OPUS: Echo of Starsong is among the best releases this year. Its story combined with stunning visuals and gorgeous music will most certainly melt your heart and make you cry. It also provides a serviceable resource management game loop to keep you engaged while visiting each location and exploring lore of the world.

Here are some extra points:
Actually, not much to add. Look at the screenshots and all I can tell you is that the game just looks that great.

Those piano notes are absolute masterpiece. The main theme just gives me chills whenever it hits.

The main game loop revolves around managing your fuel while travelling between space stations and asteroids. Though there are random events and skill checks at play, the game is pretty forgiving in this regard. This is no FTL.
Some puzzles are involved while exploring locations, but they are never hard enough to pose any challenge.
I’d say the mechanics are mostly there to keep you actively engaged without the game turning into full blown walking simulator or visual novel.

OPUS: Echo of Starsong is a story told through a series of flashbacks. As you travel in the world, you’ll delve more into the history of each character and the world itself.
I’d rather not spoiler main story beats so let me tell you this much: The game tries very hard to immerse you into its world. Every descriptive text is another lore shown, much like how From Software’s works were done. (Pretty crazing comparing these two, huh?)
And I’d say they’ve done an astonishingly good work in building an unusually designed universe. The best I can describe it is an oriental flavored Star Wars which doesn’t lean much into hardcore sci-fi, and its uniqueness intrigues me to explore more of it at all times during my gameplay.

All above that make the game great are fortunately not overshadowed by its technical issue.
I’ve encountered a game breaking issue midway during my initial playthrough, but the devs quickly responded and worked with me in identifying the problem. Since then the bug has been fixed with a progression hard lock so I have updated my review to reflect this change.
Here are some extra hiccups to note though:

• The game runs at a weird 36fps (probably due to me using a 144Hz monitor) on my extremely powerful machine. Thankfully the gameplay doesn’t particularly demand high framerate, but it is indeed jarring.
  
• There are no anti-aliasing available for some reason, which is a shame for screen capturing this otherwise beautiful piece.
  
• No option to go 4K, currently capped at 1440p which also worsens graphics a bit if you are running on a 4K display.

All in all, a solid 10/10 for those who love atmospheric adventure game, story heavy exploration game, and maybe just whoever enjoys soothing visuals and music.

I’ve to admit that I never play previous title of OPUS series. Visual and soundtrack from preview are first two things that grab my attention and decide to give it a try. After the credits roll, it’s hard to describe this sleeping hit in few words, but I’m really glad to experience and cover this gem.

OPUS: Echo of Starsong (EoS) is linear story-driven adventure game developed by Taiwanese team SIGONO. This subjective review is written based on version 1.4.3 which might address most previous issues.

EoS storytelling is strongest part and best to experience blindly from the beginning as I want to minimize the context in story section. The OPUS series shares the same universe, but each story is standalone and completion.

The aftermath of galactic war caused by factions to claim ancient power of Lumen civilization, the journey of a man who intent to bring honor back to his clan by claiming Lumen cave under his name, and wandering young girl who can sense Lumen asteroids by imitating Starsongs. This is story of fate and destiny of two people echoing across solar system named Thousand Peaks.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2666856624
Eos is an emotional narrative of space journey and memorable casts driven by strong motive and personality. Most are mainly represented in text-based form with visual background. Various events and screenplay gives fair time to slowly build character development even the pacing is sometimes quite fast and shifts between flashback and present. You might expect foreshadowing from the prologue, but the story still has element of surprise and mysterious. It also centers on character relationship which feels much more personal and emotionally attached from the beginning to the end.

Thousand Peaks is also full of different kind of people suffered or traumatized by war and mysterious of Lumen civilization. The Myrian mythology of Lumen set an interesting and complex world background that well integrates and deeply connects to the main story. Amount of information and poetry form might be overwhelming and require time to invest. Once it clicks and comes together, it genuinely feels rewarding and positively satisfying to be that way.

The contrast between fantasy and sci-fi element and writing that carefully craft and merge together. The ideology of afterlife, consciousness, morality, responsibility, and life lesson are some parts I learn and appreciate from the playing the game. Those elements simply create one of most beautiful and memorable story I’ve experienced in indie title so far.

Indie games usually take art direction in compensate for graphic quality. The game assets are simplistic and low-poly blocky artstyle, but surprisingly amazed by their complexity when it comes to Myrian architecture and spacecraft / station aesthetic that represent background history and culture of Thousand Peaks' habitants.

