issue 22// vol 45

An ambitious, perplexing dream

» ‘To the Moon’ video game review

Sonam Kaloti
Arts Editor

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the Moon took me through an
emotional rollercoaster of a story that
really did take me to the moon and back.

To the Moon is an indie game
developed and published by Freebird
Games, It is a story-driven experience that
features minimal gameplay, consisting
mainly of exploring the scene and
investigating items. The premise of the
game itself is incredible: Two doctors (Eva
Rosalene and Neil Watts) tap into a man’s
(Jjohnny’s) memories and use a special
machine to, per previously signed wish
fulfillment contract, alter his memories as
he lies on his deathbed.

The exceptional plot is unravelled
backwards, which is a curious form of
storytelling. Playing as the doctors, you go
into Johnny’s memories beginning at his
most recent memory prior to being on his
deathbed. Using the help of this memory,
you learn what it is that Johnny most
wishes he had accomplished within his life.
In this case, he asks the doctors to fulfil
his wish of going to the moon. However,
at this point he has no apparent reason for
wanting to goto the moon.

This specific desire creates the main
conflict for the doctors later because
without enough information to link his
earlier memories together, and without
enough information to convince Johnny’s
younger self to become an astronaut, the

 

doctors must puzzle together what to do.
Either that, or they must find out the real
reason Johnny wants to go to the moon—
and the answer to that is not even close to
what I had anticipated. The thrill of finding
out new information as we go back in

time and puzzle his life together, with the
reasons that led his life one way or another,
is an experience like no other.

Johnny’s life is written so well, yet
so frustrating is his wish, that it is hard
to believe that the doctors can change
anything at all. In fact, the doctors Eva
and Neil have their own bouts of conflict
amongst themselves when challenged
by Johnny’s futile wish, with regard to
what they personally believe would have
made him happier. They face extremely
difficult choices often and they must think
fast: While they traverse Johnny’s mind,
his health in the present is continually
deteriorating so they only have so much
time.

In addition to the charmingly
concocted story, the characters also all have
their own endearing quirks. Johnny’s late
spouse River is like a world of her own. In
fact, most of Johnny’s memories revolve
around her, as though she really is strong
enough of a force for him to gravitate
around. The doctors are a dynamic duo as
well, Eva is the even-headed one while still
being an occasional goofball, whereas Neil
is sometimes hot-tempered and aloof. They
both have quick wit and are often caught
up in banter, which is always interesting
and humorous to read. At one point they
discuss the difficulties involved in moving

 

a grand piano to a different floor of the
house, concluding that not only would it
still be difficult to move upstairs with a
TARDIS from Doctor Who, but as Neil says,
“It'd probably take an entire episode to get
it inside.”

Neil is easily my favourite character
because his unfiltered quips at the worst
moments are a great form of comic
relief amid constant tragedy. Even while
watching teenage Johnny stand around in
a movie theatre by himself, Neil is quick to
say, “Getting stood up? Now that’s a Kodak
moment.”

The audio within the game is a
tear-jerker. The soundtrack pieces are
moving piano ballads that have extreme
significance within the game itself. Some
of the pieces even have their own evolving
backstory as the game’s story unravels,
giving the songs themselves much more
meaning than initially suggested.

The visuals are breathtaking despite

Pain and happiness of love, life,
and romantic relationships

> ‘Truth’ by Becca Hess album review

Naomi Ambrose
Staff Writer

 

Bs Hess, a BC country pop singer-
songwriter, invites listeners to tune into
her perspective about the joys and sorrows
of falling in and out of love on her 10-track
sophomore album Truth, released on
February 4.

On “In This Town,’ the first track on
the album, Hess sings about her frustration
with not finding love. As the song continues,
Hess eventually accepts her reality, where she
concludes that maybe she’s better off being
alone. The musical arrangement of “In This
Town?” also illustrates the isolation we might
experience when we're looking for a romantic
relationship. By starting off the song witha
singular, solitary hand-clapping type of beat,
Hess seems to want the audience to reflect
on the isolation that occurs when we're on
the quest to find a significant other.

Although the album mostly has songs
about the frustration and disappointment
of romantic relationships, “Stranded”—the
eighth track on the album—is a refreshingly
optimistic song about the excitement of
being in love. “I’m lost but my heart is
landed. I’m home I’m stranded,” Hess sings,
like she’s telling us that she finally found

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love. “Hit my heart like a hurricane, got me
upside down like a tidal wave” is another
line whereby Hess alludes to her experience
getting hit straight to her heart by the power
of love.

Another surprising moment on the
album occurs on the track “I Don’t Do Love
Songs.” The song’s musical production is a
change from the contemporary country pop
beat that reverberates throughout the album.
The music of “I Don’t Do Love Songs” sounds
like the classic, old-school country songs by
female country music pioneers like Patsy
Cline and Tammy Wynette.

Asecond surprise in this track occurs
when Hess suddenly sighs close to the end
of “I Don’t Do Love Songs.” After listening to
Hess’s sigh, you may think that the song ends
at that point; however, the song continues
to keep things unexpected by having a pause
in the song after Hess’s sigh. The audience
may hear a faint male voice who mumbles a
sentence. The music then starts again witha
musical interlude until the song ends.

Even though Hess generally sings about
the despair and turmoil of love and romantic
relationships, the album’s overall upbeat
dance vibe—combined with Hess’s vocals—
will be a delight for listeners who long for
upbeat music during moments of heartache
and heartbreak.

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being a 2D pixel world. The colours are
beautifully chosen, with very dreamlike
hues that represent the amber tone of
memories. The simplicity of the visual and
audio aspects helps to add that much more
emotional depth to the story, as nothing
takes away from another aspect. The entire
game feels like a perfectly coordinated
symphony.

To the Moon explores the large and
unanswerable question of “What if I had
done this instead?” regarding our past. We
can’t change our past and we only have one
chance to live our lives as authentically
as we can, so this game encourages us to
do so. Even just living through the entire
human experience in a few short hours
makes for an intense, personal connection
to the game.

To the Moon is available to purchase
for $1 on Steam. It plays for about four
hours, and these hours really are worth
every penny.

———"

  
  

Photo of Becca Hess via ReverbNation.com