Too Long; Didn't Play: To The Moon

Sponsored By: Krev

Time Mooning: 4 Hours

Apollo 11 Review

I don’t throw the word “literally” around lightly, but I quite literally don’t know what to say about To The Moon.

It’s not that the game has rendered me speechless, it’s just that I don’t know what I’m allowed to say about it. It’s only a few hours long, short enough that I inadvertently finished it while trying to figure out what to write about it. How can I convey my profound ambivalence toward To The Moon without spoiling anything?

What to do, what to do?

Oh, wait! I got it! I’ll write my review, redact anything spoilery and eventually, if enough people want to see it, post the unredacted version at some point in the future!

Spoiler:

Those of you who like to feel clever can pretend it’s a meta-critique of spoiler sensitivity, while the rest of you can just marvel at my brilliant use of negative space. Art!

Apollo 13 Review

To The Moon is a game about ____, ____and the ____________, which certainly came as a surprise to me. With a title like To The Moon, I was expecting something a bit more like ____________________ and a bit less like _________________________________________.

You play as a pair of ________whose job it is to make snide comments at each other and ____________________________________. Presumably, the latter is more important, though you wouldn’t necessarily know it from watching them. They have been summoned to the ________of an _______ whose __________ is to have _________________. The problem is that they need to know why __ wants to ______________, and therefore must embark on an adventure ____________________ in the search for clues.

As you proceed ______________________, you learn things about _________, such as _____________________ and __________________________________________________. This only adds to the mystery, and the questions pile up the further you go. Who is ____? Why was _____ so dedicated to ____ that she _____________? Why is ________ such a ______________? What’s with all the ___________?

You get the answers to some of these questions, but not all of them, though they give you some clues that suggest the roots of _____________ without actually providing any answers.

One of the things that actually did surprise me in To The Moon was the fact that _________________________________________________________________, which is __________________________________________________________________________________________________ They’re very frank about it, and I was excited to see what they did with it. Sadly, ______________________________________. ______ feels more like ________________ than __________________________________________________ and ___________________________________, and _______________________________________________. And the only explanation we’re given for why the ________________________ in the first place ____________________________________. Basically,_______________________________. Having some very intimate experience with the subject matter left me ____________________ because they ______________________________ and turned it into ____________ and ________________________________________.

Now, given the nature of the big mystery, it’s only fair to warn you that there will be a big reveal, and it’s __________________________________________ I’ll own up to getting briefly choked up, even though I knew it was coming. I’ll give the developers this: They don’t shy away from yanking on some heart strings. I mean, it’s just __________ after __________ in this game. You barely have time to blow your nose before ___________________________________________________________________________. It’s like someone decided to make a game that’s nothing but __________________________ over and over again for four hours. That’s bad enough, since I hated _____, but ________________. For example, _________________, for all intents and purposes, caused by _________________.

Overall, ____________________________________ but _____________________________________________________ here. If you’re a person who values good writing and good storytelling (which are not the same thing, and often not even acquainted), then _______________________________. I will say that a lot of other people like it, so maybe ______________________.

Will I keep playing?

Well, I finished it, and _______________________ so I’m going to say ___________________. There are a couple of other “episodes” included in the game that presumably ____________________ and ________________.

Is there any potential to praise the sun on the way To The Moon?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________. No_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

UNREDACTED VERSION (Warning: there will be spoilers)

Spoiler:

To The Moon is a game about love, loss and the autism spectrum, which certainly came as a surprise to me. With a title like To The Moon, I was expecting something a bit more like Kerbal Space Program and a bit less like The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

You play as a pair of doctors whose job it is to make snide comments at each other and rewrite the memories of dying people. Presumably, the latter is more important, though you wouldn’t necessarily know it from watching them. They have been summoned to the death bed of an old man whose dying wish is to have gone to the Moon. The problem is that they need to know why he wants to go to the Moon, and therefore must embark on an adventure through his memories in the search for clues.

As you proceed backwards in time through his memories, you learn things about the old man, such as the fact that he married an autistic woman and the fact that he doesn’t actually seem to care about the Moon whatsoever. This only adds to the mystery, and the questions pile up the further you go. Who is [u]Anya[/]u? Why was River so dedicated to Anya that she basically killed herself? Why is [u]Dr. Watts[u] such a gigantic prick? What’s with all the origami rabbits?

You get the answers to some of these questions, but not all of them, though they give you some clues that suggest the roots of Dr. Watt’s asshattery.

