Coming from developer SIGONO INC. and publisher SHUEISHA GAMES, Opus: Prism Peak is a narrative adventure that tells the story of an unlikely duo: a lost adult and a little girl without memories on the verge of disappearing.
It is a heartfelt journey of loss and healing, relatable events and challenges in a fantastic packaging, told through the emotionally-charged narrative and slower-paced gameplay focused on exploration and reflection.
It is not always that you get to see how your decisions really affect those around you, down to their deepest thoughts and regrets, and OPUS: Prism Peak gives you a chance to see it for yourself. The game rewards you for attention to details, unhurriedly telling you the story of two worlds through magazine clippings, letters, signs, books, and more.
All the things usually overlooked but meaningful nonetheless, all captured by Eugene’s “seeing eye”. Grab your camera, adjust the shutter, and let’s reach the mountain together.
The game begins with us meeting Eugene, our protagonist, as a bright-eyed and curious little boy tagging along with his Grandpa, who is teaching him how to use the camera, forever keeping and preserving whatever it is that he captured. Provided that he had managed to truly see and understand his subject first.
Of course, little Eugene did not entirely understand the wisdom his grandfather attempted to convey, he was simply happy to spend time with his favorite person, doing something they both enjoyed. Over a few flashbacks, we learn a bit more about the enthusiastic kid with a big heart, including his relationship with his parents, his little village, and more, before the game does a flashforward to the current time.
And this is when we meet “our” Eugene, a 40-year-old adult left disillusioned and disheartened by his time in the bigger city. This is entirely not where he expected to find himself in the future, his dreams long left behind and emptiness and tiredness taking their place. Now, he is on his way back to his home village to attend the funeral of his grandfather, but his trip gets delayed for the life-changing journey in the Dusklands.
After a crash, Eugene wakes up in an unfamiliar, strange place where he encounters a little girl who doesn’t remember her name. Despite being grumpy and tired, Eugene is not the kind of person to simply leave a lost kid behind, and he agrees to help her find her way home, up the mountain.
The contrast of a serious and gloomy adult traveling along a bright and mischievous child sets the tone for the adventure to come.
Speaking more about how the story unfolds would be a disservice both to the developers and to the other players, as the game will be pulling on your heartstrings repeatedly as you uncover Eugene’s connection to this realm, why humans no longer exist, and just who is this child that he’d stumbled across.
In order to secure the spirits’ help, you will first need to see them – not just the form, but who they truly are, their regrets, wishes, and connections to this world. This is where your trusty “seeing eye”, the old camera, comes into play. Choose the perfect timing, exposure, focus and filters to take in your surroundings and uncover the secrets of the Dusklands.
Note that you cannot miss the mandatory shots, the game will carefully guide you to them and provide enough hints as to what you should do via the Firebowls. However, there are plenty of optional activities that you can do, such as filling out Dusklands Field Notes, deciphering the runestones you come across, capturing the murals, identifying spirits, and much more.
Don’t forget to dig through your bag from time to time, there can be items you can interact with, such as the ash and the pages that will deepen your understanding of this magical realm.
Missing on capturing the pictures that the spirits are asking for can lead to being unable to see certain cutscenes, which is a bummer, but nothing will prevent you from moving forward towards the mountain. The choices you make will shape the ending that you will unlock – and OPUS: Prism Peak has several, including the “true” ending.
Along the way, you will learn more about Eugene, his life, choices and challenges; about the Dusklands and its secrets, tied to the mysterious kid you’ve met and the Shade that hunts her; and the spirits that inhabit these lands.
The gameplay is unhurried and relaxing. As Eugene, you will traverse this world, enjoying the 3D scenery and anime style, expressive characters, and vivid colors, all of which will prove to be just the perfect subjects for your trusty camera.
The game can be a bit picky regarding the pictures you take – one step too close, and it might not register, so you always want to stand a respectable distance away from your subject, so that almost the entirety fits within the lens.
You might think that snapping a picture and moving on makes for a poor gameplay, but OPUS: Prism Peak makes the process into a little ritual: framing, timing, exposure, focus, and filters just for the shot itself, followed by a little description that sheds more light on what is going on.
There are also plenty of puzzles coming from the Firebowl and the spirits that will require you to take very specific pictures. You can also photograph the murals to uncover the mysteries of the spirits or decipher the runestones to learn the local language’s alphabet.
The game does feature a few chase scenes, but even if you fail and get caught, it doesn’t outright spell game over for you. Instead, you will be sent back in time to try again. All in all, the game allows you to go at your own pace, deciding when to stick around and explore and when to move on.
If I were to describe OPUS: Prism Peak in one word, it would be “profound”. The combination of aesthetics, gameplay and narrative feels like you have been sent into a Studio Ghibli or Makoto Shinkai movie, but one that lasts for a dozen hours and closely follows your own choices.
The game explores very real and mundane challenges that every adult likely came across in their life, but does so through the prism of a fantastical, vivid world, full of magic and wonder even in the darker parts. It is full of heart and challenge that comes from paying attention and piecing together the narrative instead of mashing buttons.
If you were looking for a slower, thoughtful but undemanding game, you will have a grand time in OPUS: Prism Peak. Possibly, doubly so when you go for a second playthrough and try again or replay certain chapters, with a better idea of what is expected.
