Opus: Echo of Starsong

Equal parts captivating and chill, Echo of Starsong is a wonderful hybrid of visual novel and adventure underpinned by a remarkably human story.

88%Game Brain Score

story, music

grinding, stability

95% User Score Based on 2,294 reviews

Critic Score 79%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

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About

Opus: Echo of Starsong is a single player role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by SIGONO INC. and was released on August 31, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

"Opus: Echo of Starsong" is a single-player Science Fiction Platformer game with a wonderful story, impressive gameplay mechanics, and stunning visuals. The music is phenomenal, and there's plenty of humor throughout the game, making for a very atmospheric experience. With an expansive story and endearing cast of characters, this philosophical space opera is a remarkable indie game that might leave a lasting impression.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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95%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,294 reviews

story842 positive mentions

grinding24 negative mentions

Incredible story that is emotionally gripping and beautifully told.
Stunning visuals and an amazing soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
Well-developed characters with relatable struggles and growth throughout the game.

Gameplay can feel simplistic and repetitive, lacking depth in puzzles and mechanics.
Some players may find the pacing slow, especially in the beginning.
The ending may be polarizing, leaving some players feeling unsatisfied or heartbroken.

story
2,020 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
56%
2%
The story of "Opus: Echo of Starsong" is widely praised for its emotional depth and engaging narrative, often described as heartfelt and intimate, with a strong focus on character development and world-building. While some players appreciate the linear storytelling and the poignant themes of love and loss, others express disappointment with the predictability of the plot and the lack of impactful choices. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy rich narratives complemented by beautiful visuals and a captivating soundtrack, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its simplistic gameplay and linear structure.
- “The story as a whole was very emotional and even a fairly dense person like me was able to understand the deeper subtext.”
- “The story and immersiveness of the world is top quality, the way emotions are told is very intimate.”
- “The story is heartfelt, personal, and intimate.”
- “Absolutely hated the ending. The ending seems forced, and the player honestly is powerless to stop it. I understand that this is a sad story, but at least give us an alternative ending or true ending with some crazy requirements that we can work toward.”
- “This is a linear story that you basically do not affect in any way. If you die you restart and pick a different route, so there is not really a matter of making a difference with your choices, as whatever you pick when asked to pick something, in the end, results in the story going in the same direction.”
- “There are many other games that have narrative, story and also have a game behind; so that is why I can't just say go ahead and buy this game full price, because for how well it's made and how nice the story is, it is still a linear colored book in the end that you passively go through, and it could have been way more than this to be honest, and from how it is advertised it seems to be way more than that, but it is not.”
music
840 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
40%
1%
The music in "Opus: Echo of Starsong" is widely praised as a standout feature, with many reviewers highlighting its emotional depth and ability to enhance the storytelling experience. Composed by Triodust and Chia-Wei Hsu, the soundtrack is described as beautiful, captivating, and integral to the game's atmosphere, often evoking strong emotional responses from players. Overall, the music is considered a key element that elevates the game, making it a memorable experience for those who appreciate a well-crafted auditory landscape.
- “Triodust and Chia-Wei Hsu did an incredible job of creating an unforgettable soundtrack.”
- “The music is so insanely good.”
- “The soundtrack beautifully accompanies every moment.”
- “However, that means that some parts of the story and music, particularly in the middle, felt unpolished or dull.”
- “The visuals and music alone carry this game but believe you me the gravy train won't last forever.”
- “Unfortunatelly for me, the visuals (which reminds me of another world), the music, the singing, the whole atmosphere of the game is spot-on, and I was mesmerized and was already past the 2 hours mark when I realized, that this game is just missing the 'game' part.”
emotional
576 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Opus: Echo of Starsong" is overwhelmingly praised, with many players reporting intense feelings of sadness and joy throughout their experience. The game's heartfelt narrative, combined with its beautiful art and evocative soundtrack, creates a deeply immersive journey that resonates with players, often leading them to tears. Reviewers highlight the emotional depth of the characters and story, making it a must-play for those who appreciate complex, emotional storytelling in games.
- “The story is heartfelt, personal, and intimate.”
- “Opus: echo of starsong left me speechless; it must be one of the most emotional games I've ever played.”
