Author's note: This commentary was written when I was still an inexperienced, volatile writer. As such, it was influenced more by my disappointment with To the Moon not meeting the lofty expectations set by Quintessence: The Blighted Venom, than it was by its legitimate failings. While my opinion of the game hasn't improved by a noteworthy margin, I do feel that this commentary doesn't really do it justice. Folks wishing to get a good grasp of my opinion would be better off reading my Steam review here.
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In 2011, Kan Gao released a game on Steam and GOG. It was unassuming, only having Quintessence and The Mirror Lied mentioned as past work in its trailer. Of these, Quintessence was an incomplete and obscure, though ambitious JRPG that had won some awards, while The Mirror Lied was a short, somewhat abstract adventure game. While perhaps showing promise, these would not sell the game on their own.
Despite this, the trailer was effective - it had the voice of Laura Shigihara, used music and sound carefully to sell a narrative that promised a poignant story - one of a man reliving his life and fulfilling his last wishes right before his death. Many people were piqued by it, and it became incredibly successful, cultivating a decently sized following for someone who was barely visible on the scene before.
11 years later, this game spawned a full fledged franchise in its own right, with two "mainline" sequels and a shitton of "side" material. I will go through them as a journey, studying To the Moon first from a literal point of view, and point out my thoughts and observations on various moments, notable or otherwise. New entries shall be linked below as I publish them. Oh, and needless to say, this series will spoil all of the material reviewed. Without further ado...
To the Moon - A Long Look
1. In Which we Run Into a Rude Doctor.
2. In Which We Explore a Mansion. Also a Lighthouse, Maybe.
3. In Which Two Kids Play Tag.
4. In Which We Use a Miracle Machine.
5. In Which We see Someone Dying.
6. In Which We Feed our Patient.
7. In Which Some Rabbits are Folded.
8. In Which We Attend a Wedding.
9. In Which We Watch Movies.
10. In Which Memory Links go Defunct.
11. In Which Deja Vu Occurs a Lot.
12. In Which Naseous Substances are Involved.
13. In Which Tragedy Strikes!
14. In Which Children Meet.
15. In Which We Enter an Endless Hallway.
16. In Which We Go to The Moon!
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