To the Moon

 PC
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1509 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,322 out of 1509
  2. Mixed: 119 out of 1509
  3. Negative: 68 out of 1509

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  1. casellacrack
    Apr 1, 2012
    10
    Freebirds has created a small gem. To The Moon is a work of adult and touching able to thrill as only a good book is capable of doing. However, because of it, presents a unique and linear that sometimes leaves more space to the plot than the phases of the game, so make the most of passive readers to active players. So if you are looking for a dynamic and interactive way, you should lookFreebirds has created a small gem. To The Moon is a work of adult and touching able to thrill as only a good book is capable of doing. However, because of it, presents a unique and linear that sometimes leaves more space to the plot than the phases of the game, so make the most of passive readers to active players. So if you are looking for a dynamic and interactive way, you should look the other way, but if you want a story full of emotions, accompanied by an excellent soundtrack and you're willing to accept some compromises in terms of gameplay, then it you can certainly leave it to escape.… Expand
  2. popfg
    Jan 20, 2013
    10
    I absolutely love this game. Fantastic Storytelling, an emotional plot. This is one of the few games I would classify as "perfect". As in I couldn't find any flaws with this game. For 10 dollars you could do a whole lot worse.
  3. Danyuul
    Nov 23, 2012
    10
    An amazing little indie game that cuts down on gameplay in favour of a beautiful, memorable and touching storyline, I even found myself tearing up in certain scenes with the help of the top-notch soundtrack, and i'm the type of guy that cries probably once or twice a century. If you get this game make sure you play through the entire game before making your judgement, it's well worth it,An amazing little indie game that cuts down on gameplay in favour of a beautiful, memorable and touching storyline, I even found myself tearing up in certain scenes with the help of the top-notch soundtrack, and i'm the type of guy that cries probably once or twice a century. If you get this game make sure you play through the entire game before making your judgement, it's well worth it, and IMHO better than the majority of movies released nowadays. beautiful beautiful beautiful!… Expand
  4. dereknor
    Nov 28, 2013
    10
    Its much better then I ever expected. I expected some kind of asian RPG game. But its a great story, told by the tools of an old RPG like game. I couldnt stop playing it untill I finished it. Its a real treasure, I would really miss the experiance if I never bought that game.
  5. TechDave
    Dec 22, 2012
    10
    Its just beautiful and so emotive, you wont be let down! a must have game for anyone and everyone! there is something really captivating about the entire game its simple yet brilliant!
  6. cleverest
    Aug 4, 2013
    10
    Any other game like this, one with less of a magnificent story, I would be tempted to rate it less than a 10, merely because there isn't much "game" in the actual playing here, it IS visually similar to 16-bit style RPG's of yesteryear, but lacks any real inventory (the one in the game is useless to game-play, just exists for a little extra reading material), no stats here, no characterAny other game like this, one with less of a magnificent story, I would be tempted to rate it less than a 10, merely because there isn't much "game" in the actual playing here, it IS visually similar to 16-bit style RPG's of yesteryear, but lacks any real inventory (the one in the game is useless to game-play, just exists for a little extra reading material), no stats here, no character advancement, no combat, etc..the game play involved basically talking to characters and solving very easy little quick puzzles flip board puzzles as you unlock new memories/sequences in the games progressing story.

    Sound dreadful? I certainly hope not! This "game" has one of the greatest soundtracks I've ever heard, it's truly GORGEOUS and moving, and the story is incredibly deep and satisfying, don't be surprised when you tear up, man or woman, it's having that affect on so many for a reason! this is not a random crises of cry-babies among a ton of video game nerds, the story really IS that good.

    Call it a game or an 'interactive story', whatever you want, BUT BUY IT NOW and support this true work of art. I eagerly away the episode 2 and "a Bird Story" by freebirdgames, just take my wallet already!!    … Expand
  7. EnokiEmperor
    May 28, 2013
    9
    I really enjoyed the story and fell in love with this game. I know it doesn't renovate gaming and at times can be cheesy. But that's what i liked about it.

    The graphics were Ok, maybe something like a anime graphic novel could have been really cool too. The music at times were sometimes intense but only added to the emotion the team was hoping for the user to feel during some of    I really enjoyed the story and fell in love with this game. I know it doesn't renovate gaming and at times can be cheesy. But that's what i liked about it.