- “A beautiful and emotional game with a great world-building and bittersweet story.”
gameplay
542 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
69%
7%
The gameplay of "Opus: Echo of Starsong" is primarily a blend of visual novel elements, light resource management, and simple puzzle-solving, which some players find engaging while others consider it tedious and repetitive. The game emphasizes narrative and emotional storytelling over complex mechanics, resulting in a casual experience that may appeal more to fans of story-driven games than those seeking challenging gameplay. Overall, while the gameplay is straightforward and lacks depth, it effectively supports the rich narrative and beautiful presentation, making it a worthwhile experience for those who prioritize story over mechanics.
- “The gameplay is simple, but it's accompanied by an engaging story, well-developed characters, deep world-building, and extraordinary visual and sound design.”
- “The gameplay consists of traveling throughout your little solar system with story interspersed, by far the most well-developed and fun to play of their games.”
- “A beautiful game where the simple and addictive gameplay loop enhances the story it wants to tell.”
- “Gameplay is boring af, would have preferred for it to be just a visual novel if it was gonna be this bad to play. The story isn't all that interesting because characters' actions don't make any sense but are still predictable since they're just stupid, not psychos, and that's literally the only thing they had to do right, the writing in a story-driven game, but couldn't afford to.”
- “The gameplay sections between the cutscenes are rather simplistic and I'm not sure whether they add or take away from the experience.”
- “There is no challenge to speak of; the gameplay elements are just there for engagement.”
graphics
338 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
39%
1%
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their stunning and aesthetically pleasing visuals, featuring a unique blend of 2D and 3D art styles that enhance the overall atmosphere. Many reviewers highlighted the beautiful character designs, impressive landscapes, and the emotional resonance achieved through the art and sound design, making it a visually captivating experience. While some noted minor technical limitations, the overall consensus is that the graphics significantly contribute to the game's storytelling and immersive quality.
- “Graphical fidelity is stunning and the art style is distinct, mastering a blend of both 2D and 3D animation not unlike that of Signalis.”
- “The carefully crafted world, the gripping and melancholic story, the interesting and charming characters, the beautiful art style and amazing music make this game a genuine masterpiece to play through.”
- “Stunning visuals with a wonderful soundtrack paved the way for a wonderful adventure.”
- “The 3D visuals here: the models, the animations, the textures - all look to have room for polish.”
- “But don't expect AAA graphics and tech.”
- “The game assets are simplistic and low-poly blocky art style, 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' inhabitants.”
atmosphere
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
34%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and mystique qualities, enhanced by a rich soundtrack that complements the story's emotional depth and conflict. Players appreciate the stylized graphics and immersive sound design, which together create a poignant and captivating experience reminiscent of works by Makoto Shinkai. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as top-notch, making it a must-play for fans of atmospheric storytelling and exploration.
- “The lore of Opus: Echo of Starsong is stellar, and the atmosphere is positively poignant.”
- “When combined with the music, this gives the game a rich atmosphere - somewhat reminiscent of Makoto Shinkai's works, if you're familiar with his movies.”
- “The soundtrack creates a great atmosphere for a space-oriented game, some songs really highlighting the vastness and mercilessness of space.”
- “Unfortunately for me, the visuals (which remind me of another world), the music, the singing, the whole atmosphere of the game is spot-on, and I was mesmerized and was already past the 2-hour mark when I realized that this game is just missing the 'game' part.”
- “The relationships formed between characters, each with their own troubling past, provide a tense, humorous, and sad atmosphere.”
- “They always have brilliant music in their games that creates a severe atmosphere that links me with the characters and brings me to tears again and again.”
character development
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
50%
6%
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the depth and growth of the main characters, while others express disappointment over unresolved relationships and missed opportunities for further development. Some players highlight the strong narrative and character arcs, noting that the pacing allows for gradual growth, but others feel that certain character relationships, particularly between Eda and Jun, lack sufficient exploration. Overall, while the character development is seen as a strength, there are notable gaps that leave some players wanting more.
- “But overall, the character development is really well done, and I loved watching them grow and change throughout the game.”
- “Their character development throughout this game is one of, if not the best, games I have played.”
