May 31st is a special day! Today we witness a blue moon which marks the second full moon to appear in the same month. This phenomenon occurs once every 2-3 years and I'm sorry, but the moon doesn't actually turn blue. Still, that's why we say “once in a blue moon” for something that, while reliable, happens rarely.
This event got us thinking: which games use the moon for more than just its beauty? A lot of titles have skyboxes that show the natural satellite in one form or another, but not all of them actually do anything interesting with it. The moon usually exists to simply exist. However, as with everything, there are a few exceptions. Let's take a look at the video game masterpieces that make the moon an integral part of the experience.
Rather than just a list of games, I'm going to break everything down into three categories: Red, Blue, and Strawberry Moons.
Red Moon – Manifestation Of Ruin Cosmic Horror
Bloodborne and Zelda
In gaming, crimson skies with blood moons are never just an aesthetic choice, but rather a display of a developer's determination to create a universe defined by existential dread. Much like the Sun, the Moon acts as a blanket of comfort that humanity can rely on for consistency. No matter how bad things are and how they might turn out, we can turn to the night sky and look at the moon and find some comfort in the existence of tomorrow. These games remove this safety net and turn the moon into a representation of despair, death and horror.
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Bloodborne's Blood Moon is a space horror
Arguably the most famous example of a red moon, FromSoftware's gothic masterpiece pulls a bait and switch on players. In the first half of the campaign, the moon is distant from Yharnam, bringing a touch of light and beauty to a doomed world defined by tragedy and corruption. Bloody removes this one beacon of normalcy when players defeat Rom, the Vacuous Spider, and shatter the grand illusion masking reality. You, yes, are directly responsible for this change as the sky turns into a broken canvas. The blood moon descends so low that it almost seems to touch the city.
Somehow Yharnam goes from bad to worse after this point. The blood moon physically alters the environment while driving the few remaining citizens into utter madness. The broken sky induces madness on a cosmic level, and the change of the moon represents the point of no return. Now the battle for survival becomes a fight against the uncaring gods of the universe. Real confirmation is coming Bloodywith a secret ending that introduces the true architect of Hunter's Dream: The Moon Presence. This bony, multi-tentacled Great One literally descends from the blood-red sky in the final moments of the game and basically acts as the embodiment of the moon (it's not literally the moon, but it controls the moon).
Interesting fact: Bloody is my favorite game. This statement makes no real sense; I just wanted to mention that.
The Legend of Zelda: Blood Moon BOTW & TOTK resets the destroyed state of Hyrule
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom treat your Blood Moon quite differently than Bloodyalthough they share some similarities. While FromSoftware uses a transformation as a “before” and “after” point, Zelda integrates the Blood Moon directly into the gameplay loop, with its arrival signaling the revival of defeated enemies. Both significantly change the status quo and remind players that they exist in a world full of nightmares Zelda all this while significantly extending the game's lifespan. At the same time, it tells you that you are not safe AND you will never be safe until Hyrule is restored.
The Majora Mask month illustrates the inescapable horror of mortality
Although not always red, The Major's MaskThe moon will change to this color when the three-day limit expires. He then rushes into Termina, ending reality and restarting Link's loop. As the Moon waxes larger during these three days, it casts a wider shadow over the world, drowning it in darkness. In its final hours, it burns an apocalyptic, fiery red-orange color, suffocating the atmosphere and shaking the earth.
Blue moon – paradoxes and subverted realities
Portal 2 and Final Fantasy 9
We previously discussed the true meaning of the Blue Moon, and this truth seems to slightly influence its use in game design. A blue moon represents something rare and almost logical, almost like a subversion that breaks the rules of the universe. This is not exactly what happens in reality, but the concepts are quite similar.
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Portal 2
Leave it to Valve to completely subvert skybox expectations. within 99% Portal 2The moon is just a glimmer in the sky that occasionally peeks through a broken panel in the ceiling. Because it's so small and insignificant, it doesn't feel real or, more importantly, remarkable. However, the story quietly reveals one important fact that foreshadows the end: the portal-causing gel uses moon rocks. In the grand finale, this fact comes back in a big way. As the device rips away to reveal the night sky, Chell seems to have nowhere to go… until the moon suddenly turns from the background into your lifeline. Using a portal gun, Chell sends Wheatley to the Shadow Realm (aka the Moon). There is a skybox in the games never something more than just a view, but Portal 2 he questions it.
Final Fantasy 9
I almost went with Final Fantasy IVThe legendary shift from fantasy to pure sci-fi done through the revelation that the seemingly ordinary moon is actually a spaceship… but the ship is literally called the Red Moon, so I just couldn't do it.
Fortunately, Final Fantasy 9 really suits this concept. During the game, players will occasionally see two moons in the background: one large blue moon and one smaller red moon. The Celestial Twins aren't brought up that much during the campaign and just feel like dressing from a fantasy set. However, lore reveals that the blue and red moons belong to different worlds, and their current twin status represents an attempt by a dying civilization to absorb another planet. The moons are a constant reminder of Gaia and Terra's history.
Strawberry Moon – Cozy tides and changing seasons
Don't starve together & Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Red moons are Lovecraftian horror and blue moons are subversive sci-fi… are there any gaming moons that aren't so extreme while still being more than pretty furniture in the night sky? Well, technically. Some games use their natural satellite to ground the game or players, allowing them to create a routine around it.
The Strawberry Moon is set to occur on June 29 and derives its name from its association with the short period when strawberries are ripe and ready for harvest. I'm sorry, but the moon doesn't actually turn pink.
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Do not starve together
OK, “cozy” is not the word I would use to describe it Do not starve togetherbut it fits this section quite well. The multiplayer game runs on a 20-day lunar cycle, with a one-day full moon serving as a catalyst that changes the environment and the world. Things like Gloomer's Flower will spawn, and the Pig and Seaman will open their eyes to allow Nightmare Fuel to be taken in. Werewolves also automatically transform.
This design extends to Lunar Island, a free DLC map literally set in a fragmented part of the moon. On this island, the core of the game “Sanity” is completely transformed into “Enlightenment”. Instead of remaining still, your character must absorb the surreal, lunar energy to create powerful tools. Unlike BOTW and TOTKThe blood moon that's just resetting the world Do not starve together uses the full moon to force players to adapt and change their strategies.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Let's end it with the most amazing game imaginable: ACNH. The Nintendo game is known to sync with the console's clock so that its days progress in real time, and this goes all the way to the moon. Not only do your residents see the moon at the same time as you, they also see the same moon. it is so ACNH perfectly replicates the state of your moon, be it full, half or quarter moon. That is a really great detail. The characters even occasionally comment on the beauty of the night.
You can also unlock the moon as furniture.
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