Beautiful hand-drawn 2D illustration and composition create strong character expression and easy to follow from heartwarming to intense moment. Big props to artist and 3D team!

EoS is a game of journey with combination of side-scrolling adventure, puzzle, and space expedition. The game shifts between different gameplay in order to refresh the change of pace and diversity. Side-scrolling section usually triggers in main story progression as player takes control of main characters and either interact environment or solve the puzzle to progress through story.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2666863754
Most of puzzles are tuning different Starsongs to match the pattern or interact in correct sequence. Some might require clue, but they are pretty straightforward and very forgiving. It might lack challenge in exchange for casual friendly and fitting focused narrative.

Space expedition also plays a big part in EoS. Player can explore various optional places (space station, Lumen cave, and planet) to scavenge resource or gather piece of information (memories) to learn more about Thousand Peaks. However, every action costs your resource (for example: amount of fuel consumed by distance or use exploration kit for random resources). Moreover, player also encounters various events when approaching new location ranging from small decisions to roll-dice event that may cause harm to your ship. The key is to plan your route and always trade sellable items for money to repeat and expand the new area.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2666868126
The expedition emphasizes on preparation and resource management. It gives a strong sense of unpredictable space journey under inspiration of tabletop adventure and representation of Lumen War aftermath.

Tabletop RNG element might offer an unpredictable experience in first playthrough, but it could be frustrating and create unnecessary extra layer of resource grinding or disrupt the flow of storytelling.

The problem is most memory collectables are tied to specific choice (or success dice roll) in every event. The dialogue choice doesn’t completely change or impact the story other than slightly different set of conversation and achievement, making one choice is always superior to the other. The lore information you read and interpret from memories help to fulfill the whole picture of the story and I personally think it shouldn’t be messed by uncontrolled RNG event (some items can enhance luck, but worst case still happens) and choice could at least affect fate of side characters.

The single-slot auto save system also means action can’t be reversed and easily to mess up. As a linear story-driven game, I could understand the purpose of creating different experience for some players, but look into some designs; it feels self-contradictory and way more punishing especially for completionist and perfect run achievement.

Each track in EoS are beautifully and well composed by Triodust. It has variation genre which fit each scenario or main location player are visit; sense and feeling of adventure, departure, pushing, and hope along the journey.

The vocal part voiced by Cikado is also beautiful haunting especially Starsongs that the artist imitates and reflects one of main protagonist inner thoughts. Once the story and visual set up the direction, the music will do its part and exceed my expectation to emotional level.

EoS is powered by Unity Engine (2019.4.3). The game runs smoothly with solid performance (Win 7, GTX 1050 Ti, 8GB RAM, 1080p resolution). Display type and resolution are only graphical option and the game doesn’t have key binding feature, but it’s doable due to its simple control scheme and friendly UI design.

The game lengths between 7-10 hours on first playthrough depended on your pacing / reading and offers chapter replayablity for100% collectable. The game is functional and I haven’t encountered any game breaking bugs or crash so far.

EoS holds a very special place in my heart despite some gameplay flaws (at least in my perspective). It deserves more attention and potentially can be a solid animation. If you’re looking for a touching relationship and story rich world with light element of gameplay gimmicks, Echo of Starsong is one of absolute choice of experience that might emotionally inspire you and many more.

If you found this review helpful, please consider and give a thumb up. Any feedback / exchanging idea are appreciated.

One of the best narrative driven stories I have encountered in an indie title. The music and sound effects are beyond immersive, elevating the story whilst providing a captivating and enchanting experience.

Visit SaveOrQuit.com for daily reviews and here for an easier to read review of OPUS [saveorquit.com]

OPUS: Echo of Starsong is an atmospheric narrative driven adventure. It resembles a visual novel in style and has elements of exploration and puzzles.

In a distant solar system known as Thousand Peaks, a discovery was made that turned the region into a veritable war zone.
Uncovering the ruins of an ancient Lumen civilization attracted many different factions desperate to control the supply of Lumen. The conflict lasted twenty years, known as The Lumen War.

The galactic mega corporation, United Mining claimed victory and declared peace in the region.
However, the lure of Lumen was too strong and smaller conflicts raged on resulting in the resource being made public. A race ensued to harvest the Lumen.

The story revolves around Jun, a Lumen hunter desperate to restore his name, and Eda, a witch, who is searching for her former master.

https://youtu.be/Oz3g6AVtWxk

What an incredible game. This is the reason I love indie gaming so much. Every now and again you discover a true masterpiece, and this is one.