    The graphics were Ok, maybe something like a anime graphic novel could have been really cool too.

    The music at times were sometimes intense but only added to the emotion the team was hoping for the user to feel during some of the story.

    The only thing i can knock if i had to are the controls. At times it was a little frustrating trying to move with the mouse. I ended up using the arrow keys to get around to finish the game.

    I hope to see more from this team both in narrative and music.

    Thanks Freebird

    -Eno-    … Expand
  8. Vinyl7th
    Nov 5, 2013
    10
    I stumbled upon this game last night, wading through the reviews of "Different" RPGs, looking for something fresh. I looked at the trailer for this game and thought that the concept was compelling, but I wasn't sure if it would be worth the money on steam. Against my initial judgement, I decided to try it out.

    What a decision. The game took me 4 hours to complete, short by RPG    I stumbled upon this game last night, wading through the reviews of "Different" RPGs, looking for something fresh. I looked at the trailer for this game and thought that the concept was compelling, but I wasn't sure if it would be worth the money on steam. Against my initial judgement, I decided to try it out.

    What a decision.

    The game took me 4 hours to complete, short by RPG standards, but it was 4 of the most heart-wrenching, loveably inspiring hours Ive ever had in gaming. Now to be fair, this "game" is less of a game and more of a point and click interactive novel, but it does what it sets out to do flawlessly. The graphics are appropriate, the writing is clever, funny and gut-twistingly sad and the musical score is nothing short of a masterpiece. .

    I may have gotten on the shuttle to the moon a little later than most gamers, but I have never been more satisfied with my ticket. This game won my heart, and is easily the most touching game I have ever played.

    10/10 Would pay more than triple the price for.    … Expand
  9. empresshobbit
    Jan 13, 2014
    9
    To the Moon is one of the best games I have ever played. The music is beautiful and the plot makes you think of the people and things closest to you. Absolutely beautiful game.
  10. Andromeda12
    Jan 29, 2014
    10
    When I started playing this, I didn't expect much from it. I though it was going to be a sort of puzzle RPG about some boy's dream of going to them moon. I was so wrong.
    This is one of the best games I have ever played. It's not as much a game as it is an interactive story that will blow you off your feet and cry like a 2 year old. Everything in this work of art is pure perfection: the    When I started playing this, I didn't expect much from it. I though it was going to be a sort of puzzle RPG about some boy's dream of going to them moon. I was so wrong.
    This is one of the best games I have ever played. It's not as much a game as it is an interactive story that will blow you off your feet and cry like a 2 year old. Everything in this work of art is pure perfection: the story, the setting, the characters, the plot twist and above all the soundtrack which make everything come together perfectly.
    If there was a Nobel prize for gaming perfection, this would be the winner. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good story. Don't be discouraged by the 2D graphics or whatever else because this game will surprise in you and keep you glued to the screen up to the very end!
    This games deserves a 50 out of 10!    … Expand
  11. SmallRedMachine
    Sep 7, 2017
    3
    I am an avid adventure games player and unfortunately I'm just dragging myself to finish this game just because I spent money on this. I initially thought this is kind of an adventure game which totally was not, I was ok with the retro graphics because that usually means in this day and age that the developers focused on the gameplay instead but To The Moon is barely a game so.

    The    I am an avid adventure games player and unfortunately I'm just dragging myself to finish this game just because I spent money on this. I initially thought this is kind of an adventure game which totally was not, I was ok with the retro graphics because that usually means in this day and age that the developers focused on the gameplay instead but To The Moon is barely a game so.

    The humor was really weak, disliked the two main characters, it just came off very childish and I felt being too old to play this game. Definitely overrated when you compare the story telling and gameplay to Telltale games, To The Moon is not the total package and the rating it received is misleading.    … Expand
  12. hazy7687
    Oct 23, 2012
    5
    I was very excited to finally get my hands on To the Moon, I had purposely waited for it to come to Steam, and once it did I wasted no time securing a copy and playing through it. However, I'm afraid I found this game to be a bit overrated.

