The old man, named Johnny, has a deep desire to go to the moon, but even he doesn’t understand why. Watts and Rosalene travel though Johnny’s memories to try and change them so that his wish can come true. In essence, the player lives Johnny’s life in reverse, seeing the outcomes before the actual events. Proceeding like this allows for a great foreshadowing effect, all be it inversely. It also helps you feel like you’re putting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Things that seemed strange at the beginning of the game make much more sense later on. Or is it earlier on? I can’t remember anymore. The plot is backed up with some very interesting dialogue. The writing is very well done, and really makes the characters seem real. The game always has a sad tone to it, but it has more then enough humor to keep the angst at bay. Dr. Watts acts as a sort of comic relief for the game, and at this he excels. The number of geeky 
references made by that character was beyond measure, and he had me in stitches every time. As a whole, To the Moon seems to have all the parts of a perfect story. It’s both sad and funny, the characters are interesting, and it has a unique and compelling way to present it all. Being a love story, it does seem to have more than its fair share of cheese, but that only makes me enjoy it more.
Of course, every lead character in a love story needs a love interest. Much of the game revolves around Johnny’s late wife, River. I’ve found that I have a real connection with River, and not just because of the obvious Firefly (or is it Dr. Who?) reference. In the beginning, which was the end for her, River seemed incredibly odd and even crazy at times. It’s mentioned that she had some sort of condition. The condition is never named outright, but it wasn’t hard for me to identify it. Like myself, River has as Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild behavioral disorder on the Autism spectrum. There are many subtle hints towards this throughout the game. For example, one of the key traits that people with A.S. exhibit is a tendency to form routines and to fixate on certain things. For me, it’s video games, anime, and all things geeky. For River, it’s lighthouses, rabbits, and a particular stuffed platypus. Another clue is that all of the clocks in Johnny’s house do not make noise. River found the sound of ticking clocks irritating. Having overly sensitive senses is also a symptom of A.S. Furthermore, the game makes a direct reference to psychologist and author Tony Attwood, who has long been considered a major authority on Asperger’s Syndrome.
The main purpose of To the Moon seems to be to promote awareness for Asperger’s Syndrome. Not only is the disability accurately portrayed, the difficulties associated with it are at the forefront of the story. The initial reactions that Watts and Rosalene have to River’s behavior are very typical. It’s sad that many outside observers see people with A.S. as being mentally disturbed, or even sociopathic. Also, Johnny’s frustration reflects what a lot people go through when a loved one has A.S. It’s very hard to live with someone who thinks so differently than “normal” people, and this adds a great deal of tension to the game. I’m rather upset by the fact that Freebird chose to incorporate more of the negative aspects of Asperger’s. Still, it remains a very honest depiction of my disability. In fact, I think that this game could be easily used as a means to educate people about it.
