Warp Drive

Monday, June 29, 2015

To the Moon Review

I just happened to see a Twitter message by Josh Henry​ a few nights ago about a game titled To the Moon by Freebird Games​. He was wondering how it was. I then realized I already possessed the game in my Steam library. Yet another one of those Steam games I had never touched. I probably picked it up via a Humble Indie Bundle and forgot all about it. On a whim, I decided to give it a shot. My first thought was Chrono Trigger. Something about the 16-bit graphics and the accompanying music score. As I entered the big house and found a man on his death bed, I shivered for a moment before pressing onward. I was taken aback to something I hoped I had blocked out for good. Which is, coincidentally enough, the very essence of this game. Repressed memories. To the Moon takes place in an era in which scientists can link up with dying patients and retrieve memories digitally from their unconscious minds. Think Inception or Psychonauts. As such, the game turns out being a rather emotional journey! As we begin to piece together the life of that man, Johnny, we uncover his deepest secrets. We then meet the love of his life, River, and come to understand the relationship they share. As I wrote in my Steam review, "Chrono Trigger with even more emotion and intrigue." I made note there how To the Moon is quite linear with only bits of exploration here and there. The only real puzzle is a match game completed at the end of each memory. If you enjoy rich stories, however, it is definitely worth checking out. It is a heartfelt experiment in human feeling! As one final note: You will cry!

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