Quick Thoughts On: To The Moon
Video games often deal with larger than life situations, and yet it tends to be the simpler things that hit home the most. Borrowing elements from films such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Pixar's Up, To The Moon is the story of a man on his deathbed attempting to fulfill his lifelong dream to visit the moon.
To go into anymore detail and risk spoilers would be a crime, but know that To The Moon stands as one of the most heartfelt stories of any game I have ever played, and when paired with the immaculate score composed by my much beloved Laura Shigihara, I can hardly imagine how someone could play through it without feeling something.
It's worth noting that what is here consists almost entirely of exposition. This is in by no means a slight against the game, just a fact that needs to be mentioned so you know what you are getting into. I realize that many have a disdain for games that barely warrant being described as such, but in this case I beg that they put aside those prejudices, as I feel if anything could change their minds To The Moon is it.
To say that Freebird Games creation was emotionally affecting to me would be an understatement. Despite coming close on many occasions, I can scarcely recall any game that managed to make me tear up the way To The Moon did. It's a remarkable achievement in not only videogame storytelling, but as a narrative in any medium, and you would be an absolute fool if you passed it up!
"Quick Thoughts" is a subset of my normal reviews for smaller games which might not fit into a full review but I still have something to say about.