Everything about the game personifies quality; The story is memorable, touching and emotional; the characters are well developed and cleverly woven into story plots; the visuals are impressive and the sound design is absolutely amazing. It really does have the whole package.

This game will appeal to a wide audience although it will mostly attract visual novel and adventure fans. Personally, I don’t tend to like visual novels but you will find heavy influences embedded in the game. Character interactions evolve through dialogue text yet you never feel overwhelmed by content. Conversations bounce between cast members like a game of tennis, rarely stopping long enough to bore or annoy. Discussions are punchy and short yet manage to retain meaningfulness and cleverly build layers on character’s personalities and relationships.

The story is incredibly emotional, thanks in part to the wonderful script and character development, but elevated and augmented by the stunning soundtrack and special effects.

It is amazing in places and creates such tension and drama that it has you engrossed in events. The story of Eda is based around sound but it gathers new meanings as you progress through the adventure.

I thought the story dipped a little in the middle due to the amount of space travel you have to perform. The places you visit can feel a little aimless sometimes yet fans of lore will absolutely love it. The background of the war, the different factions and how Lumen affected the solar system is all explained in detail and provides a thick blanket of knowledge.

The presentation of the story is sublime. It is obvious that a lot of time went into developing and executing the story. It goes in so many different directions and is constantly being built up. Events are depicted in a variety of different ways to keep things fresh including flashbacks and dialogue exchanges to exploration and discovery.

There are numerous opportunities to stretch your legs and search different locales including Lumen caves and space stations. The caves are relatively linear, but there is scope to explore and collect items to sell for profit, in exchange for maintaining and upgrading your ship; There are light puzzle elements involving opening star gates and Lumen related tasks; There are a few action sequences about and some emotional cut scenes; There are dialogue choices which affect story, relationships, ship and crew. The game is full of variety.

Travelling around the solar system can be a little daunting to begin with. You need to manage your fuel levels, shields, exploratory packs and money, and sometimes it is difficult to know which places you have visited before. The story tends to push you in a certain direction, so if you want to explore, do it whilst you can, as you won’t have the opportunity to return after the game has finished. I found this a little annoying as I wanted to mop up some achievements but was unable to.

Overall, it is one of the best indie titles I have played and I am sure it will earn many accolades.

Gameplay consists of Exploration, Ship management, light puzzle elements and dialogue choices.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2591932938

You can explore the area of Thousand Peaks in your space ship, landing at various ports or asteroids. A map of the area is displayed and you can visit any destination visible if you have enough fuel and the scanner is within range. During the journey you can sometimes explore debris using your exploratory packs. These might unearth some goodies for you to use or sell.

Each destination will have characters to interact with depending on the type of place you visit. You may have decisions to make which can affect story plots, future relationships or just determine whether you get out of a certain situation without harm.

These places can provide a welcome trading post for you to sell or buy much needed items to replenish or upgrade your ship.

In some sectors there are starsongs which Eda can detect and sing. Once recorded she can ask Jun to visit its origin and explore the caves it is harbored in.

Managing the ship you will need fuel, protective panels, exploratory kits and money.

Each time you travel to a destination you use fuel; If you encounter enemies or asteroid fields your ship might get damaged and use up panels; Exploratory kits are needed to detect items and cash is needed to buy certain items including replenishing the above items.

There are numerous occasions where you need to decide on an answer. Sometimes these are straight choices affecting plots and relationships whilst others are more luck orientated. Throwing dice will determine the outcome but your chances can be increased by finding certain items with luck enhancers.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2596191640

Eda must complete a small puzzle to resonate her starsong correctly by listening to the song and centering parts of the song until it sounds correct. Jun needs to complete an alignment puzzle to open star gates, explore the caves to find the starsongs, and activate lumium pipes. The puzzle elements can be seen in the gameplay video.

Visuals are excellent. I didn’t particularly like the over-the-top expressions the characters made during conversations though. I know it is a staple of visual novels but it just seemed out of place.

I took far too many screenshots. That just about says it all.

Absolutely amazing. Whilst editing my gameplay video I noticed all the wonderful sound effects and background noises you don’t necessarily notice when playing. Headphones are a must to fully appreciate the sounds on offer. The story revolves around sound and it is a central element in everything OPUS does well.

OPUS: Echo of Starsong is a superior narrative adventure and I would argue one of the best in the genre.

There is much variety in the gameplay but generally it is quite slow and dialogue heavy so it will appeal to narrative adventure fans and visual novel enthusiasts.

