To the Moon's core concept, a dying man trying to fulfill a final wish through memory-based technology, is simultaneously compelling from a science fiction perspective, and deeply sad. I bought the game because it was well reviewed, and because that concept intrigued me. However I found myself unable to finish it due to several key frustrations.
Chief among these is the game's uneven tone. The game's writing constantly alternates between inappropriate or ill-conceived humor, and scenes that are supposed to tug at your heartstrings in a frankly very sappy manner. But that sappiness is what we're playing for, and buying into, so it's very disconcerting to have so many flat attempts at humorous asides completely break the mood. While there were some charming moments that made me laugh, and I certainly appreciate the proper and necessary usage of comic relief, the game's designers took it several steps too far. Furthermore, the game's retro art style and JRPG interface really limits the emotional impact of the narrative, and doesn't really bring anything to the table on it's own.
One particularly frustrating aspect of this is the asinine gameplay, involving fetch quests, idiotic "memory-breaking" activities, and totally inappropriate JRPG-style fight scenes. What little gameplay is present is not really very enjoyable. It's enough to make one question whether this story would be better told in a different medium. Dear Esther, another game that was very short, focused on narrative, and had minimal gameplay, at least existed in a 3D engine and had some really beautiful visuals. Dear Esther also didn't force you to play silly minigames in order to progress the narrative.
A bright spot in To the Moon is the soundtrack, which, if you're in the mood for sentimentality, really hits the spot. However it's better enjoyed without the game getting in the way. To be honest, I would recommend that people simply watch an LP of the game rather than play it, and skip over the "gamey" sequences. Or just read a plot summary while listening to the soundtrack, and maybe look up a couple of key sequences on YouTube. Either option would be far less frustrating than actually playing the game.