    I knew going in what the graphics looked like, I knew the game was mainly about story so game play was going to be lacking, and I knew it was an    I was very excited to finally get my hands on To the Moon, I had purposely waited for it to come to Steam, and once it did I wasted no time securing a copy and playing through it. However, I'm afraid I found this game to be a bit overrated.

    I knew going in what the graphics looked like, I knew the game was mainly about story so game play was going to be lacking, and I knew it was an indie so at the end of the day it simply wasn't going to have that polished big game feel. I was perfectly fine with all those things, I just wanted a good story. The story is To the Moon is toted as its crowning achievement, and after reading the short summary I figured it would be. Sadly the story simply falls flat and has too many inconsistencies and cliches for my taste. First you have one of the main characters who is almost a pure annoyance. The character acts like a teenager, and not even a mature teenager, an average immature, annoying teenager. Yet this character is presented as a scientist and has Dr. at the beginning of his name. His dialogue constantly pulled me out of the story and made me wonder why he was written the way he was. Clearly he was meant to be a form of comedic relief but I found the whole concept to be unnecessary as the story is supposed to be serious and emotional. His counter part wasn't all the much better.

    The story is supposed to be deep and thought provoking, yet it often tries way too hard to be comedic to the point where its not taking itself seriously. The whole time I got a sense that this story was conceived by two young, probably high school level guys, one who wanted to tell a serious story and the other who wanted to get cheap laughs. Unfortunately both of them fell short. The story tries way to hard, and ultimately uses too many cliche formulas. I won't go further into them because it would be too hard to avoid spoilers. I was really let down by the way the story was handled, it could have been really great but it simply fell flat. In the end I feel in falls in that category of "oh its a good story, for a video game..." which really isn't saying much. If this were presented as a book or movie I think it would be altogether ignored. . The game play is practically non-existent and consists of walking a few steps, clicking through some dialogue and solving a simple puzzle. Which would have been fine if the story held up it's end. I will say the music was really well done though and fit quite well. In the end To the Moon really didn't do it for me, but I can see why people praise it. It does try to be different and its story has real potential. Given some tweaking this could be a remarkable story and game, but as is its not worth the $10 imo.    … Expand
  13. kozzy420
    Nov 24, 2011
    9
    Amazing role-playing game that pushes the boundaries of what videogames are, as it rival's on true art!

    I have never once in my 25 years of gaming felt so many emotions as with To The Moon. Sometimes I would be laughing at the funny dialogue, other times I wouuld be nearly in tears and others I was just having a super fun time. The story and characters are top notch and the soundtrack is    Amazing role-playing game that pushes the boundaries of what videogames are, as it rival's on true art!

    I have never once in my 25 years of gaming felt so many emotions as with To The Moon. Sometimes I would be laughing at the funny dialogue, other times I wouuld be nearly in tears and others I was just having a super fun time.

    The story and characters are top notch and the soundtrack is tied with Skyrim's soundtrack as the best of this year. Also the dialogue is well done as is the atmosphere, for a indie group this is a fantastic game that makes alot of mainstream rpgs seem very poorly made.

    This game was a blast and while it only lasted 6 hours, it was some of the best 6 hours ive had gaming in ages, near perfection right here people, do yourself a favor and go pick up this amazing and moving videogame.    … Expand
  14. Prettypinkcloud
    Sep 24, 2014
    0
    A friend recommended this game to me, although I will say now, whenever I use the word "game" here I am referring to "To the Moon" for the sake of simplicity. A Choose Your Own Adventure book involves more gameplay than this did. For this reason (and because it's already overrated here), I give this game a 0.

    The only part of the game where you feel like you're "playing" anything is    A friend recommended this game to me, although I will say now, whenever I use the word "game" here I am referring to "To the Moon" for the sake of simplicity. A Choose Your Own Adventure book involves more gameplay than this did. For this reason (and because it's already overrated here), I give this game a 0.

    The only part of the game where you feel like you're "playing" anything is towards the end when your coworker takes over the memories and it feels a little chaotic, but even then if you take a step back and realize it, there's still only 1 thing to do and that's press the arrow keys toward the rest of the story.

    I feel like To The Moon would have made a somewhat less inconsequential animated feature film considering any interaction the player has with this game is literally just moving from one dialogue to the next. The little requisite puzzles that hinder your progress to the next memory jump offer no meaning, reasoning or challenge. They're just...there.

