At Summer Game Fest 2026, we spent time with Crimson Moon, the upcoming action‑fantasy RPG from ProbablyMonsters. The game casts you as a nephelim, a half‑human, half‑angel warrior bound by prophecy, fighting to reclaim the besieged city of Gildenarch from demons, vampires, and other nightmarish creatures.

Across a 30‑minute hands-on session, we explored one of the game’s opening biomes, cleared an early area, and pushed into the second zone. Visually, Crimson Moon evokes a Soulslike foundation, blending its dark, moody atmosphere with the bold, gothic stylings reminiscent of Darksiders.

Crimson Moon – Hands-On Preview

Our session began at the player’s headquarters, where missions and sub‑quests can be selected before heading out. Sub‑quests task you with eliminating specific enemy types to earn bounties once you return to base, adding an optional layer of progression on top of the main objective.

Before deploying, we equipped a sword-and-shield setup alongside a spear. The sword and shield offer a balanced mix of offense and defense, while the spear leans into reach, mobility, and raw damage output. With preparations complete, we entered the biome, and that’s where Crimson Moon immediately bares its fangs.

Vampire Hunting

Most of our time was spent navigating a church courtyard and unlocking the path deeper inside. The interior quickly introduced tougher enemies, better loot, and the looming threat of a boss encounter we nearly reached.

Combat follows familiar action‑RPG rhythms: smaller enemies soften you up before stronger foes appear, and a stamina bar governs your attacks, dodges, jumps, and overall survivability. Getting cornered or overwhelmed results in a swift death, but your nephelim nature grants a limited number of resurrections, giving you a few chances to push deeper into the level.

To manage encounters, you can unleash skills and angelic abilities that help thin out groups or turn the tide in tougher fights. Loot drops play a major role as well, as rarer gear noticeably boosts your power as you progress. Consumables such as potions add passive effects, from igniting enemies to curing poison. Reaching a checkpoint allows you to replenish healing and mana supplies before pressing on.

Thirty minutes wasn’t nearly enough to fully explore the biome or face its boss. We eventually ran out of resurrections and were sent back to headquarters, where we could regroup, upgrade, and prepare for another run.

Even in this short slice, Crimson Moon shows strong potential, blending atmospheric world‑building with deliberate, punishing combat and a loot-driven progression loop. We’re eager to dive deeper when we get the chance.

Crimson Moon is launching in September 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.