The Star Named EOS Review (Switch)
Summary: A well-written narrative puzzle adventure that shines through the darkness with its great graphics, fun puzzles, and interesting story telling.
4.3
Everything Shines
Chase the stars and listen to your heart in a beautiful journey about the wonder of life. The Star Named EOS is a narrative puzzle adventure game developed by Silver Lining Studio, published by PLAYISM, and released on July 23rd of 2024. Time is of the essence in this photography based point and click game where confronting the past leads to an uncertain future. Complete puzzles to find key items and relive snapshots of your significant life. Join Dei as he follows in his mothers footsteps to acquire a better understanding of her, their relationship, and himself.
The story in The Star Named EOS is engaging and sincere. You play as a boy named Dei who recollects memories of his mother and the fond times they had gazing at the stars that always shine. Dei reads letters from his mother relaying her experience of being a traveling photographer. He picks up the hobby and pursues the lifestyle of his mother by recreating these instances captured in pictures she sent him. Now, through producing radiant energy to construct moments trapped in time, Dei spends his days trying to capture the magic he and his mother once saw in the sparkling night sky.
Even though the game is puzzle oriented, the gameplay throughout the game is relaxing and mellow. Your goal in the game is to reconstruct your mothers pictures the best way you can by finding the correct pieces in the environment that you are in. Accomplishing this will move you along the story and to the next level. You look around your panorama-like environment and can click on points of interest to get more information about what you just clicked on or to get a closer look. Some things like letters or notes will give you more insight about the story or clues about what you need to do and then other things are more interactable like a sliding tile puzzle or having to maneuver something through a maze. You can take your camera out at any time to take a picture and you can look at your pictures in your journal.
The Star Named EOS has such a comforting vibe with its puzzles and gameplay that you can leisurely make your way through it in a short amount of time. Each level is like its own little snapshot and once the shutter button has been pushed, it’s on to the next one. The challenge that is here is fair and inviting for a puzzle game like this. The riddle-like structure is addicting and I never felt stuck even after I thought that I exhausted all of my options. The motion of the story and the gratifying feeling of deciphering a confusing problem is entertaining.
The game looks stunning with its beautiful hand drawn environments, charming visuals, and vibrant colors. Rooms look lived in with blankets strewn across the floor and beams of light shining through the window. Birds briskly glide through the sky and the lake’s surface glimmers in the gloaming. The warm glow that emits from the restaurant is alleviating and invites you to sit back and take your time figuring out what to do next. There are a ton of tiny details that paint the world in a calming and welcoming way.
The music is cute with quick piano notes that flair into something more extravagant. Sometimes the tempo slows down to a more mellow melody that extracts a melancholic emotion that will erupt into something more grand after a new story beat or revelation. Audio cues and other sounds like pushing a button or placing a wooden doll down on a pedestal are robust and feel effective. The clicks of the camera sound natural and some sounds rightfully effuses mystifying qualities. The game is audibly sound and quickly delivers a feeling of warmth and nostalgia.
Final Thoughts?
The Star Named EOS is a magnificent game with great environmental storytelling and smart puzzles. The challenge is appropriate and feels rewarding once you finally realize how everything falls into place. Taking pictures with the camera is not only naturally involving, but is an elegant way to recite this story. The game looks fantastic graphically and the audio makes you feel right at home. You won’t regret accompanying Dei on this astronomical voyage through the lens of his camera.
About the Author
Nay Clark Gaming holds a special place in my heart and I never stop talking about video games. I really love all types of games and have an interest in games that have complicated stories and lore because I enjoy untangling the mystery of it all. When I'm not gaming, I unsuccessfully try to control three amazing and incredibly bright kids.
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