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 …

[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…

Super cute and charming but deeply poignant too. Aya and Melody's duet is simply breathtaking, especially with all the lights. Based developer too, who helped me when I got stuck! ❤️

A really sweet and touching story with great artwork and an intriguing plot. Really recommend as a relaxing and enjoyable game.

Really enjoying this game, it's got a really distinct style. The story and dialogue is well written and draws you in along with the fantastic music and art that really immerses you into the world! Composer did a fantastic job! Reminds me of old final fantasy games. Definitely worth picking up.

Truly a thoughtfully designed game with beautiful imagery and storytelling. Have already completed one playthrough and about to start my second run. Also, if you haven’t played its predecessor Always the Same Blue Sky then highly recommend you check this out as well! (PS. Ignore warnings from steam, this works perfectly on MacOS 15).