One of the things that actually did surprise me in To The Moon was the fact that River is explicitly diagnosed with a persistent developmental disability, which is how doctors said “You’re different and we don’t know why” before the diagnostic criteria for Autism broadened to include adults and children who have verbal skills. They’re very frank about it, and I was excited to see what they did with it. Sadly, it’s mostly just used as a prop to further the plot. River feels more like a bundle of symptoms than an actual person on the spectrum. She’s uncommunicative most of the time, and blunt to the point of rudeness when she’s not, and she’s obsessed with lighthouses and origami rabbits, and the only explanation we’re given for why the old man was even interested in her in the first place was to affirm his desire to be unusual by proxy. Basically, she’s a prop with a topical diagnosis. Having some very intimate experience with the subject matter left me feeling fairly disappointed, because they squandered a potentially meaningful story and turned it into a plot device and an excuse for the two doctors to call her “weird” a lot.

Now, given the nature of the big mystery, it’s only fair to warn you that there will be a big reveal, and it’s every bit the emotional gut-punch you would expect it to be. I’ll own up to getting briefly choked up, even though I knew it was coming. I’ll give the developers this: They don’t shy away from yanking on some heart strings. I mean, it’s just tragic death after tragic death in this game. You barely have time to blow your nose before some other sympathetic character (or, if I’m being honest, some other bundle of symptoms) dies. It’s like someone decided to make a game that’s nothing but the first twenty minutes of Up over and over again for four hours. That’s bad enough, since I hated Up, but they’re all so contrived. For example, [u]River’s death is,[/]u for all intents and purposes, caused by her PDD diagnosis.

Overall, I don’t really have much else to say about the game, but I’m going to make you think I do by putting this pointless redaction here. If you’re a person who values good writing and good storytelling (which are not the same thing, and often not even acquainted), then I’m not sure I can fully recommend To the Moon. I will say that a lot of other people like it, so maybe it’s just that my cold, dead heart is making me say that.

[b]Will I keep playing?[b]

Well, I finished it, and I’m not entirely happy with it, so I’m going to say no, I’m done with To the Moon. There are a couple of other “episodes” included in the game that presumably follow the exploits of the two memory doctors, and I personally don’t care.

[b]Is there any potential to praise the sun on the way To The Moon?[b]

No.

Comments

I love this weird little game. It's touching and artfully done with a limited tool-set, and it deals earnestly with some topics that you just don't see games deal with very often (although I don't have much direct experience with _______________, so I'll defer to people who do in regards to how imperfectly the game approached it.)

[User was banned due to spoilers]

Jokes aside, I loved this game. I was meaning to play for a couple of hours before bed and played the whole thing. 10/10 would be tired for work again for.

I finished this game, put down my controller, and sat still and quiet for a few minutes.

Then I cried. Hard.

one of the few games to invoke such a respobse as to mske me weep i would go so far as to say it
is a game people should pplay. I also reajlly dig some of the quotes auch as the one I nabbed for my sig.

I really loved To The Moon. It was short but sweet, with a story that still sticks with me even several years later.

If you're low on time (as many gamers with jobs are), then this is a game that respects your time by delivering a strong story without outstaying its welcome.

I think some people look down on this game as being a lame RPGmaker title, which it absolutely is not. It's great.

anyone played finding paradise or a bird story? both also by Freebird Games are they also worth the plays?

It's official DT, you're dead inside.*

krev82 wrote:

anyone played finding paradise or a bird story? both also by Freebird Games are they also worth the plays?

This reminds me that I have Bird Story but I've never played it. By all accounts it's not as good as To The Moon, but still worthwhile.

Haven't bought Finding Paradise yet.

* In all seriousness the game isn't for everyone, and with its reputation it may have been set up to disappoint, but damn this game got me in the way no other ever has.

MrDeVil909 wrote:

It's official DT, you're dead inside.*

Wait ‘till you read the unabridged version of this review, which I may post on Monday.

krev82 wrote:

anyone played finding paradise or a bird story? both also by Freebird Games are they also worth the plays?

I played and loved A Bird Story - you're 100% right, they're very similar. Both are well worth playing.

FYI, the unredacted version is now part of the original post behind a spoiler tag.

I appreciated your (unredacted) take on it, DT.

Spoiler:

Without first-hand experience, it's hard to tell the difference between a bundle of symptoms and a robust depiction. I gave the writers the benefit of the doubt but also had a sense that the depiction was a scattered one that had emotional heft in mind more than accuracy.

I'm curious to know whether the developers have written or spoken anywhere about their writing process.

Yeah, thanks DT. Your unredacted take is very interesting and illuminating. I appreciate your thoughts and experience.