Less a game than a short interactive novel, with rare emotional weight. Interactivity is minimal, but the writing and music make it a devastating experience few productions reach.
Your verdict
Category
Adventure1 player12+
Description
A cult narrative adventure by Freebird Games, ported to Switch in 2020. Two doctors traverse the memories of a dying old man to grant his final wish: to go to the Moon. Built in a retro RPG style, the game prioritizes story and emotion, carried by a piano soundtrack that became legendary.
To the Moon review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
Kan Gao's soundtrack is the very soul of the game: a piano theme of heartbreaking beauty, threaded throughout the story. It's impossible to separate the story's emotion from this melody, which stays in your head and resurfaces long after you set the controller down.
The story is the game's sole reason for being, and it is devastating: two doctors travel back through a dying man's memories to grant his final wish. The writing, full of humor and tenderness, builds an emotion that erupts in a finale of rare power.
More than six years after arriving on Switch, To the Moon remains one of the most moving stories in gaming, and its emotion hasn't aged a day. As short narrative games find a wide audience, this love story rewound backwards, carried by an unforgettable melody, is more accessible and relevant than ever. It finishes in an evening and etches itself forever. On Switch, it's the perfect experience to live quietly, like watching a film you'll never forget.
