To the Moon Review (Xbox Series X)

STAFF REVIEW of To the Moon (Xbox Series X)

Monday, January 20, 2025.
by Adam Dileva

Being primarily a console gamer, I tend to miss a lot of titles that release, not that I don’t have a gaming PC, I just don’t follow it as closely or play as much on it. When PC titles get a console port I’m always curious, as there’s usually a reason for doing so, even if it’s just to bring the game to a wider audience. Sometimes those games are forgettable, but other times they can stick with you long after the credits have rolled, just like how To the Moon did to me. Originally released in 2011 for PC and then later Switch, and developed and published by Freebird Games, To the Moon is a narrative based game that had me hooked beginning to finish.

Dr. Rosalene and Dr. Watts work for Sigmund Corp, specializing in a technology that can create artificial memories for dying patients, acting like a last wish of sorts, but only in that terminal patient’s head. The patient the doctors are here to help today is an elderly man, Johnny, and his dying wish is to go to the moon, but he’s not sure why. As the pair delves into Johnny’s memories, they have to work backwards to go through Johnny’s past, starting with a recent memory, then going further back in time. This allows them to travel through his life backwards by finding mementos, special objects tied to specific moments in his life. With each memento found, you learn more about Johnny’s past, piecing together a puzzle about why an old man wants to go to the moon, yet can't explain why the urge.

Delving through his memories you find out Johnny had a wife, River, who had passed away a short time ago. They didn’t have a perfect marriage, but he loved her nonetheless. To the Moon is a narrative heavy game, thus I don’t want to delve too much into the story for fear of spoiling its twists and turns. I’m glad I went in knowing nothing about the story, and I suggest you do the same to get the same reactions at the reveals. Topics such as mental illness and death are touched upon, and when the doctors find a large gap in his memories as a child, that’s where things become even darker.

The setup is quite an intriguing one, able to give people ‘fake’ memories so that they can pass on happy. Is that moral though, giving someone a sense of a life they never actually had, or did things they never did in their actual lives? I can see both sides of the argument, and this is probably why the procedure is only available to those on their deathbed. While it’s a linear story, it’s still quite moving, and while I didn’t cry, I wouldn’t blame you if you did. The writing is well done and the story can hit quite close to home depending on your own experiences.

As for the gameplay, there’s very little. You control the doctors as you explore certain scenes, looking for clues to the memento so you can move onto the next memory and further back in Johnny’s life. There’s no combat or inventory to worry about, though there are some light puzzle elements. Aside from that, you’re exploring scenes from his memories as you try to find objects to move onto the next.

When you do find the object in question that acts as the gateway to the next memory, it has a protective bubble surrounding it. You’ll need to find a handful of clues in the memory, acting like an attack of sorts, so that you can break the barrier and move on. You won’t have to pixel hunt, as the items in question are quite obvious the majority of the time, and once you do so there’s a quick block switching puzzle to complete.

The pixel art is decent, with enough details and animation so that there’s no confusion of what you’re seeing. The colors are generally bright, though some memories have a darker tone or haze to them for narrative reasons. Where To the Moon really impresses is with its soundtrack filled with wonderful piano melodies. There are a handful of quite beautiful songs that really add to the narrative atmosphere that’s unfolding on screen. The standout though is an absolutely stunning track by Laura Shigihara (known for the great Plants vs. Zombies soundtrack) that is sure to give you some goosebumps with its melody and soft vocals.

When you know how the story ends, it’s more about the journey than the destination. You know there’s going to be a sad ending, so seeing how Johnny’s life unfolded is both beautiful and heartbreaking. There’s plenty of emotions that you’re sure to feel going through the four to five hour journey, as the story is heavy hearted and tackles some serious topics. To the Moon is a compelling story that ties together quite well and in an interesting way, I just hope that its two sequels eventually come to console as well.

**To the Moon was provided by the publisher and reviewed on an Xbox Series X**

Overall: 8.5 / 10
Gameplay: 8.0 / 10
Visuals: 8.0 / 10
Sound: 9.5 / 10

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STAFF REVIEW of To the Moon (Xbox Series X)

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