Given the popularity of the Legend of Zelda series, and the fact that so many Nintendo fans still hold the top-down SNES classic A Link to the Past in high regard, it isn’t surprising that the Switch has seen so many indie games in that mold arrive on the system. In the earlier days, when there wasn’t as much competition, the more action-focused KAMIKO managed to make quite a splash. Since then you’ve also had the likes of the Blossom Tales games and some others fully embrace all aspects of the Zelda series, not just executing the combat well, but also the exploration and combat.

Coming to the table so late, Saga of the Moon Priestess had its work cut out for it. Granted, it’s a budget-friendly title, but given that some of its competitors have a comparable price it gets little opportunity to hide behind that. The good news is that it does a reasonably good job on the high end of the action adventure checklist, with a fair amount of exploration, some secrets to be found, and a variety of items you’ll need to find in order to keep yourself moving. Granted, more often than not the dungeon-esque areas tend to be smaller and less complex than average, but if you’re looking for more bite-sized play sessions this could actually work in its favor.

On the more negative side, I’d say that the most clear weakness the game has is in its combat. You’re simply not very nimble, your overall combat options aren’t terribly broad, and all of that makes locking horns with enemies more of a chore than a joy. You will have to do battle to progress, and you will work out the means for success despite your impediments, but it’s just missing the fluidity and flair that the majority of its competition have handled better.

This leaves Saga of the Moon Priestess a bit pinned in on all sides. Whether visually, or when looking at its dungeon designs and puzzles, it lacks in both refinement and polish. On the combat side it similarly comes up short in terms of both depth and level of engagement. There are absolutely worse options out there on the eShop in this general genre space, but there’s also no question that there are better as well.