    ***

    But on to the story. To The Moon's story feels like a slow stroll down a path you've never been but you know exactly where you're going. There are supposed to be a couple of A HA moments, but they're so contrived that I actually chuckled when they happened. I was trying to convince myself that they were too obvious and the story would go a different direction. But it didn't. And anyone who paid attention and has read or watched anything in the last 20 years would know exactly what will be happening.

    And the sad attempts at base comedy are, for some reason, being lauded on many of the other reviews. I'm not quite sure why someone would find kindergarten humor funny. But maybe the joke's on me and i'm actually too old for this game altogether.    … Expand
  15. drh3010
    Apr 29, 2013
    4
    Being a 40 year old gamer, I don't understand why this game is rated so high. I support independent games, many are quite good despite minor flaws, but this one's feeble attempt at humor is particularly groan-worthy. I may let my 7 year old niece play to see if she thinks it's funny. Apart from the poor dialog perhaps lost in translation, the gameplay is ok with only a few nuances and theBeing a 40 year old gamer, I don't understand why this game is rated so high. I support independent games, many are quite good despite minor flaws, but this one's feeble attempt at humor is particularly groan-worthy. I may let my 7 year old niece play to see if she thinks it's funny. Apart from the poor dialog perhaps lost in translation, the gameplay is ok with only a few nuances and the story is nice so I give it a 4 for that.… Expand
  16. Egres
    Oct 27, 2014
    4
    It's is no game at all. It is cartoon, book, whatever, but not the game. 95% of 'game' time is not interactive and 95% of these 5% can be changed to "press any key". I can't explain these high ratings myself. I think the game must have something more than good plot, but not in this case, apparently.

    P.S. The story itself is very touching and interesting enough.
  17. M000se
    Sep 16, 2013
    10
    I had to make a quick account on here for the sole purpose of letting you know how good this game is. It is one of the best stories and most well written games I've ever played. Very original story on top of well written dialogue as well as fantastic music. Some people are saying the game play was too slow and boring, personally, I never noticed. I was so invested in the story and theI had to make a quick account on here for the sole purpose of letting you know how good this game is. It is one of the best stories and most well written games I've ever played. Very original story on top of well written dialogue as well as fantastic music. Some people are saying the game play was too slow and boring, personally, I never noticed. I was so invested in the story and the characters that nothing else mattered besides finding out what happens. Anyways I'll wrap this up and simply say, it's an amazing experience and at a very reasonable price. Buy this game!… Expand
  18. TitaniumDragon
    Jan 3, 2015
    7
    This is not a game in any real sense. While it is “interactive” in the sense that you move around the environment and interact with objects, in truth the interactivity is an illusion; yoru movement in the environment is about as interactive as turning a page in a book most of the time, and at times is actually more tedious because you have to search for where you need to click to get toThis is not a game in any real sense. While it is “interactive” in the sense that you move around the environment and interact with objects, in truth the interactivity is an illusion; yoru movement in the environment is about as interactive as turning a page in a book most of the time, and at times is actually more tedious because you have to search for where you need to click to get to the “next page” – in the case of this game, the next bit of dialogue or cut scene. The only real “game” elements it contains is a single game of whac-a-mole towards the very end – which you do not need to succeed at to progress in the game, and which actually has no impact on the game at all, as far as I can tell – and some simplistic tile-flip puzzles which are present for the first third or so of the game. These feel wholly out of place in the game and are simply discarded later on. There is no possibility of failure in the game, and the one section that might feel remotely “game-like” is mostly just tediously walking down a hallway for about five minutes – if that. In the end, it is much closer to a movie than anything else – and most likely, should have been exactly that.

    The story ultimately has four main characters. Dr. Eva Rosalene and Dr. Neil Watts are the two primary protagonists of the game, and are who the player controls throughout the length of the story. They work for the Sigmund Corporation, a corporation which specializes in rewriting the memories of dying people so that they can experience a different life in which a single wish comes true. The way this is accomplished is by entering the minds of the dying person, viewing their memories, and going back to their childhood and implanting a very strong desire to complete whatever one wish they wanted to see; because they would have a singular, powerful drive their whole life to achieve that goal, their mind will simulate them succeeding at that task (most of the time, anyway; it is implied that it is not foolproof, but that it is pretty reliable) and they will live out their dream in their mind before dying.