If you like a good story full of drama, twists and excellent character development then I sincerely recommend you give this a go. It is excellent value at full price.

OPUS: Echo of Starsong is not only the latest narrative-adventure game in the OPUS series, but it is the most ambitious yet. Developers SIGONO INC have mastered the ability to share heartfelt, emotional experiences through story-driven games and this one surpasses even their previous projects. Fellow narrative enthusiasts, this is what I consider to be, one of the best.


Pros

• Immense game lore
  
• Varied gameplay
  
• Light puzzles and resource management
  
• Large galaxy to explore
  
• Phenomenal soundtrack
  
• Heartfelt story & characters
  
• Quality voice actors
  
• Bonus content of developer voice memos
  

Cons

• Lack of a chapter select / manual saving

Note:One of OPUS’ games most renowned features are of course, their story, and due to this, I will be vague in discussing the narrative to remain spoiler free.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3004756353

Set in the solar system of Thousand Peaks, the game centres around two protagonists, Jun and Eda. Both are from different walks of life, but together they are able to use their differences to complete their goal. Travelling around on their ship, they search for a much sought after resource called lumen. In the recent past, lumen was the reason for many wars, and the death of many civilisations. Not only this, but certain people called “witches” were conscripted in the war, due to their innate ability to seek it out, and now are looked down upon for their past involvements. There are so many different elements to the story that it is rather complicated to surmise, however the developers do a brilliant job of simplifying as much as possible, without sacrificing their creativity by making extra game lore accessible to those who search for it.

A chance encounter brings the two protagonists together, and everything develops from there. The story is remarkably beautiful, melancholic, and thrilling all at the same time. Considerable effort has gone into creating these characters, developing their backstories and truly bringing them to life. Despite the game being predominantly a visual novel, there is an abundance of unspoken words between the characters that is only known due to the excellent writing. Once more is known about their pasts and seeing their memories, suddenly their current actions and attitudes towards one another fall into place. This happens without overly simple player-handholding and overexplaining, but occurs naturally.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3004755125


Being a visual novel, there is plenty of text to read, from the characters conversations, to the item descriptions and other story building lore. However, Echo of Starsong does not just stick to this method of storytelling. Instead, it mixes up gameplay with unique audio puzzles, space minigames, resource management, ship upgrades, and even side-scrolling exploration. Whilst the game relies on autosaving, I did wish to be able to travel back to specific chapters to further explore the area, but was not able to do so. I can only assume that there is no manual saving or chapter select to push players to experience the story as a cohesive one, playing only bits and pieces takes away from the goal of the game. However, a chapter select still would have been a nice addition once the game is completed.

Majority of the time is spent in The Red Chamber, Eda’s vessel. This ship is used to explore the galaxy by visiting asteroids, other factions or settlements to gather lumen and other resources. Travelling to different locations uses fuel, which there is a limited supply of. It can be bought from various vendors, as can other much needed equipment such as armour plates. Sometimes, during exploration there are moments of conflict, where players must make a choice. The choices are often balanced on a difficulty scale, and the outcome will depend on how much acquired luck you have. For instance, if trying to mimic another communication signal, and the set difficulty is 7, but that characters luck is only up to 10, this will be a difficult encounter to win as odds are not in your favour. Upon failing, typically armour plates are lost, and you will need to repurchase these at the next vendor. However in the most extreme circumstances it could also result in death. These encounters were so much fun, and it further made exploration all the more enjoyable, searching for items to influence luck for each character. Despite the simplicity of the design, which is ultimately just clicking on unexplored dots on a map to travel there, it felt much more exciting, not knowing what is going to happen along the way. Will something stop you? Will you make the wrong choice? Is luck in your favour?

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3005237974

Secondly, another major element in the game is exploring caves (asteroids) with Jun. He can pick up plants to sell, find memories which further add to the ever-expanding game lore and it is also where most of the puzzles take place. Similar to the resource management/exploration side of the game, the puzzles are not difficult. They are purposefully simple to keep the game accessible to a broad range of players, but this does not mean they are boring, either. All puzzles are unique and audio based, which are actually able to be completed without using your eyes.


Almost identical to the previous games, Echo of Starsong has anime-style visuals and some impressive landscapes in space. Indoor environments are not extremely detailed, but fit the style of the game well.

The absolute standout feature of the game, and what brings the story to a swell of emotion, is the unforgettable soundtrack and impressive voice acting (I played with Japanese VO). All throughout the game it is extraordinary, through the witches singing, the pivotal moments of tension, and of course, the ending. Without this dramatic, but profound audio, the story would not have the hard-hitting impact in which it achieves.

