To The Moon

GAME OF THE WEEK:12 cert, Lace Mamba/ Freebird Games, PC

It’s a testament to the makers of To the Moon, especially writer/director/producer/ composer Kan “Reives” Gao, that despite its technical limitations, it’s got invention and emotion to spare. Indeed, To the Moon arrives on these shores on a wave of awards and adoring reviews, most of which focus their praise on the storyline. As a relatively basic point-and-click game, it stands or falls on the strength of its narrative and characterisation. And, boy, does it stand.

You play a pair of bickering scientists, Dr Eva Rosalene and Dr Neil Watts, whose work involves implanting happy memories. Because the technology would be so disruptive to one’s identity and life, most of their customers are terminally ill – people who want to die with warm recollections of dreams fulfilled. And because of the interconnected nature of memories, Rosalene and Watts must visit key moments in the patients’ subconscious (a la Inception) to plant connecting thoughts.

Their new patient, Johnny, wishes he’d visited the moon, but he can’t figure out why. Exploring Johnny’s memories, the scientists gather clues in the form of his seemingly insignificant possessions: origami rabbits for instance, and a toy platypus.

Since they visit Johnny’s life in reverse order, we see events with hindsight. Chance meetings have life-altering significance, good ideas turn bad, and the tiniest moment can ripple through a lifetime.

The graphics, gameplay and music won’t tax the wimpiest of computers. But the story is potent and poignant. A humanist sci-fi tale, it effectively poses powerful questions about regret, ambition, love and loss.

Like the catchy piano score, To the Moon will prove too delicate and sentimental for some tastes. But it earns the hell out of those touching and sweet moments, with meaty and sometimes distressing chapters. For those who are willing to put in the time, To the Moon is a moving, funny and deeply rewarding game.