    The inspiration from is obvious, but the game itself has a very different take on things; the goal, in the end, is very different, and the Sigmund Corporation is paid to by the dying people to grant these mental wishes. We immediately see that Dr. Neil Watts is the funny, goofy, eccentric guy, while Eva Rosalene is the competent, no-nonsense character; even still, both have their moments of seriousness and comedy, and Dr. Neil Watts is definitely a Jerk with a Heart of Gold type character, who tries to cover up his soft spots whenever he does not absolutely have to do so.

    In the end, the story took a fairly long time to get through, and I got the feeling that it would have made more sense as a movie than it did as a “video game” – moving around in the environment was mostly unnecessary tedium, and the game at times went into cutscenes which showed that it could have simply been a movie the whole way through. It would have gone by a lot more quickly, and likely been several hours shorter as more of a visual novel or movie-like experience, and I think I would have enjoyed it more as such. The pacing was a bit of a problem in places, particularly towards the end when Eva sets everything up for the grand finale off-screen without explaining it to Neil (and thus, the player), creating some unnecessary tension between the two for no good in-character reason. The sequence could have been greatly shortened, made much more visually interesting, and it still would have worked; instead, it felt weird and unnecessarily drawn-out.

    There were also a few moments of extreme strangeness. Perhaps the greatest is when the characters at the start of the second act of the story, unable to figure out how to get Johnny to want to go to the Moon, start bursting into Johnny’s memories at random to pitch the idea of going to the Moon to him. While the characters at this point are very sleep deprived, the mood whiplash in this section of the story is severe, as went from some fairly serious memories with humor thrown in to lighten the mood to frenetic comedic action on the part of both of the protagonists. While the humor which was interspersed into the rest of the game actually worked pretty well, the humor in that particular section felt off and too extreme; it is never mentioned again afterwards.

    All that aside, the core of the story worked well enough, and while it wasn’t as good of a story as the one I made up in my mind about halfway through the game, I can’t say that I disliked it or felt like the game cheated me, and am interested in seeing if they do something else interesting with the characters in the future.    … Expand
  19. ma7ter
    Feb 26, 2012
    10
    This game is AWESOME!i had a feeling that i wasn't playing this game.The game was playing with my emotions.Sometimes it was really funny.Sometimes really sad.If you like the games with great stories , you MUST play this one
  20. AthanasiosT
    Dec 26, 2013
    10
    If you expect the following, DO NOT play this game Frenetic action, shooting around, scary horror, extreme hard puzzles, super 3d graphics, first person view. Why play it Incredible music, fantastic scenario and story, old-school adventure style, relaxing pace. Congratulations to the designers.
  21. Dasor
    Dec 1, 2012
    10
    I've heard of this game from a friend who had already finished it so i bought it. At the beginning the lack of voice over was very awful but after the first 20 minutes of playing the story just begun to be awesome and i couldn't stop playing so i finished it in one time... the game lasts about 4 hours and I've been crying for 2 of them... surely one of the best stories i have everI've heard of this game from a friend who had already finished it so i bought it. At the beginning the lack of voice over was very awful but after the first 20 minutes of playing the story just begun to be awesome and i couldn't stop playing so i finished it in one time... the game lasts about 4 hours and I've been crying for 2 of them... surely one of the best stories i have ever read/played/heard of… Expand
  22. Piscaso
    Jul 18, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game was truly something. I remember hearing about it from PewDiePie's play through in my suggested videos on Youtube. Apparently it was "sad". I didn't see a reason to buy it though. Suddenly, a wild Steam Summer Sale appeared! It was $3. THREE DOLLARS. I bought it and I guess it was pretty funny! I liked all the characters even the ones we get to know nothing about. I didn't see why it was so good yet. So funny funny blah blah. Then... The adventure truly begins. And after a quick conversation we're on our quest take him to the moon! So we go backwards through his memories. I thought they were kinda cheesy. But as I went back and see the setup I realized that it wasn't cheesy. It was more like walking into the end of a movie. "What could've happened to make this cheesy end?" Suddenly as we go to his teenage years I got to the point where I was HOOKED. HOOKED I TELL YOU. Then Act 1 ends. Act 2 ends. Act 3 commences. I was sort of interested in what would happen... I had no idea what was going to happen. After that part of the game I don't know how I didn't fall out my chair crying my eyes out. I might have overreacted because I could relate to some of the characters pretty well. I won't say what happens but I cried. ;_;
    There is no way to summarize this game in one word. The least is two.
    Funny and *SOB*
    BUY THIS GAME.
    It's a MUST PLAY!    … Expand
  23. mmmMatto
    Apr 24, 2014
    3
    Totally disappointed.