- “The main characters are well developed and neatly integrated into the story, have fleshed out personalities, character development, and slowly uncovered background stories making them who they are today.”
- “I wished Sigono developed Eda and Jun's relationship further than it has, as I felt that the ending felt incomplete and unjustified because of the amount of unseen character-to-character development that has happened but was not shown in the story.”
- “I think everyone can agree that it's frustrating when character development is hinted at over and over and right when it matters the most, it doesn't happen.”
- “There is about zero character development.”
grinding
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
7%
86%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players finding the resource collection and puzzle-solving enjoyable, while others describe it as tedious and repetitive. Many reviews highlight the frustration caused by RNG elements and the lengthy travel between planets, which can detract from the overall experience. However, some players are willing to overlook these issues for the sake of the game's compelling story and soundtrack.
- “Thankfully, it's not tedious since most of your cash can be collected with a single button on abandoned mines and stations.”
- “A melodramatic and sappy story told through tedious gameplay sections.”
- “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.”
- “The only negative thing I have to say about this game is that the traveling between planets can become a bit tedious.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its humor, with characters like Eda and Jun eliciting frequent laughter from players. While it balances serious storytelling with comedic elements, some reviewers feel it doesn't fully succeed in its comedic approach. Overall, the humor is described as joyful and memorable, contributing to a rich emotional atmosphere throughout the game.
- “The game is very funny, I was laughing all the time!”
- “A strong story full of feelings and humor!”
- “The relationships formed between characters, each with their own troubling past, provide a tense, humorous, and sad atmosphere.”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The game's replayability is highly polarized among reviewers. Some highlight its low replay value, primarily appealing to achievement hunters and completionists due to repetitive puzzles and a lack of meaningful choices, while others praise its significant replayability stemming from numerous player choices and a rich emotional experience, making it a worthwhile investment for those seeking varied gameplay.
- “Despite only taking around 10 hours for a first playthrough, the game offers lots of replayability due to its many choices and the player's freedom to go or not go anywhere their limited resources take them.”
- “A worthy investment for a deeply emotional 10-hour journey that, thanks to its many decisions, offers notable replay value.”
- “Infinitely replayable, especially in multiplayer mode.”
- “To be fair to the game, it was not advertised as a choose your own adventure or a multiple choice title, but it's still worth mentioning that there's very low replay value here.”
- “This game certainly has a lot of flaws. Gameplay boils down to two things: first, 'puzzles' that are in reality more or less all the same. This, however, did not really impact my experience because of the ambiance and music. Said puzzles last barely 10 seconds on average and, while it turns the game into a glorified walking simulator, gave me a chill experience. However, this made me feel like tension was very poorly handled. The second gameplay aspect is the ship managing part, involving fuel, armor, and some economy. If you play at your own pace, it shouldn't be a problem. However, they've made the achievements of this game borderline awful to complete, and if you actually want to do achievement hunting, there are meaningless challenges to tackle. For a game with little to no replayability, it's sad to see such gimmicky-relying achievements.”
- “[b]Replayability value:[/b] for achievement hunters / completionists only.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with no major bugs or glitches reported. However, players have noted a default 30 fps cap that can lead to framerate issues, particularly on dual-monitor setups, and while the development team is aware of these concerns, they have yet to provide a comprehensive fix.
- “Congratulations to the development team for mixing a first-rate soundtrack and sound puzzles with a bug-free experience.”
- “Technical-wise, it runs great but there is a default FPS lock that caps it to 30 FPS (to help with motion sickness for some players).”
- “I tried all the troubleshooting steps, I contacted support and found out that it was a known issue (particularly for dual-monitor setups). I made a post asking for insight, and they said they were working on it and would get back to me.”
- “Looking around, it looks like there are a lot of other buggy issues (most commonly some pretty bad framerate issues).”
- “Not because of bugs or glitches, even if the game works, it doesn't 'work'.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly on mid-range hardware with a performance rating of 8/10. The vibrant scenes and lively character performances enhance the overall experience, allowing personalities to shine through effectively.
- “The game runs smoothly with solid performance (Windows 7, GTX 1050 Ti, 8GB RAM, 1080p resolution).”
- “Game performance: 8/10”
- “Every scene is brought to life and the performances are full of life, allowing the character's personality to shine even brighter.”