11/30/2017

Price: $5.00

OPUS: The Day We Found Earth is an exploration adventure where the players have to use a space telescope to search through the comos, looking for Earth. By locating and scanning nearby stars, players make progress and unlock areas of the spaceship. As a new area is unlocked, they can examine items and facilities inside to explore the stories and secrets of each character. (from wiki)

GOOD

- You get to do what NASA does, but NASA wishes it found planets this fast. You are given a constant stream of earth like planet data from OPUS or you can find optional data scattered throughout OPUS in adventure mode. Data contains hints to the location of these planets and based of that data you must locate the planet. It could be direct coordinates (easiest), the distance from a neighboring star, the zone ext. They vary in difficulty depending on what information is given. When you find the planet in question you get to name it.

- Presentation of the game, especially during exploration mode is very nice. Every thing comes up very crisp/sharp. The game also has cutscenes which in itself isnt anything new but they have a rewarding charm to them the same way cutscenes did during the 5th gen did. 

- The story to game is not complex at all but the method of delivery is what makes it more engaging. During adventure mode you examine things around OPUS to help pick up clues about what happened to the crew during Emeth's down time. You never get a an outright explanation, but there is more than enough clues scattered about that you should be able to piece it together yourself. It also helps that small cast of characters are likable.

-  The game has 17 wonderfully done music tracks that make up a good part of the atmosphere of the game. Very relaxing. There are few tracks that I will definitely adding sleep playlist.

DOWNERS

-  What I am most disappointed with is the ease of the game. Information given is always more than enough. More than I think is actually needed. Very few times did I feel I was being asked use my own head in narrowing down the location.  What is even more annoying is that there is a help feature just in case you are taking too long; it super guides you to the planets location then on top of that there is an easy mode where the coordinates are just given to you all the time. They justify this by saying enjoyment of the story and atmosphere was the focus but having  a mode there for players that want less hand holding would not hurt.

-  The map is filled with thousands of stars but the only ones that matter are the ones the game ask you to find. Checking any other star will just give you a low match rating. You know what would have been cool? If they had hid some goodies/cameos in these other stars, reward players for looking around. The game is on the Switch! A reference to Mario Galaxy? Metroid? Star Fox? F-Zero? something? The game tracks how many stars you have look at, Even the ones that don't matter, but I don't understand why it would when its not encouraging you to look at stars you dont have data for.

I decided to broaden my horizons and try something that I would normally ignore and I do not regret it. Nice concept, presentation, sound and a charming little cast. They got all that right. I just wished it offered a little more in game department it. Definitely could have done with a hard mode.

4/5.