This game was played using a controller, and with the following PC specs.:
AMD Ryzen R5 7600x 5.4 GHz
32GB DDR5 5200 CL36 RAM
Radeon RX 6800 XT
2560x1440 resolution
NVMe 3.0 SSD
Windows 10

Playtime: 10 hours

Controller Recommended? Yes

Replayability value: For achievement hunters / completionists only.


OPUS: Echo of Starsong is a remarkable narrative-adventure, well-deserving of its many accolades and achievements. The tremendous effort and creativity in constructing the elaborate world is jaw-dropping. The narrative embodies the developer’s goal of creating unique, heartfelt experiences, without excessively pushing themes onto players. Instead, it encourages genuine emotions through magnificent writing, soundtrack, and a brilliant overall game design.

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"Be true to yourself" - This statement lies at the core of this heartwarming and touching journey of a crew come together by a chance meeting, seeking their purpose in life.

I didn't expect this game to resonate with me this much, and honestly, it was a little unnerving just how close to home it hit at times. One thing Ive recently been struggling to shake off is the feeling of being useless. No matter what I try and do, it always ends poorly. So it's back to square one as I partake in this seemingly infinite loop of stagnation and self-deprecation. And this is engraved into the very depths of the story Opus tells. Our Red Chamber crew struggle with the same demons, yet they seem oblivious to that fact. The fear of abandonment and the constant feeling of being useless is present and etched into each of them. They all seek a place to call home, a family of their own, and to be of use to someone they cherish.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2683146508

And the love and care put into each main character is just phenomenal. None feel like your usual stereotypes, here to serve one purpose or check a specific box. They feel like genuine people, people you can sympathize with, understanding their deepest wishes and desires. And I simply loved every second I spent reading and interacting with the plethora of different individuals you'll meet on your escapades in the inhospitable Thousand Peeks, as well as the many banter sessions between Jun and Remi you'll bear witness to.

And my god! is the world brimming with juicy lore. Some may say it's overwhelming. But, not this guy. It's just soo enthralling, and seeking out artefacts and items was enticing as it deepened my knowledge of this unique culture, with the mysterious lumen at the centre of it all. Before we discuss gameplay, just one friendly piece of advice - Due to the story being told from the perspective of old Jun, each location and cave you visit holds valuable tidbits of information about his adventures with Eda. So don't gloss over these small walls of text that greet you at each location, as they add further detail to the painting that is Opus: Echo of Starsong.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2683147307

The gameplay mixes visual novel-style conversations, casual spaceship management and light puzzle work. You'll mostly read lots of text, in your quest for the ever so elusive Banshee, with an odd chance to stretch your legs and explore the lumen filled caves left by an ancient civilization.

The story has no crossroads and is firmly set in stone. But, there are plenty of chance encounters as you move from location to location during your travels across Thousand Peaks. Usually, you are presented with at least two choices, and one will always have a dialogue check. You'll seldom be asked for an item, such as cash, as more often than nought, you'll attempt to deceive the other party with a signal scramble. This is where the RNG dice roll comes in, reliant on the luck of the person speaking. You can boost it by finding or buying certain items that resonate with your crew.

And failing sucks, but such is life - you never know how a situation will play out. Sometimes your good intentions are met with deceit or hostility, as people are unpredictable, and we all roll the dice, one time or another. Looking back on my adventure with the Red Chamber crew, I can comfortably say that each of those risks taken was worth it. They are the reason why I never grew tired of traversing across Thousand Peaks. There was always a new piece of the story or lore to uncover, perhaps a quirky encounter to take part in or just a chance to obtain a relic thought lost. But they do rely on the same shtick - offering a helping hand, performing an evasive manoeuvre or scrambling the comms . There really wasn't much variety. But, given how every encounter has unique dialogue, this is but a minor nitpick.

Besides using your eyes to make sweet, sweet love to the text on screen, you'll have the opportunity to partake in some casual puzzles, fun mini-games and simple spaceship management.

