Initial release date: July 22, 2024
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S, macOS, Mac operating systems
Developer:Â Silver Lining Studio
Genres: Adventure game, Puzzle, Indie game, Adventure
Engine:Â Unity
Publishers: Silver Lining Studio, Playism, Active Gaming Media
We’ve had plenty of experience with puzzle-adventure games. Some focused more on adventure, while others were more enigmatic. Few game creators are able to combine just the perfect amount of each to create a game with both an engaging story and difficult but manageable puzzles.
The Star Named EOS is an opportunity to play a narrative-driven puzzle adventure. Will it succeed in striking the perfect balance between story and gameplay elements?
A place within The Star Named EOS
A narrative-based puzzle game with a focus on photography is called The Star Named EOS. You take on the role of Dei, a young guy whose mother—who is currently deceased—inspired him to pursue a career in photography. When Dei was a young boy, his mother would take trips and write him letters from her travels that would include a picture. Now it’s up to you to travel to these areas and recreate her photos, tracing her path in an attempt to discover what happened to her.
Ten chapters make up the game, and generally speaking, each chapter features a new setting, such as Dei’s bedroom from her early years, a cafe, or a camping. Reading your mother’s letter and examining the picture she supplied will open most chapters. The next step is to search your surroundings for the items you’ll need to make the finest possible replica of the photo.
You won’t be able to walk about the place because your position will be set, but you can glance around 360 degrees by using the right thumbstick. In addition, the left thumbstick controls your cursor, which you may use to interact with objects by selecting them with the A button. In certain instances, this feature enables you to enlarge an object or collection of objects for enhanced visibility and interaction. Additionally, you have an inventory that you can access by pressing Y.
The Star Named EOS’s hand-drawn universe is reminiscent of our favorite anime films from our youth. Observing the game’s sporadic animated cut-scenes served to further emphasize this. While the game’s background music is upbeat and inoffensive, we strongly advise wearing headphones at specific moments to fully immerse yourself in the 360-degree experience. For instance, if someone is speaking while standing to your right, their voice will shift in both position and volume as you look around. It was a small but very welcomed touch. Every chapter’s location is brimming with fascinating items to examine and engage with, and it was a pleasure to explore them all. This brings us to the riddles.
Different puzzles
Because each chapter is structured in a linear fashion, you must complete one puzzle before going on to the next. Finding the puzzles is as simple as looking around the room and interacting with anything you come across. For instance, you may see a sliding puzzle on top of a cupboard. After solving it, a code for another locked object will become visible. All of the puzzles are pitched at a decent degree of difficulty, with the beginning chapters having simpler riddles than the latter ones. However, as you gain skill with the different kinds of puzzles available, this is a creative method to make sure that things don’t get too easy later on.
The fact that most of the puzzles are well-known to anybody who has ever played a puzzle game—classics like mazes, jigsaws, sliding puzzles, and code breaking—contributes to the game’s lack of difficulty. That’s not all that familiar, though, as this kind of problem we’ve never seen before involves reconstructing the photos. Before snapping the picture with your camera, you will need to choose a background that resembles your mother’s portrait and find items to position in front of each to best match it. Once you’ve done that, you can move on to the next place and close that chapter.
As you go, the game’s tale gradually comes to life as you learn more about the long-forgotten past of Dei and his mother. Although there are a few shocks along the road, we don’t want to spoil any of the fun, but you can anticipate an emotional tale.
Reading the letters that Dei’s mother wrote and viewing the voice-acted animated cut-scenes both advance the story. The remainder of the time, when you investigate objects, you may occasionally find a written statement from Dei; many of these, at least in the early stages, serve as hints. As for additional hints, none exist. The Star Named Eos’ creators chose not to include a clue section, which is something you may find helpful in many puzzle games when you’re stuck. We never felt the need for hints, though, and the only reason we got stuck was when we forgot to interact with one of the room’s objects.
Replicate images
A few hours is all that The Star Named EOS lasts, and it seems like just the perfect length of time. The storyline was concluded and numerous mysteries had been solved by the time the game ended. Not that we wouldn’t have appreciated playing the game a little bit longer.
Regarding our previous thought, there is undoubtedly a wonderful variety of problems in The Star Named EOS. Because of your fixed placement inside each environment and the uninteresting plot, it falls short on the “adventure” front. But unlike many other puzzle games we’ve played, we liked how straightforward this one was. We enjoyed the game’s linear gameplay, which made it simple to figure out what to do next. We also didn’t miss having to navigate a huge area and get lost, were relieved that there were no individuals to interact with other than to skip through lengthy chat, and were kept interested by the well-known yet original puzzles.
The Star Named EOS is a very recommended puzzle game if you’re seeking for something quick and enjoyable.
Review Overview
Gameplay – 85%
Story – 90%
Aesthetics – 92%
Content – 80%
Accessibility – 87%
Value – 85%
Overall Rating – 88%
Excellent
Summary:
The Star Named EOS is a narrative-driven game that captivates with its emotional story and beautifully crafted world. The game excels in its hand-drawn art style and atmospheric soundtrack, creating an immersive experience. The gameplay combines intuitive puzzle-solving with exploration, keeping players engaged as the story unfolds. While the game might be a bit short for some, its quality and depth make every moment count. Overall, The Star Named EOS offers a memorable journey that resonates emotionally, making it a standout title for fans of story-rich games.