    The story is bland, not the eloquent tearjerker everyone says it is. It tries to be moving and thoughtful, but it's at the complexity level of a 7th grade creative writing assignment, and I found the comic relief segments irritating. Playing through to the end was a chore, and the finale wasn't worth the effort. I had to play in short sessions because it became so    Totally disappointed.

    The story is bland, not the eloquent tearjerker everyone says it is. It tries to be moving and thoughtful, but it's at the complexity level of a 7th grade creative writing assignment, and I found the comic relief segments irritating. Playing through to the end was a chore, and the finale wasn't worth the effort. I had to play in short sessions because it became so tedious. A 4-hour game took me a couple weeks to finish up.

    There isn't much to the game play. There's no challenge, no puzzles. You wander around locating the people and items needed to progress the story and they're only there to give you something to do.

    I believed the hype and was let down by Gone Home, and wasn't surprised to find hundreds of user reviews sharing my sentiment. This time I payed attention to the hundreds of 9s and 10s from users rather than critics and now I'm baffled by the responses. I really do want to find a game with a moving, emotional story with characters I can get to know on an intimate level and empathize with, and I just can't seem to find it.

    I'm 30-something. If I had played this game in 5th grade I might have been more moved. I think someone that age might get more out of it than I did. Show it to some kids and see what they think.    … Expand
  24. Tritten
    Jan 8, 2014
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It might be because I actually have the condition River has and I was able to tell what was going on right from the moment Isabelle mentioned 'neurotypical', but I found the game to be incredibly boring. I did play it through to the end, but I was getting more and more frustrated as it was turning out that nothing major was going to happen.

    The puzzles are extremely easy, there's one spot that is not intended to be difficult to get over but it is (the end of the horse-riding scene) and the rest of the game play consists of running around the screen finding places where the cursor changes shape, then clicking them. That's it.

    Also, I've found the dialogues of the two doctors very annoying towards the end. They just keep talking and talking.

    Overall, it's really nice that someone out there made a game featuring Asperger's (although it's never directly mentioned), but I still think the game sucks.

    Major spoiler: River died because she demanded that her husband use the money for her treatment to finish the house that she won't be able to live in and keep the lighthouse (which she named Anya) company? Really??? WTF!? The ending was, for me, 'meh', so the only tears I'm crying right now are of frustration over spending an afternoon playing this game.    … Expand
  25. timmytime
    Dec 12, 2013
    5
    I really didn't like the dialogue in this game. A good example that summarises the problem is this; there is a character who has clocks in his house that never tick. Later on, you witness an earlier memory in which he asks to have a clock switched off because the ticking sound is annoying his girlfriend. Then, other characters, witnessing the memory, say "Oh, so that's why the clocks don'tI really didn't like the dialogue in this game. A good example that summarises the problem is this; there is a character who has clocks in his house that never tick. Later on, you witness an earlier memory in which he asks to have a clock switched off because the ticking sound is annoying his girlfriend. Then, other characters, witnessing the memory, say "Oh, so that's why the clocks don't tick!"

    We didn't need that last bit of dialogue. I wish the game in general had been a lot more "show, don't tell" as the characters comment on literally everything. It could have been a more interesting game if it was more like something akin to Gone Home where the player is able to interpret and explore the objects, rather than having everything over-narrated by the player characters. It made the writing feel amateurish, and lacking in confidence. Also, the timeline of the game is confusing; all the clothes and objects seem to be intended to have this timeless quality, but then the dialogue is referencing things like Animorphs and Street Fighter. This in particular doesn't make any sense; the present era of the game is meant to be 60-70 years after Animorphs books were popular, but characters still reference things like Dragon Ball Z. Is anyone really going to care about DBZ and Street Fighter that long from now? It just feels like the writer inserted things from their own pop cultural frame of reference than really putting effort into the dialogue. It should have either stuck with that timeless quality and not have any pop culture references, or be more consistent about it.

