TLDR:
No, I wouldn't actually recommend this game to most people. With that said, if you're looking for an extremely difficult challenge, and you're able to look past countless bugs and spelling mistakes, then you should absolutely give Iridescent a try. Seriously, Iridescent is easily the hardest game that I've ever beaten. The difficulty is based around its unique parry-based combat, but you can also expect some tricky puzzles from time to time. If you play the demo, know that that is barely the beginning. There are loads of Zelda-like dungeons, items, collectibles, characters, quests, everything you could ask for in an adventure game! Iridescent is both a very big, and very fulfilling game. An immense accomplishment from a solo developer!
Full spoiler-free review:
Iridescent is truly an incredible game, and I'm honored to be its original fan. I had the opportunity to play Iridescent as it was still in development. I was one of the first people to play the demo, the first person to be active in its discord, and one of only four original beta testers; my actual playtime is probably triple the 20 hours that Steam shows, because of said beta testing. Being in the community from the start, I definitely hold some bias. The truth is, no one can go back in time and have the same experiences with Iridescent that I had. That being said, I was hooked from the very beginning, and I would still thoroughly enjoy Iridescent if I'd discovered it today.
The world and atmosphere of Iridescent is what initially drew me in when I saw a video from Drayma (the developer) on YouTube. My obsession with plague doctors didn’t allow me to resist playing the demo, which captivated me further. The combat immediately stands out, with a parry based combat system unlike any other. Similar games involve a lot of running around the enemy while dodging attacks, whereas Iridescent’s combat minimizes movement, instead focusing on parrying and attacking at the right times. It takes a lot of getting used to, but this system becomes extremely rewarding particularly during boss fights, which Iridescent excels at. The combat system does fall short at times, as fighting common enemies can feel annoying and repetitive, but Drayma did an excellent job at implementing the combat in a way that’s usually fun. There’s also a variety of weapons that can change how you fight, but I’ll talk about that separately because they all serve a purpose beyond combat. I don’t think Iridescent’s combat system would work in many games, but it works in Iridescent, and makes playing Iridescent quite a unique experience.
The progression is the second best thing when you begin playing the game. It takes some time to get past what could be considered Iridescent’s introduction, but at a certain point you realize just how elaborate its world is. The overworld features several dungeons, most with their own backdoor method of entrance, which means finding items or alternative routes to progress. The dungeons and quests capture an amazing essence similar to what you’d find in a classic Zelda game or Darksiders (trusting Drayma on this one, I have yet to play any Darksiders games). The weapons that I mentioned earlier are used all throughout the game, each with distinct purposes that allow Kruk (the protagonist) to do things like glide, break barriers, or even travel through dreams. The puzzles can be difficult, but are just easy enough to be fun and not frustrating, that is unless you’re me. Admittedly, others agree that certain puzzles (mostly one specifically) are annoying to solve, but upon learning the solutions I can’t claim that it was too difficult to figure out blind. That said, if you get stuck at any point, you’re best off contacting Drayma because as of now there are no full walkthroughs of the game.
There are many bugs that you’re almost guaranteed to come across. It’s nowhere near as bad as where it was prerelease a year ago, but everyone should definitely be aware of them. There’s an elevator that seems to be unfixable, as a new problem occurs after each of Drayma’s fixes. Thankfully, all the known bugs left are minor and shouldn’t greatly impact your experience; it’s not like your save will get deleted halfway through the game or anything major like that.
The characters, artstyle, music, and story all play a part in making Iridescent the game that it is. Most of the music is created by Centurion of War, who has a great library of open source music. I have to give them praise for creating such a big part of Iridescent’s identity, even if they’re unaware of its existence. Aside from the music, Drayma is almost completely responsible for everything - although I will take some pride in influencing one of the side quests. The main critique of Iridescent’s story and one of the largest complaints in general, is the poorly written dialog present throughout the entire game. It’s not that the characters are annoying or bland, rather that they all speak with incorrect grammar and spellings. This is a direct result of English being Drayma’s third language, and it’s easy enough to look past, but it’s not sneaking out of my review. Regardless of that, Iridescent’s characters are plentiful and diverse, making the world feel alive. The story itself is decent, nothing super memorable, but the above mentioned characters along with everything else Iridescent has to offer carry the narrative to be engaging and fun.
Iridescent is like if nine souls, zelda and a visual novel had an abortion that survived and crawled out of the trashcan… sorry, I promised Drayma that I would include that quote of his in my review. Iridescent is, however, a game fueled by passion, with a unique world full of difficulty and fun, a game in which the first is the last, a game where you steal from and even kill religious leaders, a game where becoming a furry lets you talk to cats.. okay enough of this review, go play Iridescent!
