Out later this year, OPUS: Prism Peak is a thoughtful, beautiful adventure for fans of Firewatch and Edith Finch
The OPUS series has not been on my radar, despite being generally well-received. The most recent game in the adventure series, OPUS: Echo of Starsong, amassed overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam, and now, with a brand new game looming, I get the impression that developer Sigono Inc. wants to outdo itself. I’ve had a taste of Opus: Prism Peak, and if you like thoughtful story-driven adventures that are fraught with emotion and feeling, this is going to be one to watch.
Despite OPUS being a series, each game seems to be a standalone experience, so you don’t need to have played anything else to enjoy Prism Peak. This is the story of a grown man who is having a hard time in life. His dream job as a photographer didn’t work out, his back-up plan of opening a café with friends ended badly, and he’s separated from his wife. Worse, his grandfather, the man who has always kept him grounded, has just passed away. It’s a bad time all around.
OPUS: Prism Peak kicks off properly when a surprising incident leaves the man in a strange realm, stuck somewhere between fantasy and reality. To get back to his life, he needs to unravel the secrets of this realm and piece together its mysteries — by drawing on memories of his own life.
In the man’s shoes, your main tool for interacting with the world around you is your trusty camera. You’ve had it since you were a boy; a gift from your grandfather. You can pick up and point your camera at anything, but by taking key photographs you’ll be able to progress through the world. You’ll meet mysterious animal spirits, and by truly seeing them through your camera lens you’ll learn more about them — and perhaps, more about yourself as a result.
I’m rather excited about the photography mechanics here. Pulling out your camera feels tangible; there’s weight to using its controls, whether it’s pushing the shutter or adjusting the focus. As you progress through the game it seems like you’ll unlock new tools for your camera such as filters and settings, so I’m looking forward to being able to experiment with taking more beautiful and original photos.
I’ve only played a 30-minute demo of OPUS: Prism Peak, and the demo itself was rather fractured, giving me a taste of what the story and gameplay of the full game will entail. I’ve experienced our main character as a young boy, as well as him as a grown-up, trapped in the strange dreamlike world he comes to find himself in. This is a slow, meditative game, but one that instantly gets its claws in you. The demo gave me just enough to know that I absolutely must play more — there’s the potential here for Prism Peak to be game of the year material.
It’s not something I say lightly, but this is a game made to capture the spirit of games like Firewatch and What Remains of Edith Finch; two of my favourites. It’s a game that puts heart and storytelling before anything else. Throw in some gorgeous visuals which make this feel like an animated movie, and you have something very promising indeed.
OPUS: Prism Peak is coming later this year to PC, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.
