Hello
readers! This is Emily, reporting in for the review of To
The Moon.
To
The Moon is a computer game by Freebird games,
available for download here: (http://freebirdgames.com/to_the_moon/).
It’s a point-and-click adventure game and sells for 12 U.S.
dollars. I’ve been away from my Xbox for nearly 4 months now, and I
was desperate for a video game, so I downloaded this one, and I am
very glad I did.
The
story is fantastic. The player controls two doctors who travel
through a dying man’s memories to grant his last wish. Each
character has a unique, three-dimensional personality. The plot is
simple enough to follow, but very deep and not always predictable.
The way the story is told is great. Not everything is given away at
once, but it all makes sense by the end. The developers describe the
story as a tragicomedy, and I would be inclined to agree. It’s
funny, but sad and brought me to tears.
The
graphics are mostly pixelated, but done very well. All the items are
easily recognizable, and the scenery is pretty and unique. The
pixelated graphics does not hinder the storyline; as you explore
younger memories, the memories become less and less vivid. Certain
plot elements can make things appear fuzzy, dark or confusing. All
these things are accurately detailed with the art style. The downside
is that the characters can’t show much emotion; for that, the
dialog recovers some of this, though the player must fill in the
gaps.
While
the game has succeeded in other categories, the gameplay is by far
the weakest point. To
The Moon
is a basic point-and-click adventure game, and does nothing new or
unique in this field. The game quickly becomes, “find the place
where the mouse changes and click.” The puzzles are basic and
easily solved, and provide no real challenge.
The
music is beautiful, and conveys a range of emotions to accompany the
story. It can be creepy, suspenseful and beautiful. Sometimes the
music changes in the middle of a dialog as new information is
revealed. There aren’t many other notable sounds in the game, but
as the music is phenomenal, they aren’t really necessary.
The
game falls short on its lasting appeal. The game can be completed in
less than a day, and provides no real replay value. A few parts allow
the player to make choices, but provide no real motive to play again.
Emily’s
Bonus Point: The game came out in German as well as English, and, as
a German major, I enjoy this very much. The translation is done well,
too, and the developers promised more languages. The extra languages
are provided at no cost, and I feel it deserves a bonus point.
Final
score:
7/10
Though the gameplay is lacking, the story and music more than make up for it. It’s a good game to just sit back and enjoy the story, but if you want challenge, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
