To the Moon
To The Moon is an RPG/Visual Novel designed by Kan Gao (of Quintessence fame) and developed by Freebird Games.
Twenty Minutes Into the Future, Dr. Eva Rosalene and Dr. Neil Watts work for a company that gives false memories to dying people, as a kind of for-profit Make a Wish foundation.
Johnny's in a coma, and his last wish is to go to the moon.
Except he doesn't know why.
This game has a Character Page.
Tropes used in To the Moon include:
- Anachronic Order: The order in which Watts and Rosaline experience Johnny's memories.
- Becoming the Mask: Isabelle feels that by acting "normal", her "true self" has been lost.
- Did Not Do the Research: In-universe version, purposely lampshaded, as the memories are created by the patient's mind they are only as knowledgeable as the patient which leads to things like going to the moon in the Space Shuttle
- Dream Land
- Dream Weaver
- Fiery Redhead: Inverted for River.
- Grow Old with Me
- High School Sweethearts: John and River.
- Ill Girl: River
- Journey to the Center of the Mind
- Lotus Eater Machine: As a commercial, privately owned business.
- Odd Couple: Eva and Neil.
- Odd Friendship: Watts and Rosalene, by far.
- Opposite Gender Protagonists: Dr. Eva Rosalene and Dr. Neil Watts in, returning in the sequel Finding Paradise. They are two professionals travelling around to fulfil their clients' wishes before they die, and their interactions provide plenty of snarky responses, hilarious dialogue, and fun moments, contrasting with the emotional stories of the clients they help such as Johnny.
- Within Johnny's story, he and River also qualify for this trope, as the two support each other throughout their lives and fall in love.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Neil as red, and Eva as blue.
- Rewriting Reality: Neil and Eva's job is to make people think reality has been rewritten so that their deepest wish is fulfilled.
- Shiny Midnight Black: Eva.
- Shout-Out: Several.
- Neil at one point claims his name is Lorenzo von Matterhorn. This is almost getting into Genius Bonus territory; Neil Patrick Harris's character on How I Met Your Mother uses this as an alias in one episode.
- Whenever Neil breaks the memento, you're guaranteed to get a comical one.
- "HULK SMASH!"
- "KAME...HAME--!" You never ****block somebody in the middle of a Kamehameha!
- Both Animorphs and The Emperor's New Clothes are present in-universe, both making it clear that this is a version of our world; they come to reflect important aspects of the plot.
- At one point, you have to throw plants at zombies.
- X Meets Y: Inception meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- Your Mind Makes It Real: The game briefly nods to this.
- The Stinger: After the credits there is a scene where Watts and Rosalene meet at Johnny's grave on the cliff next to River's before going to their next patient. There is a brief moment where the screen flashes red when Watts is left standing on the cliff, which piques the curiosity of the audience. The tick next to Episode 1:To The Moon shown after that also implies that there is a sequel being made.
- Everything's Better with Platypi: The platypus stuffed animal turns out to be important later, and its freakiness is lampshaded constantly.