As a 90s child, I harbor a healthy love for all things Harry Potter. The idea of a wizarding school tickles my fancy in a way few other things do. On top of that, otome games with their cliche but charming stories are another love of mine. Given that Iris School of Wizardry combines these things, reviewing it was a no-brainer. Currently, the selection of quality otome games on the Switch is quite average. I really thought that Iris School of Wizardry might break the mold. Sadly, I was disappointed.

Developer: OperaHouse Corporation

Publisher: DIGIMERCE

3 Hours Played // Review Copy Provided // $24.99

The plot of Iris School of Wizardry is a tale as old as time. You, a young orphan girl, successfully pass the entrance exam for an elite wizarding academy. However, you are no ordinary young orphan girl. Because of this, you are chosen to be on the student council, where you are surrounded by handsome boys (and one handsome lady)! From there, you choose one character to romance and go through their character arc. Though, adventurous gamers may find themselves romancing a “hidden” option.

If, like me, you enjoyed Harry Potter, you’ll find that this world borrows a few concepts and archetypes from that universe. There is a word for wizards born of non-wizarding parents and, of course, it is used as a nasty slur. There is a funny redhead reminiscent of Ron Weasley and a cold, ill-tempered teacher that reminded me of Severus Snape. Throw in romantic cliches and this is game is, overall, unoriginal. However, the plot is fun and lighthearted, which is sometimes all you want from an otome game.

This free-spirited redhead is totally not Ron Weasley, it’s A-Jay!

However, in terms of plot, the game disappointed me in two major ways. The first was that your handsome, androgynous, female roommate who spends the prologue flirting with you . . . was somehow not a romance option. I was really looking forward to being able to woo a beautiful lady, but the game wasn’t having it. My second issue is that one of the romance branches is really unhealthy and creepy. Like, cuts you up and licks your blood creepy. No, that’s not a metaphor. He literally does that. A lot of otome games have this sort of “dark” romance path and I’m usually really good at avoiding them. However, in Iris School of Wizardry, I fell into this romance path simply by being an inquisitive player. My own lack of foresight concerning my save files meant that I had to go through my first playthrough romancing this weirdo. It was really unfortunate because I didn’t “choose” this path, it was thrust on me as a player.

I’m willing to respect that this is some folks’ romantic preference, I just wish I didn’t accidentally stumble on this romance path.

To be frank, the plot of Iris School of Wizardry would have been enjoyable enough for me. I enjoy silly romance novels as well as Harry Potter-esque adventures. But, so much of the dialogue and worldbuilding was lost in translation. Like. The translation was really, really bad. Grammar and spelling errors litter the game, making some sections lack any sort of coherent meaning. For a game that relies on reading, with only the occasional choices, it is important for the writing to be spot-on.

Um, come again?

It pains my heart to say I couldn’t enjoy the game because of the localization errors. Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows that I’ve been dreaming of the day that quality otome games make their way to the Switch. Despite the constant textual errors, this game had a lot going for it. The art is pretty and the character design is cute. The user interface is rather simple and leaves something to be desired, but that is standard for the all the otome games that make their way to the Switch.

The character designs are so cute! Such a shame the translation doesn’t follow suit!

On top of all that, the price tag shocked me. Almost $25 for a game riddled with translation errors? I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’m more than willing to throw down that type of money for a game, but I’m expecting the game to have been proofread. I know I’m an editor, so perhaps I’m more in tune to textual errors, but those found in Iris School of Wizardry felt egregious. Despite my love of all things magical and all things otome, I (unfortunately) cannot recommend this game to anyone.

Craving an otome game with a little bit better writing? Samy really enjoyed The Amazing Shinsengumi! That one is absolutely worth a look! That said, these reviews are carefully crafted by love and coffee, so consider buying us a Ko-Fi to fuel our love of Nindies!