Iridescence ~ A Charming, Seaside Epic!

I've got to say, all those positive reviews by barely used accounts are a pretty bad look and may have made me more critical towards this game. I also don't love it when a dev tells me on the store page how I'm going to (or supposed to) feel about their game. It doesn't help that I'm not really into skimpily clad skinny anime girls and don't usually play this type of VN (got a review copy). I almost gave up during the first few minutes because I found the dialogue so over the top. That said, I ended up finding it entertaining enough. There's something intriguing about the story, though it didn't feel very new and seemed a bit patchy at times. Heads up that it discusses mental health issues, rather well actually. A content warning for [spoiler]taking more of an unspecified type of pill (anti-anxiety?) than they probably should take, not illustrated[/spoiler] would have been nice. Your character is also described as [spoiler]throwing up a few times - not related to an eating disorder, also not illustrated[/spoiler]. One thing I really liked was the time passing and sky turning sunset colours during conversations - and that you could scroll back to see both the previous dialogue and the scenes/lighting (and hear the songs again). The music was atmospheric and enjoyable. I'm pretty sure there were some loose threads in the story. Maybe those would be taken care of in new playthroughs with apparently different endings, but I don't think I'm going to do any tbh. ...I just found out that the story would probably make more sense after playing one of the devs' older games that seems to be a prequel of some sort. I guess it's not linked to here because it has some critical reviews? That's... unfortunate. Would I recommend this game? Maybe to fans of the genre, for playing like you'd casually watch a tv show for comfort and distraction. * * * If you like chill and story-driven games, check out my curator [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35872486]Peaceful Adventures and Stories[/url]. You're also welcome to join the [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/chilladventures]group[/url].

The best word I can think of to describe this visual novel is: zen! Everything comes together so seamlessly that you are swept away into another world. The attention to detail in the artwork and visual effects is carefully considered and the sound effects and music are stunning. I was truly caught up in the story, and thought I'd only been playing for half an hour, but over 2 hours had gone by.

... I added this to my wishlist on a whim, trying to find a new media to help me in manic moments, to focus on. What a beautiful story! This was the first visual novel I've bought - I'd never entertained the genre before. What a treat. The visuals are gorgeous, the music was a pleasure to listen to. Hope to be enchanted by this author again!

What a delightful story and visual novel, the first I have encountered of this kind. The brilliant artwork and visual effects are one to behold the eye accompanied by elegant soundtrack. I found myself lost in this for over 2 hours where I was wrapped up and engulfed by the story finding a true and warm connection with some of the characters. I cannot wait to see what this developer has in store in the future.

Really enjoyed my play through of Iridescence, cosy, heart-warming with an unexpected genre blend and edge. Quite unlike any visual novel I've read before, but at the same time gave me that same nostalgic feel for mid-2000's anime like Air, Kanon and Clannad. Oh! And the soundtrack is a total 10 out of 10.

What a lovely story 💖

A touching journey! It's been a while since Always The Same Blue Sky, and I can happily say the sequel is even more engaging! I enjoyed the new characters and it was cool to find out more about the old ones. The story feels more complex and developed, and I particularly enjoyed the epic reveal that answered the questions that Always The Same Blue Sky had left me with. The visuals are great, specially during the school trip incident. Can't wait to play again and choose some different paths! Great work!

The music, visuals, and charming characters make this game an absolute delight! Every moment feels thoughtfully crafted, and the atmosphere is incredibly immersive. It feels nostalgic, reminiscent of old CLAMP anime. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a heartfelt and enchanting experience! ...try group readings where everyone voices a character for extra fun!

This was a very creative and effective game, I thoroughly enjoyed playing. The experience was enjoyable and kept me engaged throughout, i will look forward to a potential sequel. well done and thank you to all involved.

[b]A mysterious, charming, dark and magical story that will leave you with questions and wanting to try every single milkshake flavour.[/b] [u]PROS:[/u] + Beautiful artwork & characters. + STUNNING music, captivated me hearing the singing (well worth getting the official soundtrack) + Easy point, click, skip text mechanic, nothing difficult + Interesting story that I believe has a prequel from 2015 same devs. + Cost. For the price its worth it, even just for the song. [u]CONS:[/u] [i]SPOILERS[/i] - NOT a fan of the "choose your gender" options at the start, calling "non-binaries = Legends" is a bit weird whilst Girl & Boy are just options with no cool description - way to make many players feel not as legendary. - The gender option that you're FORCED to choose HAS NO REAL IMPACT ON THE GAME AT ALL! You could remove it entirely. I did however feel a bit weird that this game implies the characters all crush on you and you are a school girl (underage) falling obsessively in love with a sea deity who looks your age (the start of the game) and a character later on is in your class who flirts with you, as a straight female, I did find this a bit uncomfortable, this isn't a dating sim or needs to flirting or implying gender. Could of just made it friendly and less flirty especially if the MC (main character - YOU) was in love with Kira before. (also no, not the other younger character loving you too, that felt more sister-like). The characters never change so, gender options shouldn't be involved. - Hidden shells achievements - you wouldn't know were a thing as if you click ANYWHERE on the screen other than the hidden shell you will just skip the dialogue box and move forward. Needs to have the text box the only place where you skip and move forward basically. - NO option to hide the dialogue and pause the game to see just the background and listen to the music, take screenshots etc, would of been nice. - Text box is TOO BIG takes up most the screen and artwork. An option to make it smaller be nice, and maybe change the colour of the text box and font etc. Like I said above, you can click anywhere on the screen to move forward with the story, there are a fast forward and auto-play button though. - NOT ENOUGH MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS! I really hoped for more questions of multiple choice as they seem to be linked to most achievements and friendship level minus the beach search scene. - You are thrown in pretty deep - excuse the pun- with the story and just expected to understand and latch on quickly, I still couldn't get my head around adapting so quick to some random child appearing in my bedroom and a talking crab that she can talk to and is coherent of you, as well as feeling I'm missing half the story. Should state this is a sequel game. [b]OVERALL[/b], do I recommend this game? [b]Yes.[/b] Even though my cons were lengthy and explanatory enough, I really did like the charm of this game and it does have replayability for the achievements. You find more quirkiness to the characters and feel an aura listening to such a beautiful main song in that language the little girl sings then when your friend sings it in English at the end, it's so beautifully done and I applaud the audio in this, the music even epic at times, struck me and the gentle music was so captivating. I would suggest you buy their previous title "Another pale blue sky", before playing this.