Fandom:Project Iris

From Golden Sun Universe
The title screen for Golden Sun: The Light of Heaven.

Project Iris was a fan game being made by Plus One Productions. The project has been dropped by its production team. It is a prequel to the two real Golden Sun games, although Isaac and company appear in the prologue. A demo version existed at one point, but it is not currently available for download. Project Iris is a code name for the game, and it has become known that the game's official name is Golden Sun: The Light of Heaven. Interest in the game has dropped considerably since the reveal of Golden Sun DS.

Demo Walkthrough

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Spoiler warning: The following section(s) contain plot details that some people may not wish to learn before reaching this point in the game on their own.
  • Wake up in the tower. Go down a floor, defeat the Ancient Lich to pass.
  • Go down another floor. Head down and push the block into the pit.
  • Jump across into the lava room. Push/Move the blocks to the left to cross the lava flow.
  • Talk to 'Mia' only to learn that she's a fake. Defeat the Succubus and get Garet.
  • Head back up to the bottom of the first tower. Go left, use Burst to clear out the debris. Examine the book if you like, then head right.
  • Dodge the whirlwinds. Solve the electricity puzzle to short-circuit the statues, then head south. Get Ivan.
  • Head back to the bottom floor of the first tower and go right. Blow the bushes out of the way with Whirlwind.
  • Talk to Mia and Jenna. Head up the stairs, reach the top of the tower. Take the Red Key.
  • Now go all the way back to the tower with the bloodstained book. Head south and use the key to open the doors.
  • Be sure to take the item from the chest here; you need it.
  • Go south into another tower, head to the top to get a Breath of Life.
    Isaac finds the Breath of Life item in the southwest tower.
  • Take that back to Mia and Jenna. They join you.
  • Go back to the room where you got Ivan, use Lift to get rid of the boulders. Get Felix.
  • Go back to the room where you got Mia. Go left-down, and use Sand to bypass the rocks.
  • Go south, and make it through the Sand puzzle.
  • Get the Glowing Key from the chest, then head north twice. Go directly south here, use the key to open the door.
  • Pound down the pillars, and go south. Climb the tower and get Sheba. Be sure to take the item from this chest!
  • Go back down and head left. Use Lash to make a rope bridge. Go left and solve the pipe puzzle to get Piers.
  • Go left again and Parch the water, making sure to pick up the item at the bottom.
  • Go left, north, north, and up the tower. Grab the item at its top.
  • You now have all four orbs; activate the four statues and enter the central chamber.
  • Click on the clock and choose to activate it. Defeat the final boss, and enjoy the ending.
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Spoilers end here.Those who did not want the plot ruined for them may now continue reading as normal.

Gameplay

A screenshot of the Psynergy selection screen in battle.

The battle mechanics for Project Iris are the same as they are in the Golden Sun games. The programmer reconstructed the battle engine, and the only differences lie in the interface. Different bars are used for health and Psynergy, and all selections are made with the mouse. The controls will be different when the game is in its final version for the DS.

When using Psynergy in the dungeon, it should be noted that the range for map Psynergies is extended from that of the two real games. Some obstacles that may first appear to be unsolvable can be overcome by using Psynergy on an object that is too far away.

The completed game will feature multiple game paths and endings which will be triggered by choices the player makes in the game and how they fare in certain plot-related battles. Different game paths will also feature different playable characters.

Plot

Project Iris was intended to have multiple and distinct plot branches and different endings that would depend on choices the player made. The game's script was never finished, but the team made considerable progress. An overview of the game's plot can be found here.

Characters

The default main characters of Golden Sun: The Light of Heaven. Top row: Seles, Mara, Katia. Middle: Daryl, Aram. Bottom: Azal, Hoshura, Tam.

The main character of The Light of Heaven is a Mars Adept named Aram. He and his friend Daryl, a Jupiter Adept hail from Toblios. The game takes place a long time before Golden Sun and The Lost Age, and Toblios is the name that Tolbi goes by in that period. The game begins with Aram and Daryl setting out on a journey to the city of Angkor, later known as Champa.

Other characters that they meet up with during the default game path are Mara, a soldier of Angkor, Katia, who hails from Imil and is the daughter of its mayor, Seles, an attendant to Iria, the queen of Anemos, Azal, a soldier and nobleman of Lemuria, Hoshura, a warrior of Izumo, and Tamina, called Tam, who comes from Prox.

Along the way, the group will meet up with the taciturn warrior Darius, Duke Jordan Ailron, Iria, queen of Anemos, and General Corval.

Development

Project Iris was being developed by Plus One Productions, a now defunct fan game team lead by Infinity Plus One and Chrono Ivan, who headed the programming and writing respectively. Back in 2006 they put out a call to the fandom at large, asking for writers, musicians, designers, and others with game development skills. They compiled a FAQ detailing the basic nature of the project and the people whom they needed.