Some of my all-time favourite games have a thing in common – they recreate compelling Science Fiction.

Mass Effect is probably the one people most think of, but I’ve always enjoyed a good space sim, and one of my most loved point and click adventures is The Dig.

Deliver Us The Moon feels so different from most sci-fi we’re used to, though. It’s akin to something you’d see in the cinema with it’s glorious, grand-scale visuals, time-sensitive sequences, and gradual, drip-fed revelations.

It’s a much slower pace than most games I’ve been playing lately. To really get the most out of the game, you have to spend time reading pieces of lore and examining things in minute detail. But that suits me perfectly fine.

I’m always that guy who wanders around, going off the beaten path, doing everything but following the main mission marker. I like to feel as immersed as possible in the world I’m in, and fortunately there’s just enough to digest in Deliver Us the Moon that makes that effort worthwhile.

Deliver Us The Moon is absolutely full of visual clues, like random books lining shelves, and vinyls left strewn across a table, and it’s all broken up with some pretty big, memorable, and suitably epic moments.

For instance, there’s a pretty heart-pumping moment where you go too far out into space and have to find your way back to the ship by using debris to cling onto, all while your oxygen tank is depleting.

And even when you’re flicking switches and pulling levers to make sure your rocket lifts off safely, there’s a part of you wondering if you’re actually doing the right thing while the ticking timer makes everything feel quite unsettling.

I guess the big thing for me is that these moments were memorable and when I came away from them, there was a sense of accomplishment – and maybe even a little enjoyment. So many games have moments that are fun and all, but you don’t really give them much thought afterwards. I’m several days removed from those big sequences and I’m still thinking about the scale and scope of them.

In Deliver Us the Moon, one minute you’re floating, defying gravity, tilting left and right to orient yourself on a comfortable level, the next you’re assembling machinery parts. There’s a lot of unexpected variety which certainly goes some way to showing a player how diverse an astronauts job really is. KeokeN Interactive have worked painstakingly hard to deliver as much of an authentic experience as possible, but at the same time shroud the game in a mystery that’s compelling and enjoyable.

This is far from a one dimensional, one-trick pony. Actually, this is a game that keeps you on your toes, and despite its seemingly slow pace, you’re often having to pay attention – whether it’s to the audio and visual logs that overlay over the world, or by averting disaster and stopping yourself being electrocuted with some of its fiendish puzzles.

Deliver Us The Moon is a spirited, fascinating adventure full of exploration. You can really lose yourself in this world, despite its linearity, and you’ll actually find many of its key moments leave a lasting impression.

This is the closest I will ever get to venturing into space, and I’m so very glad I took the trip.

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Deliver Us The Moon is now available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, Coming Soon to Nintendo Switch

Played on PS4

Code Supplied by Wired Productions