At first glance, To the Moon may simply look like another of those retro-coated adventures or RPGs that go dime a dozen these days. Granted, it is technically a text-driven, point-n-click adventure with a few minigames here and there. Yet when experienced in its entirety, it becomes clear that it is much more than that.

Fresh from credits rolling, I can say that it's one of the best stories I've ever been told through the medium of video games. It's a unique, humane piece, unlike any I've come to experience; so elaborately woven together, so well-written and touching with flawless pacing all-around that I could have easily enjoyed it as a book if the author, Kan Gao, had chosen to tell it so. Better yet, this superb script is accompanied by an exquisite audio-visual package that enriches the adventure greatly. The result of the amalgamation of these expertly crafted elements was an experience so rich that I couldn't help myself going through it in a single session, caring about every single one of its small cast of characters and wondering what would I uncover about them next all the way. Needless to say, I found myself being amazed from scene to scene, as the 'game' was delivering everything to be expected from a true work of art in spades.

The fact that this kind of an experience is not coming from of a first-tier developer but born from the minds and crafted in the hands of a small group of individuals with a small budget is only a nod to their talent. I must admit that I wasn't expecting such a fine-tuned creation with this much of an impact when I first booted the game. But here I am, after a five-hour rollercoaster of emotions, feeling all the more human thanks to this excellent work of art disguised as a game.

My advice, don't lose any more time reading about To the Moon. Get it, live through it and see if it doesn't take a place among your most precious gaming memories, 'cause it surely got itself one of the best for me.