Flying the Red Chamber through Thousand Peeks carries a dose of risk, with frequent patrols, scammers, or just running out of fuel. So, since adventuring can be a dangerous trade, especially when all that stands between you and a barrage of bullets is a signal scramble, you'll need the right equipment for the job. Equipment our dear old Red Chamber doesn't have. Well, not yet, at least. So scavenge far and wide in search of upgrade material to get it in tip-top shape, making your journey through Thousand Peaks that safer. And don't worry, upgrades are nicely tied to story progression, so you really can not fully deck out Red Chamber if you simply explore the game world even a little. Plus, each item has a hint of where you might find it, which I adore.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2683148767

But when you are not labouring as a makeshift spaceship mechanic, doors with tune based locks will greet you and prevent further exploring of the cave. So, grab Jun's rod, and fine-tune Eda's recorded startsong samples to get them to resonate with the weird lumen thingamajigs, opening the way forward. And besides DJ-ing Eda's recorded starsong, there are also some fun mini-games, like avoiding space debris or trying to find the next starsong and cave to explore. And all of this was pretty basic and straightforward, with some of the end game puzzles being more "complex". Personally, I didn't mind this lack of challenge in the slightest, as it provided a nice change of pace after reading copious amounts of text.

Lastly, the game oozes style. It sports an anime style for its 2D art, mostly used for conversation avatars and artwork for crucial story moments, while the 3D low polygon one is used for environments and character models. I loved the facial expression the characters make during a conversation. For some, to me, unknown reason, it just made the whole scene feel alive, and I could hear their voices inside my head. And as sound plays a vital role in both story and gameplay, it's only natural that it's magnificent. The soundtrack especially. It manages to capture the essence of each story moment flawlessly and is a key part of both story and gameplay puzzles. While it usually has a serene and mellow vibe, it can quickly turn lively when the moment calls for it or even sinister, as Thousand Peaks holds many secrets, some perhaps best left buried.

And with that, it's time to say adieu, so I'll pinch a line from our lovable noble, Jun. Even if it was only for a short time, I enjoyed my stay on the Red Chamber.

A giant thank you to Sigono for providing a review key through BaziZen.

If you enjoy this review, come and read more wisdom from the Gospel of Sv. Prolivije.

Begining: Why the f*ck do I want to play this game?
Ending: Is this tear from my eyes?

It somewhat pains me to rate this negatively because there are a lot of things I did like. The art style is beautiful, the puzzles are nice, the soundtrack is good, and the gameplay, while simple, is quite engaging.

But a game like this lives and dies by its story, and while the setting is original, the characters are so paper thin and poorly characterized that the story as a whole falls flat. Character A hates Character B, which is mostly conveyed through A saying 'I hate B!' for at least 3/4 of the story, until that arc less resolves than is just forgotten. Character B immediately abandons their original quest 10% of the way into the game to follow Character C for the repeatedly stated and paper-thin reason that these people they just met 'are my family now!' This original quest is repeatedly reintroduced as a means to increase tension - will they leave? Will they stay? - but always by some other character, usually A frantically telling C that B's departure MUST be imminent. But Character B never worries. They are staying because "You are my family now!" which is, more or less, their only motivation for the remainder of the game. Character C is trying to find Character D, who in flashbacks repeatedly tells Character C to be their own person and go off on their own adventures, but, as you may now see is a repeating theme - Character C does not deviate for a moment. Character C proceeds to make dumb mistake after dumb mistake on their quest, with those rash decisions being the overwhelming driver of the plot.

In a better plot, we'd have character growth. C would learn to let D go. B would actually struggle to decide between actual and found family. A would recognize their feelings towards B as coming from a place of fear as to what B would do to the relationship forged between A and C. But no, none of that happens. B abandons their family until the game is over, A hates B until it is just forgotten and C continues to try to find D to catastrophic effect.



And its too bad, because, behind it there is a really neat mythology and hidden backstory to some of the characters that I kept hoping would get woven into the main plot at some point - lost heirs, prophesied reincarnations of gods... I kept pushing aside my annoyance with the plot, confident that this really cool stuff would eventually show up in later acts... but they don't. By the end of the game I was left just deeply dissatisfied by the whole experience.

Its my fault for enjoying games that leave me an emotional mess.

Incredible game 10/10

It's desperately sad all long but greatly beautiful. Not sure if i'd want people to feel that melancholy. Nevertheless the game has my appreciation

I actually found the bulk of the game to be mediocre at best. Many of the gameplay segments come across as forced or tedious in a way that artificially extended the length of the game for the sake of simply giving you something to do. For those reasons, there were many times throughout the game where I wanted to uninstall but felt compelled to at least see it through to the ending. The last 20% of the game is satisfying for the most part. The ending is well executed enough for me to forgive the game's shortcomings. I probably won't be playing the game anytime soon and I still short of regret buying it, but I can't dislike the game for what it is.