3D. But again, Luis adds, "the real upgrade is in how the shop works. Every time you open your store, new perks kick in, forcing you to adapt based on your latest haul. It’s all about smart selling, using perks, biome-specific decor, and layout to maximise profits. The cozy vibe is still there, but there’s a lot more depth for those who want to dig into the systems."

On reflection, having spoken with the team, Moonlighter 2's move to 3D has led to the inclusion of more substance as well as greater style.

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Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault releases on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S - including on Xbox Game Pass - this summer.