The visceral atmosphere of a Miyazaki film, borrows elements from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Inception.
To the Moon is light on gameplay. The game is played in a top-down view and with the exception of some short segments, it is essentially up down left right and space or left mouse to examine. It shows that a game does not have to exhibit rich gameplay to deliver a complete experience. There are small puzzles at the end of each segment but they are trivial in difficulty and essentially the same puzzle. In fact its simplicity allows its story to shine and gives the player time to think and consider.
The story itself revolves around a male and a female colleague, contracted by a dying man in order to fulfil his wish to go to the moon. They attempt to grant his wish by entering his memories and planting the idea in his head at an early age and reinforcing it at several stages in his life, sparking and sustaining lifelong determination to achieve his goal by himself, albeit all a product of his own mind.
Aesthetically the game isn't exceptional. The art style is absolutely generic RPG Maker style graphics but still works well. The mostly piano based soundtrack however is for the most part exceptional and aids the scenes well.
Overall this was a surprisingly emotional experience and very enjoyable. It can easily be played in one sitting with a short break. Some may say it does little to explore the medium and barely constitutes a game in itself but I think its simplicity should be appreciated. Whether or not you call it a game or a visual novel it is still worthwhile.