Iris Dream

The life of a singer can be quite glamorous and dreamy, especially if the singer in question enjoys long-term popularity and a decent fan base. On the other hand, there are many talented artists out there that never get any recognition, which means that their work is never enjoyed by the public. Granted, most have a backup plan in case their dream career does not go according to plan.

Iris Dream is an interactive visual novel that presents the struggle of a girl after she finds out that she may never be able to sing again. Although you can take a few decisions every now and again, most of the game runs by itself, which means that your primary concern is reading the dialog between the characters. However, you should be familiar with the concept if you are an avid visual novel fan.

The story puts you in the role of Regina, a wannabe singer with purple hair. As it happens, she is suffering from some kind of laryngitis, which is the reason she hasn’t been able to sing for a while. Unfortunately, it turns out that things may be a lot more complicated than that, which is why she might have to say goodbye to her singing career forever.

Romance is part of the equation as well, as it’s always the case with visual novels. There are multiple characters you can pursue a romantic relationship with, and it all depends on the answers you give to a few questions along the way. Naturally, this means that you also get to enjoy multiple endings, which greatly adds to the overall experience and atmosphere.

At the time of this review, the game had yet to be entirely finished, which means that it misses a few components regarding backgrounds, music and voice acting. It affects the overall atmosphere, but it’s not very bad either. Unfortunately, the story is a bit short, since you can pretty much finish it in 20-30 minutes. Obviously, you also have to account for the multiple endings, but not everyone may wish to do so.

When it’s all said and done, Iris Dream is nothing out of the ordinary, especially not when it comes to plot, characters or artwork. However, if you enjoy the genre and you like replaying the story to get alternate endings, this should definitely be on your list.