OPUS: Rocket of Whispers

£8.99/$9.99

“The intriguing story compels you to play further… and the payoff is worthwhile”

If ever a scene is set by a soundtrack then the opening sombre piano notes of OPUS let you know exactly what you are in for – a story-driven adventure set in the bleakest of post-apocalyptic worlds ravaged by plague and decay. At the heart of the story are John, the son of a rocket engineer, and Fei, a witch, emerging, blinking, into the world that remains after a 20-year cryogenic sleep. Together they must scour the land and salvage the parts needed to build a new rocket and launch the tormented souls of the dead to a final resting place amongst the stars. As you do.

The game begins as a bit of a plod with John on fetch duty to locate and gather the rocket parts.

To do this you have to explore the map, following clues on where to find the items that you need. A point-and-click mechanism would have probably worked better for this part rather than having to use keys to move John around, which really feels like a chore. Mercifully, you can always fast-track back to the Rocket Factory once you have gathered parts, but a similar option to jump straight to all of the places you discover would have been appreciated!

The intriguing story, in which you start to explore the past of the ghosts you encounter, ultimately compels you to play further though and the payoff is worthwhile because the narrative of OPUS lingers long after you finish playing.

Verdict

The slow start may ultimately put some players off but if you persevere then you’ll be rewarded with a great story that will leave you tingling.

Links to the past As well as materials, sub-missions also have you collecting items for the ghosts to learn about their pasts…

Explore and salvage Opening up new sections of the map requires creating specialist gear, like snow boots and a flashlight

Build a rocket When you have salvaged parts you can fast-track back to the Rocket Factory to build the craft