    There are other things I didn't like, but I do want to admit that I did find some aspects of this game quite poignant and sweet, and it is only 4 hours long so you can burn through it in an afternoon. That's why I'm nitpicking it so much; I wanted to like it more than I did.    … Expand
  26. MightyThor
    Aug 27, 2013
    3
    It's all about the story! The problem is it's extremely overrated. When I read reviews of people who played this game who say they were so touched tears came to their eyes I think they need to get a life outside their computer. Trying not to spoil it, the resolution in the end is stupid. It *might* have worked as a movie where real actors could interject human emotions, but ultimately it'sIt's all about the story! The problem is it's extremely overrated. When I read reviews of people who played this game who say they were so touched tears came to their eyes I think they need to get a life outside their computer. Trying not to spoil it, the resolution in the end is stupid. It *might* have worked as a movie where real actors could interject human emotions, but ultimately it's a video game about dreams and memories... the premise is basically "your mind and memories can be manipulated to make you happy, just like a video game." Stupid premise because it's not meaningful at all. In the end I was like uh what was the point of all that? The guy just got played.

    I will admit some of it was very compelling. There's a lot of breadcrumbs and allusions/foreshadowing where I couldn't put it down because I was dying to know what came next but in the end was let down. There was no plot defining twist, all pretty predictable. I did think the dialogue was clever and fine though. I did like the music but it wasn't like oscar worthy as many would make you think. It's just catchy little piano pop songs. Nothing special, but enjoyable.

    The gameplay is awful. Clicking was very not responsive. Controls are bad. I don't mind a full story driven game with little game play, but this game should've just been an E book/video game animated movie because the game play gets in the way of the story and becomes an annoyance. Gameplay is also non consistent. Some plot points require you to do a bunch of mundane junk while others breeze right through with cutscenes (my preference).

    Thankfully the game is short and cheap. I'm not upset I played it, more upset at the lavish praise it's getting because it's simply not deserving.    … Expand
  27. thetetter
    Apr 13, 2012
    5
    More of a Visual novel than a game really. The only reason I think it deserves to be called a game is the really bad puzzles between each "level". The game uses RPG maker or something of sorts, which really makes you think badly about the quality of the game. The music on the other hand is good, the makers made good choices and used a very touching tune that follows you during the gameMore of a Visual novel than a game really. The only reason I think it deserves to be called a game is the really bad puzzles between each "level". The game uses RPG maker or something of sorts, which really makes you think badly about the quality of the game. The music on the other hand is good, the makers made good choices and used a very touching tune that follows you during the game with alterations depending on the place. The one thing that makes the game redeemable is the story, if it wasn't for the story I'm sure no one would even bother playing the game, let alone buy it.
    I'm really not sure how to rate this game, as a game it lacks everything that makes a game good, but as an interactive movie it does so well I cried 3 times in one session. If I would rate it as a game I'd rate it 4.0, but as a movie I'd rate it 10.0. Since it is a game I have to give it a low score, sorry.    … Expand
  28. dlddr
    Sep 10, 2013
    3
    People seem to be very impressed with this game, especially the story.

    First of all, the story in this game is not sad/tragic/beautiful. I think the amazing storyline hype comes from few people overreacting to mediocre storyline and rest just hopping on the train tossing their thinking caps out the window. If you've read more than 5 books or are older than 15, you probably heard/read    People seem to be very impressed with this game, especially the story.

    First of all, the story in this game is not sad/tragic/beautiful. I think the amazing storyline hype comes from few people overreacting to mediocre storyline and rest just hopping on the train tossing their thinking caps out the window. If you've read more than 5 books or are older than 15, you probably heard/read sadder stories or have experienced much more tragic events than this game has to offer. Story is a very generic "love story" with repressed memory playing a major role. While the game can take you about 4 hours, you can accurately guess how the story will pan out after about 20 min of play. I can see how some people might find this story really sad and beautiful but I assume these are the same people who would break down sobbing if they ever saw a roadkill. I admit, the story is slightly better than typical fps shooters that seem to dominate the market but this isn't really saying much for a game that supposedly has an amazing storyline.

