App Army Assemble: Opus: Echo of Starsong - "Does this narrative-driven adventure keep you gripped from start to finish?""

Opus: Echo of Starsong is the latest entry in Sigono's narrative-driven series. It promises a 10-12 hour storyline with an extra 2-5 if you feel like devouring the side quests. The story follows Jun and Eda as they embark on a journey of self-discovery. We handed the game over to our App Army to see what they made of it all.

Here's what they said:

Opus: Echo of Starsong is a beautifully presented adventure game (or visual novel if you prefer). This is my first encounter with the Opus series of games and it did rather hook me. The lack of English voiceovers didn’t bother me as it feels like you are playing an interactive anime story. The pace is slow but the story is involving and the puzzles are usually simple enough not to bar progress. Gets a thumbs-up from me.

This is the next in the series of ‘’Opus’ titles and as an avid reader I always enjoy this type of game and this is no exception. The voiceover is in Japanese, which was a bit of a distraction, but there is the ability to turn it off and read the captions in English, which is what I did.

The artwork is beautiful, the controls simple to use and although there isn’t any real action, the storyline is interesting (no spoilers) and the side-scrolling makes it just a cut above the usual in this genre. Sometimes it’s refreshing to play something that is casual and easy to pick up - just stress-free entertainment and if you’re looking for a pleasant way to spend half an hour, I think this is the game you’ll come back to time and again. I would certainly recommend it.

When I booted up Opus: EoS on my iPhone I immediately recognized the game. I tried it as part of my Game Pass on my Xbox Series X in the late summer of 22. At that point, I didn´t get into it or even like it. It played too slowly on the big screen using a controller. Sure the atmosphere was great, but nevertheless, my Xbox is primarily used to let off steam in Halo-esque games.

Playing on the small screen with a decent set of headphones makes it a completely immersive experience. Sure, the pacing is slow, and there is a lot of text to read. It is however a text-based narrative game so duh.
I would have liked to have the game narrated in English to be able to further immerse myself. Having the option of Japanese or Chinese Mandarin doesn´t help me one bit. Now I constantly change my focus to the English subtitle instead of the atmospheric sounds and visuals. Opus: EoS comes highly recommended if you have the patience and time to get immersed, as you will be highly rewarded.

Opus: Echo of Starsong is a beautifully put-together visual novel that’s come to the App Store. While I haven’t much experience in the genre, I really like trying out new experiences. The first thing you’ll notice is that the game is visually striking with great animations and hand-drawn storyboards throughout as if you were watching an animated show on TV. The sounds and background music are nice too.

What I really liked was how easy it is for almost anyone to get into gameplay-wise with rather light platforming and puzzle mechanics to keep the story moving along. I’m not sure how much of the story follows previous entries in the series so I can’t compare them, but be aware you’ll be dealing with tapping subtitles as there are no English voiceovers. For those interested in the genre, however, Opus: Echo of Starsong is a top-notch experience in an excellent package that plays great on mobile.

This strikes me as less a game than an interactive story. But it’s a very good one. I haven’t played any of the Dev’s previous games, but I gather that this is a continuation, and that has me eager to look at them. This one has clean-looking visuals and smooth movements with a pleasing soundtrack. The basically side-scrolling movement does at times allow you to move toward or away from the viewer. That along with really gorgeous 3D environments make for a visual feast that complements an interesting story.

I like that the bit of puzzle-solving is not too difficult, so I was more into the story than the challenge, which is exactly what I was hoping for. Sometimes I just need an immersive game that is big on exploration without having to shoot my way through bad guys or solve over-complicated puzzles. This satisfies that need very effectively. And makes me want to discover the rest of the series. Happily recommend!

Opus: Echo of Starsong is excellent as a visual novel, complete with a good background melody, lovely visuals, and a compelling plot, but since there are no English voiceovers, we must rely on the subtitles, which can be tedious at times as we have to tap screen after each dialogue.

There isn't much in the way of gameplay beyond sidescroller and a few simple puzzles, but in order to complete the game 100%, we must rely on the game's resource management feature, which is intriguing. Also, special mention to the random events that happened when we visit the locations. There are no options for auto-skipping subtitles in the game, also wish they would provide a zoom-in/out option for a different viewing experience which is a negative for me.

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