Moon Observatory Iris Reviews

This game is great!! As you can see for how long ive played at this current point, thats alot!! and ive onky done one route, honestly if you have the money for it, i would definetly reccomend this! its really well made and ive enjoyed it aalot, i especially loved "henry" and the humour in this game! aand also the straight fowardness, as im a bit bad at ques haha, but anyways i really enjoyed how well its written, the art style, so many endings! i appreaciate the develo[pers hard work and wish them luck!! also if your reading this no pressure but i wouldnt mind a henry route haha, but i understand coding is hard and such and you have other things to do! just a thought if you ever have time! edit: sorry for bad spelling haha

I adore the fantasy aspects/ worldbuild and the fast paced writing of MOI. The writing style is on the more refreshing side compared to other OELVNs I've played (completely subjective tho). I'm only at the third route despite playing for 8.5 hours, and I consider myself a fast reader so you can see how much the game has to offer! Great game, please support the dev as much as you can!

This game is so beautiful, it deserves a lot more love and attention than it has. - The lore and worldbuilding are great. - There are lots of wonderful characters and they are all equally lovable. - The art is gorgeous and soft. - The music is atmospheric and engaging. - Shoutout to Rieffe my love <3 For a longer and more detailed review, I invite you to check out the review on my blog: https://mikkisuniverse.com/beautiful-otome-moon-observatory-iris-review/ (shameless self-promotion b-but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless)

I've played the demo and the other games, I enjoyed all of them but unfortunately the full version wasn't as enjoyable. The game made me laugh and cry, the CGs and sprites were great, got all the endings. I really enjoyed most of Rieffe's [spoiler]& Auggie's[/spoiler] route. But the rest of the routes weren't the greatest in my opinion. I can't really explain it but it felt like they were lacking.

I absolutely fell in love with this game and the characters. It quickly became one of my favourite otome games I've played, and I've played quite a lot of them by now. 100% worth it at full price! Please give this game a chance and get it the attention it deserves.

It's the kind of game that gets better the more you play it. It blossoms into a wonderful story that gets deeper through each playthrough. True to word, I feel healed. I liked Reqieu's route best--it made me ugly cry multiple times. Huge fan of the art style and sense of humor. The only improvement I can think of is being able to see the history when you skip to the next route-specific scene. A lot of times I wasn't sure where along the storyline was but couldn't check. Thank you for developing such a wonderful game!

I was so excited for this to come out, and I feel like it was well worth the wait! The artwork is beautiful, the writing keeps me interested all the way through, and the jokes... *chefs kiss*. I honestly had trouble settling on which guy's story I wanted Iris to explore through first, and I'm ready to go back for them all. Highly recommend, especially if you've read through this developer's other works and enjoyed them!

The compelling characters and story, and hilarious moments sprinkled throughout make this a title worth having in your library imo. Having completed the whole game (playtime is not reflective of actual time spent playing, as I have frequently left the game on while AFK), this game is definitely worth the price tag despite the short length. It's goofy at times in a good way, but the great story and visuals really cement it as something to come back to. I followed a route that someone else suggested in their review here, and thank goodness I did because otherwise, I think I would've ended up confused. Here is what they suggested, with the friends being n the brackets: Lanneis (Henri) -> Reqieu (Mikhail) -> Rieffe (Juniper) -> Septem (Kann) My only qualm with this game is how the true ending is a cliffhanger until the next title releases. I was really invested in the story only to end up getting torn out of it back into reality lol. Despite this, I look forward to any future routes that get added as well as future titles from batensan :) Btw the art book is really good... so much cute art :3 [spoiler] psst, I really want that Wynrou route too if that's still possible ;D maybe even Vendetta too lolol[/spoiler]

I've only played a few hours, so I'll have to update this review once I finished the routes. For now my first impressions are all very positive. The writing is funny and sweet, with likable characters. There's magic, adventure, and THREE different meganes! It does have serious moments dealing with subjects like death and suicidal ideation, so it's not all fluff and cuteness. Overall this game just feels so warm. It's like revisiting a beloved shoujo manga that I didn't even know existed.

