It Came from Obscurity – Irisu Syndrome

Puzzle games can have stories?

Warning: Don’t click on this image if you want to avoid spoilers.

Irisu Syndrome (PC)
Download
English Patch

To an outside viewer, Irisu Syndrome is your standard cutesy match-the-color puzzle game. For the most part, they’d be right. Like many puzzle games before it, the game thrives on large combos and gradually increasing in speed levels. What stands Irisu Syndrome apart from its predecessors is the execution. Utilizing the powerful Box2D physics engine, players must shoot small white blocks at slowly falling colored shapes, which knocks them into normal gravity. They must then try to maneuver these blocks into other matching colored shapes (either on the ground or still slowly floating in the sky) to destroy them. If the piece hits the ground without touching the same color, a chunk of the health bar will disappear. The bar will only refill with successful matching and combos, the amount decreasing faster depending on the size of the shape dislodged. Also, keep in mind that any shape not yet matched can knock other blocks down as well, so ease up on the “juggling”

Irisu Syndrome also shares the distinction of being one of the few puzzle games with an actual storyline. I’m not talking your basic “defeat the enemies and win at life” storylines you get from the likes of Puzzle Fighter, but an actual plot…a twisted story consisting of brutal murder and witchcraft.

This game is not for the slow of hand (or the weak of heart), but is a worthwhile play. Be sure to download the English patch, as playing the game vanilla will result in missing out on a lot of the story (and will require some tedious language pack installation).

Game Tips (hidden for spoiler reasons)
– The game is not meant to be played full screen. Quit trying to make it full screen.
– Keep your game directory visible as you play.
– Those who don’t focus on the game will be punished.
– Keep a pair of dry underwear on hand.
– There is an unlockable “Metsu mode” for high scorers that explains more of the story, so keep at it! You can access this via a cat icon on the title screen.

by Ryan Wilson

Former Editor of WatchPlayRead. Makes little game things on Dirigitive.com

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