The game that captures your heart, one photograph at a time.
I am a firm believer that photos preserve a fleeting moment that can be accessed at any time. I hardly ever take photos, but when I do, I know for a fact that it is because I want to look back on them, fondly. That fundamental concept is the basis of Silver Lighting Studio’s latest game, The Star Named EOS.
This is their next attempt at photography, after the success of their previous puzzle adventure project, Behind the Frame. Even while it is technically a puzzle adventure game, this one stands out from the others due to its escape room-esque puzzle design.
Dei, a photographer, is introduced at the beginning of The Star Named EOS. He looks to be in a very sentimental state as he searches his room for things that his mother used to possess. Early on, we find out that Dai’s mother used to be very important to him, but she has since disappeared.
Dei takes up a photograph and tries to replicate its capture using the things around him. That photograph sets him on a path to uncover what is true about his mother and his own recollections. Players go to a different location and delve more into this young man’s recollections when the scenario is established. The whole game revolves on this central idea. This is the kind of game you should play in one sitting since the story is over in an hour or two.
The writing maintains a respectable pace without boring the reader with too detailed descriptions or information dumping. In spite of its length, the story manages to maintain the player’s attention with its clever use of interactive parts, hidden settings, and treasures. The question you should be asking yourself is likely to center on whether this will connect with you or not, given that The Star Named EOS has a few peculiar twists.
While Dei’s mother was away on her travels, she kept in touch with him via letters is a thing your learn as you play on. A stunning photograph of the locations she visited was usually sent with her messages. My apologies for the brief synopsis, but it is something I should not elaborate too much on.
Since taking pictures in-game is the primary objective of The Star Named EOS, anybody who has played similar titles previously will feel right at home. An antique Polaroid camera, bequeathed to him by his mother, is used by your protagonist. Polaroid photography is a lot of fun. There is a little window that you must capture in order to get certain photographs.
As befits a hidden-object game, the cursor transforms to indicate necessary interactions to progress the chapter. This is great since, while I do appreciate the quest for minor things of interest, it normally takes up too much time. He finds inspiration for his quest to recreate his mom’s old images in their mutual passion of photography.
I rather enjoyed spending my day immersed in Dei’s thoughts. On the other hand, if you are the kind of player who enjoys games that go deeper into themes of relatability and commonality, you may be disappointed to see that this one does not really cover much ground.
There is no question that this generation has delivered for fans of narrative-driven games that evoke strong emotions via captivating gameplay. Players will need to use their identifying skills in this escape room spectacle to find objects and solve riddles, leading to replicate the scenarios from the pictures. There were a few easy puzzles in Behind the Frame, but the ones in The Star Named EOS may cause you to scratch your head.
The Star Named EOS’s point of view makes the interactive bits very cool. The player takes on the role of a first-person problem solver and photographer. I love puzzle games in general, therefore I feel that the puzzles do fit together well. Albeit there is no in-game help system.
Many of the challenges required me to take time comprehending before determining the requirements necessary for advancement, yet I was able to muscle my way through a number of them. However, like I said, there is not a ton of guidance throughout The Star Named EOS, though Dei does drop hints every now and again. I seldom felt lost in the beginning, nevertheless, it seemed like the creators had included subtle cues to help you find certain symbols in the right places.
Structured with chapters, each takes place in various locations. Recapturing the pictures your mom shared with you while traveling allows you to embark on to the next chapter of the game. As customs insist, you may choose a chapter to complete any clean-up accomplishments you might have missed upon completion of The Star Named EOS. The inability to skip speech sequences while returning to earlier chapters is a minor annoyance though.
I am happy to inform you that all mechanics functioned adequately considering it is not a really demanding project. Despite the fact that the puzzles may be overly eager and tedious at times, I believe they complement the brief gameplay since, honestly, I would happily stay longer in this game world—thanks predominantly to the fantastic music and graphics.
As is normally the case for me, the visual design is the main reason I decided to play this The Star Named EOS. Everything is meticulously hand-drawn in an anime style that perfectly complements the game’s atmosphere, and plays directly into my tastes.
On the other hand, since every scenario is hand-drawn, the interactive elements are not always easy to see. Although I would not argue that nit-picking at the screen is required for the game, I did sometimes use the mouse to scan the whole picture to ensure that I did not overlook a single thing.
But if you are ever becoming upset with concluding the challenging tasks The Star Named EOS sets for you, the music is sure to cheer you up. As you go into the instances of learning more about the tale, the soundtracks complement them well and adds a pleasant atmosphere. The development team really hit the nail on the head with the music choices, which especially elevates the story’s most heart-breaking moments.
It even came to my attention that the achievements can also be silly, in a good way, such as repeatedly ringing the bell in the train car in a particular chapter, or clicking every button in the safe. Achieving a perfect completion in this game is very achievable and does not require much time.
The storyline was excellent, the mechanism seems clever, and the voice acting that goes along with each reveal is done with a sense of affection, helping to sell the whole affair and make you want to keep pushing to finish it. Also, I clearly like works that are drawn by hand. Really, that’s about it.
This is a great pick if you like relaxing video games, have no fear of challenging puzzles, and like games that have an air of mystery. Just to reiterate, The Star Named EOS is a simple game to add to your collection and should take you between one to two hours.
