Finding Paradise

I like To The Moon. Don't love it, but the story it tells is great, the music is good, and the art style is beautiful. The humour in it is not my thing for the most part, and sometimes it seems out of place, considering the story itself. Finding Paradise is a sequel to TTM. You're playing the same two characters and once again attempt to change a dying man's memories to grant his last wish for a more fulfilling life. He is happy with his life but has some regrets, so you enter his memories as Neil and Eva to figure out how to help him. This also has good music and the same beautiful art style; unfortunately, it has the slow walking, the out of place humour, even more out of place combat, and a repetitive minigame to proceed to the next memory as well. The story isn't as interesting or touching as TTM's. Until about half-way through the game, it is at least intriguing, but once the mystery is solved, it turns into a drag and to be honest, some of what happens after that point feels downright ridiculous (and tedious). Basically, I didn't like the gameplay in TTM, but the story and characters kept me going. Finding Paradise's story is not good or interesting enough to make me overlook the unenjoyable gameplay. My opinion is evidently a somewhat unpopular one. It's obvious that a lot of love and effort went into making Finding Paradise, and I'm sure many people enjoy it; sadly, I did not. Would still - albeit with reservations - recommend this to anyone who loved To The Moon.

When I first started the game, I was doubtful. Why is this game so praised? It has minimal gameplay, it’s more an interactive movie than a game. Except it’s made in RPG Maker, so it doesn’t look that good. However, after playing it for a while it started growing on me. Finding Paradise has some kind of unique charm and atmosphere. I suspect it’s partially thanks to the soundrack that fits the game perfectly. I started to like the main characters, their banters and childish humour. As I said earlier, the gameplay is simplistic, the main focus here is the story. You enter the memories of a dying patient, visit the keypoints of his life and try to alter them in attempt to grant him his wish. That’s all I’m gonna reveal. If you like heavily story focused games and don’t mind minimal gameplay, give it a try.

A visual-novel hacked into RPG-Maker by a team of enthusiasts. No voice-acting, no cinematics, ... , but it delivers the story exceptionally well. Unfortunately it is no game at all. It uses interaction to fortify the immersion. It will entertain you for roughly 10 hours while telling a great story.

Just to get this out of the way, this game is stunning and I believe it will resonate with you as deeply and personally as it did me. The art and style are seemingly identical to those of To The Moon and A Bird Story, which is to say that they're beautiful and lend support to the theme and tone of the game's story. Unlike many other indies, the visuals here are razor-sharp, with no asset or animation feeling out of place. There are times when Kan Gao's soundtrack nearly steals the spotlight from his story. It can be mysterious, it can be humorous, and it can be potently emotional, empowered by its simplicity rather than reaching for unnecessary complexity. Surprising absolutely nobody who has played their previous titles, Freebird Games have wielded their stellar soundtrack with pinpoint accuracy in Finding Paradise and succeeded in bolstering the impact of this journey they have created for us. As mentioned, there are moments when Finding Paradise's soundtrack nearly steals the show, but its story always manages to win out. Gao's ability to write a forward-moving plot while moving chronologically backwards in To The Moon was impressive, but he has outdone himself. Here he's managed to keep the story clear and engaging while exploring a lifetime from both chronological beginning and end moving inwards, as well as providing sufficient foreshadowing throughout. The game's theme is loud and clear, reinforced masterfully by both its art and its soundtrack, and this story has the weight and power that only exist when an author digs deep to express something personal. The result is an emotional and introspective experience that will remind you of what is truly important in this life. Freebird Games have created a sequel that builds upon the foundation of To The Moon while also finding its own identity. Finding Paradise is a vast improvement over its already-great predecessor and sets a new standard for storytelling in video games.

This game is, like it's predecessor "To the Moon", a moving emotional experience presented as an interactive narrative with relatively little standard gameplay experience. Like in "To the Moon", you take control of two employees of the Sigmund Corporation and are tasked with granting a dying man (first seen in "A Bird Story") his last wish -- at least through his memories. This leads you to explore different stages in this man's life and his development from a lonely youth to an airline pilot. As you figure out his numerous regrets, you realize something that challenges what you know about your job. Overall, the story is not as strong as that of "To the Moon", but it is certainly enough to give your heart strings a pull. Make sure to complete the game in one sitting (average time: 4 hours) to get the complete emotional effect. A lot of reviews have argued that the lack of interactive gameplay is a big flaw in this game. This is, indeed, more of an interactive novel and walking simulator than a "gamer's game". Yes, there are puzzles that need to be solved before moving to different stages in the patient's life, and there are scenes that implement shooting, fighting, and RPG-fighting mechanics, but those take up less than 15% of the total play time (average: 4 hours). If you seek solely a gameplay experience, it might be best to avoid "Finding Paradise". However, if you seek a great narrative that tugs at your heart strings while at times making you laugh with its self-awareness, this is well worth the price.