Originally released as a Kickstarter-funded project in 2018 called, Deliver Us The Moon: Fortuna, the decision was made to pull the game from Steam when the game’s developer, KeokeN Interactive, signed on with publisher Wired Productions. This was to allow the developers to polish up the game and re-release it along with the final chapter of the story, which had been previously planned DLC known as, “Tombaugh.”
Deliver Us The Moon - as it is now called - takes players on a science fiction thrill ride as they search for answers and resources on the moon to save a dying Earth. Unfortunately, that ride ended with the original content from Fortuna, as Deliver Us The Moon’s final act felt like it was lost in space.
Goodbye, Moon
Deliver Us The Moon takes place in a not-so-distant future, in which Earth’s natural resources have been depleted, causing blackouts and dust storms to wreak havoc across the planet. In an effort to save the planet and humanity, the World Space Agency was created and colonized to secure an energy source on the moon. After communication to the moon was lost and the energy source was cut off, Earth’s last astronaut is sent as a last-ditch effort to uncover the truth and, hopefully, reestablish Earth’s connection with the energy resource.
For those interested in diving deeper into the story, Deliver Us The Moon has plenty of content to uncover. From notes, to sound recordings, to holographic reenactments, players can uncover exactly what happened on the moon. None of these pieces of lore are required, though. Just keep in mind that the ending will probably not make a ton of sense if you skip over the scenes, which will ultimately impact the weight of the game’s final moments.
That said, unlike many space exploration games, Deliver Us The Moon feels like it's more explorable than it actually is. Games, like Observation, that feature zero gravity and dimly lit space stations often cause frustration from a lack of direction and the ability to get lost in the many similar looking corridors. Deliver Us The Moon prevents this by keeping players on a pretty linear path, locking doors behind them and opening doors to where they need to go. Obviously, this playstyle isn’t for everyone, but I appreciated the fact that my frustrations were eased (at least with this element of the gameplay).
Give Me Space
One of the most immediate things that players will notice about Deliver Us The Moon is its presentation of epic moments. What’s a science fiction space thriller without things like the drama of a critical, last-second shuttle launch, or the uneasiness of being alone in the vastness of outer space?
KeokeN Interactive’s delivery of pivotal and grandiose moments brings a level of immersion that all space thrillers should aspire to. Without giving anything away, one of the dicier situations that had me hurtling through space is one of my favorite moments in gaming this year. The immersiveness and weight of each critical moment was impactful and well-executed, with countdowns and time limits adding to the intensity. Unfortunately, the major moments in Deliver Us The Moon only hit in the original Fortuna content.
Lost In Space
Having never played the original, it was still very easy to know exactly when Fortuna ends and the “Tombaugh” DLC content begins, both in the actual cutscene and in overall gameplay.
Deliver Us The Moon seems to lose sight of what it’s trying to be in its final act, changing from a sci-fi, puzzle-based thriller to a weird sort of stealth platformer that just doesn’t hit the mark. The platforming action could have been fun, had those moments not been riddled with incredibly choppy performance issues that negatively impacted the gameplay, while the stealth situations felt forced and out of place.
This all led up to the game’s final heaviest, most intense moment, which could have been the best of the game, but ended up being possibly one of my most frustrating moments in gaming in recent memory. Again avoiding spoilers, the situation made sense and I know exactly what KeokeN was going for, but the mechanic definitely seemed broken, especially considering that the short-timed scene ended up being the thing I spent the most time on during my playthrough (which includes all of the puzzles).
Not Quite Over The Moon
It’s a shame that the final act of Deliver Us The Moon couldn’t actually deliver following the gameplay experienced in the Fortuna content. I’m honestly a little disappointed that I was unable to play Fortuna before it was pulled from Steam. A cliffhanger ending would have left me wanting more, whereas this full-version left me just wanting to be done. If this were simply a review of Fortuna, I would be absolutely willing to give it no less than a 4.5-star rating. Unfortunately, the lost sense of a final act just left too bitter of a taste in my mouth to maintain such a glowing rating.
A review copy of Deliver Us The Moon was provided to TheGamer for this review. Deliver Us The Moon is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Deliver Us The Moon
Deliver Us The Moon tasks you with saving the human race from extinction, by finding out what happened to a crucial energy source on the Moon. Along the way, you'll also discover the fate of the lunar colony.