To the Moon - "Has Everything But Gameplay"

[God at play]

What a perfectly-stated title!

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/11/to-the-moon-game/

After seeing the game promoted on TIGSource a while back, I was left with the impression that this could be a JRPG minus the traditional RPG elements. According to that author, this seems to be the case.

[shredingskin]

This is pretty much the best game I played in 2011.

It´s more or less a story-driven adventure game with the rpg perspective. It is very linear (like most AGs), but it has great story line, a little bit over melodramatic.

I really liked it. I don´t mind the "lack of gameplay" is was really nice for me to just keep enjoying the story with some interaction. It´s not a visual novel that you just have to keep pressing next, so "lacking of gameplay" is a little misleading.

[Thomas]

The core of narrative takes place in jrpg-eque cutscenes, so I think it is kind of lacking in the interactive part.

Still, I also really enjoyed it and most of the gameplay that is there is very much notgamey, in that it only exist to get you closer to the characters and become part of the game it. It also has very interesting approach to its puzzles, which are pretty much all about the player setting their own goals. Best example are some repeating and increasingly harder puzzles that are between sections. These can all be very easily beating by simply clicking for a while (they almost solve themelves) but if you want a challenge you can try and solve them in as few moves as possible. The game also displayes the fewest possible moves, so if you want to you can think really hard about and try and reach that.

Also, the game is really about it's narrative and brings up quite mature subjects, like relationships and mental illness in a way I am not sure I have seen before in a game. This is accomplished using very simple means mostly (taking place in cutscenes), but it is still very encouraging to see.

My 2nd fav game of last year (Sword and Sworcercy takes top spot).

[Michaël Samyn]

I couldn't get into this. Far too many clichés (JRPG, retro graphics, stereotypical characterization, childish text, old-fashioned adventure interactions, etc) for my feeble gamer-soul to climb over.

[Thomas]

I couldn't get into this. Far too many clichés (JRPG, retro graphics, stereotypical characterization, childish text, old-fashioned adventure interactions, etc) for my feeble gamer-soul to climb over.

Yeah, it very much requires you to endure generic jrpg storytelling devices for it to be effectful. It really uses this limited canvas really nicely though.

[ghostwheel]

I couldn't even get through the whole trailer. As soon as I see retro JRPG, my interest instantly switches off. The cloying music, the choppy 16-bit pseudo-anime animation style. Boring. And cutscenes are one of the worse game narrative devices ever. Too many layers to have to sift through to get to the interesting parts (if any). Basically what Michaël said.

Sorry, I'm feeling especially grumpy today.

[Jeroen D. Stout]

It was one of my favourites of the year as well. It was on my list for the IGF but I would not have gotten very far into if Thomas had not pushed me to play it; I was heavily prejudiced (dare I say, 'as well') but it turned out wonderful once I got over that.

I actually like how simple the game is, pixel graphics, simple music, a story which is about people. I can see how the style can put you off, but I thought it very entertaining. The moral implications of their technology is a whole different field, but ultimately it is about two little children, which is very nice.

As for the style; if more people made large-pixel styled games like this, I would presumably never have disliked the pixelated style.

[Thomas]

ghostwheel: Yeah, that trailer is cheesy as hell and also held me back from playing it at first. I do not feel it really reflects the game that well, so if that was what put you off, do not dismiss to easily.

[God at play]

I always thought I would like JRPGs if it wasn't for the battling mechanics. They just always reminded too much of accounting or something.

So I'm very glad to see someone essentially make a JRPG where they're taken out.

It has its faults, but I like it so far. Heartwarming.

[shredingskin]

I was in doublefine forum and I remembered this thread.

I couldn't get into this. Far too many clichés (JRPG, retro graphics, stereotypical characterization, childish text, old-fashioned adventure interactions, etc) for my feeble gamer-soul to climb over.

It's a very low-budget game, made in rpg-maker, but "jrpg" ?? The game just have 16 bit style jrpg graphics (pretty much what you said about retro graphics), the game even makes fun of jrpgs. The text at the beginning is bland, but is nowhere near being childish at the end of the game (specially since the thematic of it is something a little hard to swallow). Adventure interactions, that's relative, the game is VERY straightforward, but then again, is a very low budget game, made in a very restrictive engine, there are some puzzles that are just made for the casual player so they don't say "there's no gameplay at all here" (although it happened).

Something that I didn't like was the "comic relief" character that's in every jrpg (in that I grant you everything), is a little flaw of writing (they tried to make him become more and more serious when the story starts getting more dark, but it was such a cliche writing that it lost a lot of effect).