It all started with a relatively successful Kickstarter campaign, then struggled with financial difficulties, but was ultimately brought to a successful conclusion thanks to the involvement of publisher Wired Productions. Now, “Deliver Us the Moon"It's making its way to home consoles. The team at indie developer KeokeN Interactive wants to showcase its capabilities and delivers a sci-fi story that holds great potential but also places high demands on performance and handling. But can the title live up to these expectations?"
Astronaut, world savior, multi-talented individual
In "Deliver Us the Moon," we find ourselves in the near future, specifically in the year 2059. Earth's resources are depleted, there is no more energy, and the blue planet resembles a desert landscape. The only hope: the moon. It is humanity's last remaining ray of light, as it is from here that life-saving resources and necessary energy can be transferred. But overnight, the entire supply chain collapses, and the blackout, referred to in the game as the turning point, occurs. The result: total annihilation. Five years later, we enter the game as an unknown astronaut who sets out to reactivate the moon. Our journey takes us from an Earth spaceport, via an abandoned space station, to a lunar base.
At each of these stations, we encounter numerous puzzles that need solving. Here, we press various buttons, swap energy batteries, cut bolts, and find our way through the different challenges. We also face all sorts of dangers, most notably rampaging drones, lack of oxygen, or sudden situations that require our quick-time reactions.
Throughout the journey, we traverse many different locations, each offering plenty to explore. These include collectibles, audio logs, echoes of the past, and simple books, notes, and clues that can contain information about the blackout's origins, as well as codes for doors and computers. Therefore, thorough investigation is essential to ensure no clues are overlooked. This enriches the story and further develops its narrative.
Weightless through space
In terms of gameplay, you get a really good sense of space. We move slowly but realistically through the weightlessness of the space station, drive the lunar buggy through craters, and fight for every breath. A lot of thought has clearly gone into how to create a compelling atmosphere through the right gameplay.
Overall, the story and gameplay of “Deliver Us the Moon“A surprisingly positive impression. The small indie studio delivers a truly high-quality title across the board, featuring an engaging, albeit somewhat abruptly ending, storyline that leaves us wanting to know what happened and what secrets lie behind the blackout. Added to this is appealing gameplay, boasting impressive technology and a very well-thought-out design.”
Many elements interlock, constantly opening up new paths and possibilities. Unfortunately, the mission objectives aren't always immediately obvious, and the game doesn't allow for much deviation from the main storyline. We experienced situations where we strayed from the path and suddenly found ourselves unable to progress forward or backward, forcing us to restart an entire section. Such bugs are truly frustrating and a major problem that can lead to a lot of frustration. Nevertheless, "Deliver Us the Moon," and the indie studio behind it, fully utilize its potential and thus hardly differs from large and elaborate productions.
The beauty of the room
Just like with the gameplay, the game also impresses with its graphics. While you can't expect graphical masterpieces in every detail from an indie title, the levels are very attractive and invite exploration. There's something to discover around almost every corner, much of it subtle rather than obvious, which greatly enhances the suspense. The overall atmosphere is characterized by a mysterious uncertainty that builds as we move through the corridors of the moon base or space station, seeing only what our flashlight beam illuminates. It's almost a little eerie, similar to "Alien: Isolation," although there's actually nothing truly frightening. Furthermore, there are always small details to discover, scattered throughout the individual rooms and workspaces, adding a wonderful character to the overall experience. Truly captivating.
Since we navigate the levels alone, there are very few interactions with other people—in fact, only one person who keeps us updated on the progress of our mission from Earth. This isolation also means that the levels are rarely accompanied by music, only when things get exciting or we reach a crucial point in the plot. Otherwise, it's pretty quiet, because, as they say, no one can hear you scream in space.
Also worth highlighting is the superb German localization, which leaves virtually nothing to be desired. The voice acting is very accurate, and even the text on notes and books is completely error-free, something that is often overlooked. It's a shame, however, that the loading times occasionally cause the game to stutter, we sometimes encounter minor bugs, and our objectives aren't always immediately clear even after some back and forth. We also frequently found ourselves getting lost, as things can get quite convoluted in places. All in all, though, "Deliver Us the Moon" creates a truly captivating atmosphere that we gladly immerse ourselves in and enjoy every minute of.