    The gameplay is a very simple 16-bit game that you might find in your gameboy but with more details and vibrant colours.. Most of gameplay is talking to significant characters and solving a series of very simple puzzles. No fights and no real puzzles to get you thinking. Searching for items and solving puzzles are mostly there to give you small breaks throughout the game. Also, the game is story-driven and is very linear. You cannot go back to place you visited earlier for check for foreshadowing or re-read some lines to clarifies some details.

    Sound has always been very important aspect of game for me and I was mildly intrigued by the soundtrack and bought it off the main website. After thoroughly listening to them all for a while, only one track is decent/memorable enough that I will occasionally look back on it. The track is called 'For River' and feels like a mix of 'Thousand Words', 'Tifa's Theme' and one more track from FF series I can't remember.

    Recommended if you've never played a game with a decent story and are interested what current gen has to offer. However, if you have experience with sad/tragic/beautiful stories and expect to find it in To the Moon, you will be very disappointed.    … Expand
  29. GRANITsalvo
    Dec 23, 2013
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A game that is desperately trying to be deep and moody, is held to the ground and beaten mercilessly by shoe-horned Adam Sandler dialogue.

    Controls: Acceptable
    Music: Good
    Graphics: Decent retro
    Story: Flimsy

    Notes to the creators [If they happen to be reading]:
    - Hospice related workers that are unprofessional and disrespectful toward the client/patient are usually fired.
    - People who make it a job to help others do not treat people they help as burdens.
    - Young children do not all talk like the kids in Talladega Nights.
    - Momentos should have had descriptions of WHY they were important. A little effort here would have really helped the story.
    - The random shouting of "HADOOKEN" during dramatic moments was not acceptable.
    - The Final Fantasy style encounter with the squirrel was not acceptable.
    - Do not use names from Sci-Fi characters to name people in a somewhat modern time.
    - *SPOILER* Building a two story [+basement] stone mansion is not cheap, even though the elderly man did it by hand in two years. So, having the wife demand one built for her stuffed platypus [or she would refuse expensive treatments] is a poor plot when they argue that they could barely afford the treatment.

    FINAL THOUGHT: Stopped playing after 90 minutes. Biggest disappointment for me since Fable 3. Glad it was on sale.    … Expand
  30. fhouse
    Aug 26, 2013
    4
    I think it became a trend to say they cried at this game. I don't get why, they probably haven't played Shadow of the Colossus yet. It was ok, I had some fun with it but I wouldn't ever play it again.
    The dialogues are cheesy, especially the funfair part with those drawings, the music gets annoying after so many repetitions. And the story is the mix of Inception and a Eternal Sunshine of    I think it became a trend to say they cried at this game. I don't get why, they probably haven't played Shadow of the Colossus yet. It was ok, I had some fun with it but I wouldn't ever play it again.
    The dialogues are cheesy, especially the funfair part with those drawings, the music gets annoying after so many repetitions. And the story is the mix of Inception and a Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

40
#40 Best PC Game of 2011
22
#22 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
16
#16 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Gamer.no
    Oct 27, 2012
    100
    To The Moon is one of those games you instantly fall in love with. With it's simple, but elegant design, incredible writing, and thrilling, heartfelt tale, To The Moon is more story than game, but what a story it is.
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  2. DarkStation
    Oct 23, 2012
    80
    To The Moon's charming sense of humor and unabashed ease with tossing around pop culture references (from Dr. Who and Animorphs down to Dragon Ball Z) kept the serious, and at times quite gloomy overtones from feeling too self-serious. And so, with John and River's tale being told, restructured and sent to the moon in a heartfelt and memorable way; I am able to walk away from To The Moon satisfied, and looking forward to the next installment in this world.
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  3. Thunderbolt
    Sep 3, 2012
    60
    If you're into having your tears tugged at, this will definitely be a change from nights spent curling up on the couch spectating those romance flicks that no one else gets. If you're someone who winds up stuck with the aforementioned individual, originally promised beer and tricked into the awkward Kleenex duty, no guilt will be harbored from missing out.
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