The top-down Zelda-style pixel art RPG is a format most associated with swords, sorcery, castles and princesses. Not so, however, in To The Moon, an acclaimed sci-fi mini-odyssey that was first released in 2011. Nine years later, the indie darling has blasted its way onto the Nintendo Switch. Nonetheless, will I be over the moon with it? Find out in my To the Moon Switch review.

Sci-fi Mini-Odyssey

The story begins like a well scripted movie. Two irreverent and quippy scientists—Drs. Eva Rosaalene and Neil Watts—arrive at a mysterious seaside estate, having been hired by a dying man. We quickly learn that they’re professional memory manipulators—think Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind—tasked with making their clients’ deathbed wishes come true. In the case of the client at hand—a comatose old man named Johnny—this means fabricating a journey to the moon.

As Eva and Neil, the player mind-melds with Johnny to work their way back through his lifetime of memories. The aim is to reach his childhood to plant the seed that he should pursue a career at NASA. If successful, an alternate timeline will be constructed, and Johnny can die happily as an imaginary astronaut.

To pass through each memory scenario the duo must locate five sentimentally important objects before jumping back in time. They witness, in reverse order, the highs and lows of Johnny’s life. From the painful loss of his wife, to the ins and outs of his troubled marriage, to his financial worries, friendships, early relationships, adolescence, and beyond. We get to know Johnny, and to care about him. There are several heartstring-tugging plot twists and unexpected revelations, and the conclusion is memorable.

Emotionally Charged Pac-Man

Getting there, however, isn’t fun. Most of the game is spent walking, and yet Eva and Neil can only move in four directions. This shocking design decision makes the multi-directional movement of 1990s Zelda games look nimble and cutting-edge. It reduces To The Moon’s gameplay to a round of emotionally-charged Pac-Man. Combined with the core objective of locating small objects, such as a stuffed animal or a jar of olives, in a cluttered pixel-art world. This results in a tedious gameplay experience that makes To The Moon difficult to recommend.

Therein lies your decision. If you’re prepared to power through the 2-3 hours of clunky gameplay, you’ll be rewarded with a rich and powerful story. However, with an animated film currently in development, there may well soon be a better way to travel To The Moon.

Therefore, I give To the Moon by Freebird Games my rating of

What did you think of John’s To the Moon Switch review? Have you been craving a narrative driven indie game on the Nintendo Switch? In addition, have you played the game on Switch? If so, do you think it deserves its indie darling status? Let us know over on Twitter or come and join the SIF Discord server.

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