Rating
To the Moon
Join Dr. Rosalene and Dr. Watts as they enter a patient named Johnny's mind on his death bed to grant his final request. Watch, interact, and change the past as Johnny's life unfolds before you and takes you on a magical journey inside one's head that asks the greatest question of all: "What if...?" If you had the chance to relive your life, would ...
Details
- Released
- October 31, 2011
- Developer
- Freebird Games
- Genres
- Point-and-click · Puzzle · Role-playing (RPG) · Adventure · Indie
- Publisher
- Freebird Games, X.D. Network Inc.
- Platforms
- PC · Switch · PS5 · Xbox Series X|S
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To the Moon Reviews
Professional reviews from gaming critics
They're manly tears damn it!Editor's Note: This review was originally published on November 16th, 2011. We are republishing it to remind people [...]
If you're searching for a story-oriented, RPG experience with a retro style, look no further than To the Moon! Can you put together the puzzle pieces of the past in order to satisfy the final request of a dying man? Embark on an adventure with beautiful, although pixelated, scenery and an engrossing, underlying plot.
There are certainly rooms of improvement for more gameplay features, but perhaps those weren’t utilized because the developers wanted to mainly keep the focus on the narrative. And believe me, at the end of the game, no one is going to complain about it. You might grow a little tired with repetitive sequences throughout several chapters, but the story will always keep you going forward. At some stage you realize that even when you are bored with the gameplay, you are so attached with the story and are motivated to help John fulfill his last wish. The developers had done such an amazing job emo...
On an isolated stretch of road near a lonely lighthouse, two doctors march toward a cliffside mansion. They have been hired to rewrite the memories of an old man named Johnny Wyles in order to fulfill his dying wish of going to the moon. This isn’t a simple process, and as the doctors dive into Johnny’s mind and revisit several of his most important memories, they effectively relive his life in reverse. To the Moon may be light on gameplay, but it is a storytelling powerhouse that explores the themes of love and regret, and by the end, I felt encouraged to reflect on some of the most important...
Created using the RPG Maker XP, To The Moon is a masterclass in storytelling and creating emotional impact. The beautiful soundtrack imbues Johnny’s memories with tension and melancholy, but there is some tonal dissonance, especially during the first half of the game, that’s hard to reconcile. The gameplay itself does little to justify its existence, but it doesn’t detract in a major way from how potent the narrative is and how overwhelming the conclusion is. Much like how I collapsed into my chair as the final credits rolled, the game actually crashes before the single post-credits scen…
To the Moon is a challenging game to write about because the only real reason to play it is the story. I could go deeper into the plot, but spoiling it would be a great disservice to any potential players; suffice to say that the story is good enough to recommend this game despite its relatively weak gameplay. Playing through To the Moon was cathartic for me, not because I could identify with John’s specific lifetime experiences, but because the characters and their reactions – their emotional responses – all hit home with me. And I’d wager they’ll hit just about anyone, as To the Moon capture...