The Star Named EOS review - July 2024

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I have played a plethora of emotionally engrossing games, some of which resonated deeply with me while others, like A Star Named EOS, left me feeling slightly disconnected. The game’s art style is undeniably captivating; the vivid colors and whimsical environments beckoned me to explore every nook and cranny.

Some games that aim to evoke strong emotions can be challenging to write about, particularly when the story doesn’t resonate deeply with us. For instance, while one player might be touched by the bond between the two brothers in “Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons,” another may not feel as engaged with their heartwarming journey. I fell into the latter category while playing “A Star Named EOS.” Nevertheless, the game’s intriguing puzzles managed to maintain my interest long enough for me to reach the end.

In the game “A Star Called EOS,” you assume the role of Dei, a budding photographer yearning to forge a deeper bond with his mother through her artistic legacy. At the start of each level, Dei receives a letter from his mom and views one of her cherished photographs. To progress, you must replicate the photo using the items in the current setting. However, obtaining necessary props isn’t straightforward; they are often concealed within locked chests or buried beneath the ground. Solve puzzles to uncover these essential elements and continue your heartfelt photographic journey with your mother.

In A Star Called EOS, you won’t be able to wander around to find items as you would in other games. Instead, each game stage positions you in the center of the room, allowing you to only turn in place to search for what you need. This design creates an immersive escape room-like experience, with all puzzles clearly visible and your problem-solving skills at the forefront.

In A Star Named EOS, you’ll encounter numerous challenges that prevent you from accessing crucial items. These obstacles are generally engaging and enjoyable to figure out. You might be required to seek out concealed symbols in the surroundings to unlock a chest, but you could also face slide puzzle challenges or a task testing your luggage packing skills. Each new location presents a fresh set of intriguing puzzles for you to solve, making you feel clever and accomplished when you succeed.

The most delightful experiences in this intriguing puzzle game come when you can successfully place a photo to progress to the next level. There’s an indescribable joy in aligning a photograph to match a static image from your collection, and while I won’t reveal any specific moments, there’s a camping photo reconstruction that is particularly ingenious.

While the puzzles in A Star Named EOS provide an enjoyable experience for me, I’ll be honest that there were moments during gameplay where they left me feeling frustrated. Getting stumped on a puzzle is nothing new, but not having access to any hints left me feeling like I was hitting my head against a wall, persistently trying to move forward. In one particular stage, I found myself entering every possible combination into a lock out of desperation since I couldn’t decipher what was missing. frankly, this laborious process was not enjoyable at all. Given the abundance of clever hint systems and skipping mechanisms in this genre, the absence of assistance feels like a missed opportunity.

As someone who prides myself on my problem-solving skills, getting stuck in a puzzle game is already frustrating enough. But what really grinds my gears is the overly sentimental story sections that come with it. I’ve seen my fair share of heartwarming tales and emotional narratives throughout my gaming experience, but there’s something about the way Dei’s mum tells her stories in her letters that just hits a nerve. Her breathy and overly emotive tone can be too much to handle, and if I weren’t reviewing this game, I would have skipped every single one of those opening story moments and just plowed through the puzzles without context. It’s not that I don’t appreciate a good story, but sometimes I just want to focus on the challenges at hand without being bogged down by the excessive sweetness.

In this version, I’d say: The enchanting puzzle game, EOS the Star, offers a captivating collection of brainteasers. Navigating through each room to gather items to recreate a photograph is generally an enjoyable experience. However, the absence of a hint system and a storyline that may be too saccharine for some detracts from its appeal.

2024-07-29 14:02

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