A Mythic Adventure
The English Language version of the Japanese indy adventure game Rainbow Sea is available now on iOS and Android. Developed by Japanese independent studio Shirokurohitsuji, Rainbow Sea tells the story of a human girl destined to ascend to godhood. The isometric pixel art adventure launched in Japan earlier this year. An English version arrived on Googe Play and the Apps store on June 5th.
The developers describe Rainbow Sea’s story as “sometimes funny, sometimes sad.” The story-driven adventure game is designed to be completed in a couple of hours. However, the game encourages players to come back and experience the various paths the game’s story can take. Rainbow Sea is about the journey more than the destination and may offer many paths to the same ending. The game takes place in the world of traditional Japanese mythology and sees the player accompany the seven Lucky Gods of Japanese folklore during their yearly journey across the sea.
The player shapes the story through their interactions with the gods, unlocking one of 22 different endings. Not all the gods will open up right away. Therefore, players may need to put in extra effort to earn their trust before learning their secrets. Alternatively, the player can try to lie to and manipulate the gods. A tactic which never ends badly for any character in any story ever.
Retro Folklore
The game represents its mythological characters with a mix of anime-style artwork and adorable chibi-inspired pixel art. Shirokurohitsuji emphasizes that they designed the characters to reflect the gods’ personalities. Although how well the characters map to their mythological personas is undoubtedly open to interpretation. Meanwhile, the isometric view and chiptune synthesized music make Rainbow Sea a nostalgic throwback. The vibe set harkens back to the pixel art JRPG’s of the 80s and early 90s.
Rainbow Sea is the first release from Shirokurohitsuji, whose name means Black and White Sheep in Japanese. Still, their first game shows real potential. Rainbow Sea is free to play on Android from Google Play and iOS via the app store. And keep an eye out for our upcoming review here on Hardcore Droid.
