Introduction
To The Moon is an indie RPG that was released in November of 2011…or, at least, that’s how it’s billed. It was a product that was created in RPGMaker with no battles, no significant item system and no leveling. To put things more honestly, it’s a story in the package of a game. Fortunately, the story is where To The Moon excels, far surpassing the expectations that its limited engine can provide. Freebird Games has a pretty excellent description of the game on their website, as seen below:
quote:
Dr. Eva Rosalene and Dr. Neil Watts have rather peculiar jobs: They give people another chance to live. Literally.
There exists a technology that allows doctors to weave artificial memories, such that a patient can request attempts to alter their mind, and wake up with memories of things that didn’t actually happen. However, since these new memories are permanent, the conflict between them and the existing authentic memories clash in such a way that it ceases the person’s ability to properly function.
Thus, the operation is only done to people on their deathbeds, to fulfill what they wish they had done with their lives… but didn’t.
But creating a new memory is not as simple as pressing a button. The technology requires the doctors to step into the memories of the patient, which are reconstructed as interactive scenes. The doctors then gradually traverse backwards through memories of the patient’s life until they reach childhood — at which point, the wish of the patient in present time would be transferred over.
Along with the doctors’ influence, the patient (as a child) could then lead an entire different life inside their head, working toward and fulfilling their dying wish themselves. And if all goes well, they would wake up, having lived the dream life they never had, and embrace a brief moment of blissful fulfillment.
Shortly after, they’d draw their last breath.
Every once in a while, there comes a life that is rather peculiar.
This particular story follows Dr. Rosalene and Dr. Watts’ attempt to fulfill the dream of the dying elderly man, Johnny. In their mission to do so, they traverse backwards through the man’s memories, unfolding his curious life story before their eyes. With each step back in time, a new fragment of Johnny’s past is revealed. And as the two doctors piece together the puzzled events that spanned a life time, they seek to find out just why the frail old man chose his dying wish to be what it is.
And Johnny’s last wish is, of course… to go to the moon.
I’m anticipating to keep my mouth shut throughout the majority of this game, only offering tidbits to guide the story as needed. The game speaks for itself, and there's not a whole lot I can say to make it better.
I got this game for a steal on Steam during one of the sales but it was worth every penny, despite its brevity (roughly three to four hours). I cannot encourage you enough to go buy the game and the OST right now - you won’t regret it. In the meantime, though, please sit back and enjoy To The Moon.
Table of Contents
- Update 1
- Update 2
- Update 3
- Update 4
- Update 5
- Update 6
- Update 7
- Update 8
- Update 9
- Update 10
- Update 11
- Update 12
- Update 13
- Update 14
- Update 15
- Update 16