[h1]*Important Note*[/h1] Even without reading this review, I [b]highly recommend that you download the demo prior to purchasing this game[/b]. It helps give a good feel with how the game runs. Save files from the demo will be transferred over to the full game when purchased and you also have the option to skip the events from the demo. [h1]Overview:[/h1] Reiterating what was stated in this game’s description, “Magical Otoge Iris” is an otome visual novel. The player takes the role of the female protagonist, Iris, who works as a “purifier” – a person who helps move spirits onto the afterlife. There are four main routes (Rieffe, Lanneis, Reqieu, and Septem) and four best friend routes (the mechanics of these routes will be explained further in the Gameplay section). As I continue on with this review, I may shorten “Magical Otoge Iris” to “MO Iris.” [h1]Gameplay:[/h1] (Skip the first paragraph since it’s mostly my horrible explanation of what a visual novel is) Magical Otoge Iris is rather straightforward otome visual novel game. If you have never played a visual novel before, the basic rundown is this: it’s a story-driven game that is expressed through visuals and dialogue. Think of it like reading a book, except without the paragraphs and incorporates the use of pictures, dialogue, music, sound effects, and choices that can affect the story. This game is referred to as an “otome” visual novel since it usually targets the female demographic and one of the goals of an otome game revolves around a female protagonist building a romantic relationship with a selection of love interests. The game has four main routes which are then accompanied by best friend routes. While the main routes focus on the chosen love interest, the best friend routes are played alongside the main route and focus on the platonic friendships between the protagonist and her chosen friend. The best friend available is dependent on the route taken and helps compliment the overall narrative. The game will be rather direct when telling you which choices will impact the story. All other choices will give off a slightly different outcome to minor events that happen in the story, but will not impact the route’s direction. The average time it takes to complete all the routes in the game would be around 30+ hours (depending on your reading speed). Once you completed at least one route, you can skip over story events and dialogue you have already seen to route-specific dialogue you have not encountered. [h1]Story:[/h1] Without spoiling too much of the game, the story is rather good. There’s lots of lore in this game – [i]lots[/i] of lore. It may be overwhelming at first, but the lore in this game really sets the tone of the story and the world the game takes place in. Much of this lore is spread out across the routes (both main routes and best friend routes) and having played all the routes creates an interesting picture of where the game takes place – and what’s at stake. In terms of narrative, the main plot is present in all routes. However, the chosen main route will alter what story events both occur and intertwine with the main plot to impact the route’s ending. After the completing at least one route, you can skip dialogue from the main plot to route-specific dialogue. The overall tone of the game is heartwarming and comedic, but it balances out to be rather dramatic and even dark at times. [h1]Characters:[/h1] There’s a lot of characters. I won’t say how many, but if you love meeting lots of new characters and how they contribute to the overall worldbuilding and lore in this game – trust me when I say it’s a [i]lot[/i]. While Iris and the primary love interests may be the main focus of the game, the side characters and banter between characters is one of the game’s many charms. It may seem strange that the focus isn’t solely on the main protagonist and her love interest, but that’s perhaps the interesting thing about MO Iris. Iris’ life is filled with many interesting people, the world she lives in is full of people (and spirits!). It makes sense to see how her relationships with other people (romantic, platonic, etc.) play a role in her overall life and the game’s narrative. [h1]Visuals:[/h1] Have you taken a look at the promotional screenshots of this game? The. Game. Looks. So. Good! From the backgrounds to the character art to the CGs – it’s just *chef’s kiss*. That being said, please make sure you read the warnings in the game. There is [b]light to moderate depictions of blood[/b] and [b]themes of death[/b]. If these things make you feel uncomfortable, it may be a bit difficult for you to play this game. [h1]Music / SFX:[/h1] The music is pretty nice. Although I wish there were a few tracks that were extended a bit, the use of the tracks was used really well. The music helped set the tone of the situation and some tracks had a really catchy tune. When the music hits hard though – it hits [i]hard[/i]. [strike]Bring a box of tissues, you may need it.[/strike] [h1]TL;DR:[/h1] Average Play Time: 30+ hrs (around 8+ hrs for one route) [u]If you like:[/u] + Pretty visuals + Lots of lore and good worldbuilding + Hidden secrets + Lots of characters + Fun dialogue between characters + Getting a man AND a best friend [strike](because the bestie is here to help you get your man)[/strike] + [strike]When the story gets pretty dark[/strike] + Lots of puns and jokes about glasses This game might be for you! [u]If you don’t like:[/u] - Light / moderate depictions of blood - Themes regarding death - Puns and jokes about glasses - Things that were stated above in the “like” section This game might not be for you. [u]Route Recommendations:[/u] If you would like to experience the game’s story based off of the amount of lore and action that takes place, I recommend going in this order: Main Route (and Best Friend Route): Lanneis (Henri) -> Reqieu (Mikhail) -> Rieffe (Juniper) -> Septem (Kann) [u]Additional Commentary:[/u] * While this game acts a stand-alone game, references from Magical Otoge Ciel (which can be downloaded for free on Steam) and Magical Otoge Anholly (which is only downloadable from the developer’s itch.io store). These games were made some years before MO Iris, so the writing and visuals there may not be as appealing as the one in MO Iris. * The developer has made stretch goals to create additional “what-if” routes if the game sells a certain number of copies. These routes will be must shorter than the main routes of the game, but if there was a particular character you wished had more screen time, an “Extra Route Survey” will be available in the game’s files to vote for that particular character. Note that the character who has the most votes will have their route taken into consideration. There are currently no time limits to when this survey ends. * Although the game divides the plot into chapters of sorts, they can be a little lengthy at times. If you’re not trying to finish a chapter all in one go, it’s good to save and return to play at another time. I suggest stopping and saving during the beginning of a new scene to help you pace yourself while reading. * MO Iris hides some interesting secrets. Pay close attention to the dialogue and – if you’re willing to – play all the routes and get all possible endings. There’s an [i]interesting treat[/i] for players who go out of their way to unlock whatever secrets the game is hiding.