Whenever you take a photograph, do you think about why? It could be to capture the beautiful scenery. Or maybe it’s so that we can reflect on the past? Perhaps we take photos to connect with others. The Star Named EOS – Silver Lining Studio’s second game – crafts all these reasons and more in what is a photographic spectacle! While not the most expansive or lengthy title, this short but sweet adventure is worth your time because it’s therapeutic at heart. It’ll put a smile on your face, whether it’s through the visuals, sound design or captivating narrative.
The Star Named EOS is a charming experience for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, it incorporates a fascinating gimmick into the core of its gameplay. This aligns with Silver Lining Studios’ first title: Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery. While that particular game hones in on art through paintings, The Star Named EOS’s focal point is photography. Playing as Dei – a boy trying to reconnect with his mother – you must repliacte his mother’s photos.
Achieving like-for-like photographs to those of Dei’s mother is not without trials and tribulations. Puzzles play an integral role in making the player feel a sense of triumph. Through solving puzzles, the player gains a comprehension of where and why Dei’s mother took these photos. Most of the puzzles have logical sense to them and are varied, although there’s nothing completely groundbreaking here. However, there was no point in which I found any puzzle to be cheap or nonsensical, even if some took me a little longer to solve than I’d prefer to admit.
Due to the gradual buildup in crafting a photo, the moment in which you’re able to replicate it is satisfying. There’s a visual gratification to the work you’ve put in, with your reward being to take a beautiful photo. Part of this stems from the fact that The Star Named EOS plays host to heart-warming visuals throughout. Exploring luscious landscapes or even the confines of Dei’s bedroom provided me with a sense of serenity. I could immerse myself in the world because I felt the desire to explore and to uncover whatever mysteries were posed.
Once I got past how breathtaking some of the landscapes in The Star Named EOS were, I understood that each environment feels like its own escape room. In many cases, the player must unlock safes and boxes to acquire items while utilising the clues within your surroundings. Yet, interestingly, The Star Named EOS’s atmosphere completely juxtaposes that of an escape room. It’s a calm, soothing experience, rather than one with time limits or moments of pressure. Combining this pacing with charming melodies helps to make this game a joyous, calming time.
While I’ve said plenty about the impact of the visuals, music plays quite a role in that soothing atmosphere. No piece of music takes me by surprise or puts me on edge. Instead – in addition to wonderful skylines – I’m put at ease solving puzzles at my own pace without any feeling of pressure. While I love a horror or thriller game as much as anyone, it’s nice to have an experience where you can simply relax, with no pressures to rush through. The Star Named EOS, as such, is ideal for a break away from the real world.
Ironically, as I mentioned above about escaping from real issues, The Star Named EOS proposes some (which I won’t spoil for you). There are narrative threads here to provide further motivation through progression. Occasionally, some characters will appear with an anime style to accompany them. These moments – in conjunction with some enlightening exposition through newspaper articles – help to build the world within The Star Names EOS. The story of finding Dei’s mother has some heartfelt twists and turns for sure!
Nearly everything on show in The Star Named EOS is good, but I wish there was more. After a couple of hours, the game is done, and you’re likely not far off from earning all the trophies. Quality over quantity is appreciated, but I feel as though I want some more context, exposition or heartfelt anime-style cinematics. While I cannot showcase my ideas for the worry of spoiling what still is a sublime time, I wanted to experience more here. Saying this, the motivation for this reason is because of how much I enjoyed myself with what we have here. A note to Silver Lining Studios: I look forward to seeing your future releases!
Aside from a unique gimmick, The Star Named EOS isn’t revolutionary, yet it is fun. It’s a wonderful experience for all of the puzzles, environments and music that collectively help me to immerse in a relaxing experience. I wouldn’t mind a sequel from Silver Lining Studios, so long as movement is more free and where a more detailed narrative is allowed to unfold. However, for what we have here, The Star Named EOS is a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours, subject to the title not costing a whole £15 on most stores. I just cannot shake the feeling that this feels like a taster, with the potential for even more being present.
Developer: Silver Lining Studio
Publisher: Playism
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S, macOS, Mac operating systems
Release Date: 22nd July 2024
Gaming Respawn’s copy of The Star Named EOS was provided by the publisher.
