Version reviewed: To the Moon (PC)
Genre: Adventure, Visual Novel
Time to finish: 3 hrs.
Trailer link: Click Here
When I first heard about To the Moon it it immediately piqued my interest. To the Moon is one of those "story games" with little actual gameplay, and as a fan of both visual novels and video games, this fell right in to my strike zone. Looking strictly at the game's length you're probably asking yourself why a short game like this is worth your hard-earned money. Let me explain why this under appreciated gem is worth your time.
To the moon tells the story of two scientists as the try to granting a dying mans wish to visit the moon. The story is short so I'll omit any further details, but let's just say that it's a tearjerker. The story may be short but it's a journey worth taking, and as you follow the short recap of the old man's life you will fall in love with the characters. The story also covers a topic rarely dealt with in novels, I won't say what that topic is since it's a large spoiler, but it's great to see topics such as this one covering in games and multimedia. To the moon is a very poignant story that's easy to recommend to all but the coldest hearts among us.
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| Old-school style? Classy... |
As you can see in the above picture To the Moon uses traditional RPG-style graphics, an aesthetic that will likely invoke some nostalgia from the classic-RPG crowd. The simple pixel graphics are used perfectly here and with a few exceptions are quite stylistically-consistent. I found the character sprites to be particularly endearing.
As I mentioned in the intro, there is almost zero gameplay here. What little gameplay there is involves you searching through the old mans dreams looking for clues to his past. This isn't quite as entertaining as it sounds, and actually, I wish it had been left out entirely. The other gameplay element involves a few tile flipping puzzles between chapters. This part could definitely been left out and seems to have been put in just to classify this as a game. Fortunately these segments are short and don't hurt the pacing terribly.
In addition to its detailed sprite-based graphics, to the moon also has an amazing soundtrack. If you do pick up the game I'd highly recommend getting the bundle that includes the soundtrack. Needless to say this is one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a game, especially taking into account the fact that it's an indie game. To the moon's soundtrack is mostly made up of slow piano pieces, but each one fits the scene perfectly. You can get a good feel for it in the trailer, but I'd highly recommend going into this game blind. This is a game you don't want spoiled by trailers. To reiterate, this game's soundtrack is something special and it will stick with you long after the game is over.
Gameplay - 3
This is not a game to play for a fun time. There is almost no gameplay here, so if that's a deal breaker, then move along, this isn't the game you're looking for. However if you came looking for a short but sweet story you'll get what you came for.
Music - 9
I really can't find the words to describe the music here. It's sublime and heartfelt in all the right places. The music complements the story perfectly, and I found myself listening to some of the songs weeks after I finished it.
Sound - 2
Considering that this game's sole focus is its story, I wouldn't put to much weight on this low score. The game has a smattering of sound effect throughout, but its saving grace is its wonderful musical score.
Graphics/art - 8
This game doesn't have the best hand drawn art I've ever seen in a game, but it's heart is in the right place. For a game made by a small team of indie developers they did a stand-up job, and for that they should be applauded. Despite being small sprites, I'll probably never forget the characters from this game.
Length/replay value - 7
Before you criticize my score in this category, it's important to keep in mind what the goal of the developers was. Did they accomplish what they set out to do? Not every game needs to be a 60 hour epic. Despite its relatively short play time, they developer's accomplish exactly what the intended with very little filler in-between.
Final Score - 8.3
The increase in popularity of games like this, 999, and the professor Layton series shows a welcome trend toward more story based games. I sincerely hope that success of games like these can help continue that trend. Although To the Moon is hardly the longest of such games, sometimes good things come in small packages. If you are in the least bit intrigued by the premise of To the Moon then give it a try! I promise you won't be disappointed.
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