The Nintendo Switch has now officially been confirmed as the fastest-selling console in US history, reassuring evidence that the Japanese gaming company once widely criticized for seemingly going backwards still has ample innovative brilliance to offer. The higher-ups at Nintendo allegedly pinpointed the market’s trend towards mobile gaming and in turn devised a hybrid console that has been met with rave reviews and made the Wii U’s failures all seem like a bad dream. One of the reasons for the Switch’s instant success was Nintendo’s willingness to open their shores to more third-party titles, especially those of the mobile variety. Initially, a title developed by SIGONO to be released on iOS and Android, OPUS: The Day We Found Earth is a shining example of the recent spate of excellent mobile gaming ports that have taken full advantage of the Switch’s portable capabilities.
The narrative of OPUS is straightforward, but is in fact, the game’s main selling point: it is thousands of years into the future, and you play as an adorable robot named Emeth, whose sole purpose is to scour the universe using an interstellar telescope to find Earth. Humanity is gradually becoming extinct and the only way to preserve the species is to return to their origins and learn how to build themselves back up. Emeth is accompanied by a mysterious AI who looks and behaves exactly like the scientist who created him. The gameplay itself mostly consists of you panning around galaxies and scanning various planets using the “A” button, which then leads to more story information unfolding that will aid in the search for Earth. Each planet is more difficult to find then the last, and eventually you will have to rely on your memory or even pen and paper to keep things on track. The actual puzzle and exploration mechanics are pretty minimal, as expected with OPUS’ mobile game origins, but the gameplay is not the focal point after all.
What really makes OPUS such a gem is the short and sweet tale it tells. Emeth is like a child, unable to grasp the severity of the situation he is in, and speaks with a heartfelt earnestness and innocence that will tug at your heartstrings. I don’t want to spoil too much, but the themes of love, loneliness, and courage all were intertwined together in such a way that was both narratively satisfying and emotionally heartrending. As you discover more planets, more areas of your ship will become available to you that give bonus story elements. One of the few faults that I can think of in regards to OPUS is its lack of replayability once you’ve fully experienced the story for yourself, which takes a mere three hours to get through at most. But that can be almost forgiven since what it does in the allotted time is so impactful and resonating.
The overall presentation is impressive for a once mobile game. The graphics are simplistic, but are bold and colorful in a way that complements the narrative experience nicely instead of detracting from it. The soundtrack especially deserves a mention for conveying the mood of each scene perfectly. It captures the bleak but wondrous nature of space that makes exploration a complete joy.
Despite its mobile game origins, OPUS: The Day We Found Earth is not only a fascinating little take on the puzzle-based exploration genre, but is also a compelling, bittersweet emotional experience that had me intrigued every step of the way. At a mere $4.99 and in just a short amount of time, it made me laugh and cry in abundance, and for a game like this, that’s all I could’ve really asked for.
9/10
Here is the OPUS: The Day We Found Earth Nintendo Switch Trailer:
You can also find OPUS: The Day We Found Earth on Steam.
Nintendo Switch Review
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Overall Score - 9/109/10
Freelance reviewer and critic. I am currently attending Columbia University majoring in Computer Science and East Asian Studies, but I try to play video games as much as I can in my spare time. I'm passionate about games that are atmosphere-heavy and are able to transport me to another world.
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