Death's Gambit: Afterlife Reviews

Death's Gambit: Afterlife is ranked in the 71st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
82 / 100
Oct 9, 2021

All in all, Death’s Gambit: Afterlife is a tough but rewarding exploration of a grim fantasy world populated by ruthless immortals, mindless constructs, and weary civilians whose lives have been horrifically twisted by forces beyond their control. The revamped movement options made traversing the expanded world a treat, though I would’ve liked a fast travel system that didn’t clash with my hoarding instincts. If you like Metroidvanias and Soulslikes and always wanted to know what it would be like if the two genres fused, then Death’s Gambit: Afterlife is for you.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 20, 2021

There are secret areas to explore, walls that can be broken by attacks, bosses hidden off the beaten path and so much more. And its these moments that make Death’s Gambit: Afterlife shine brightest for me, but if you are a fan of rouge-lites then you will find much to love here as well. It doesn’t really add much new to the genre but it checks all the boxes that rogue-lites require and there is nothing wrong with that.

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8.5 / 10.0
Sep 7, 2018

If you enjoy the 2D action platformer structure mixed with a heavy dose of Dark Souls, then you'll love Death's Gambit: Afterlife. It's a bigger game than the original and certainly a deeper/richer experience.

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87%
Nov 2, 2021

Death's Gambit: Afterlife is a strong Soulslike action RPG with Metroidvania elements.

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Fextralife
Castielle
Top Critic
8 / 10
Sep 29, 2021

Death's Gambit is a game where developer passion shines through. The free expansion, Afterlife, revamps the game with excellent additions and provides a decent amount of content for the base game's asking price. While not the best Metroidvania you'll ever play, it's one that should certainly have a place on your list.

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Pure Nintendo
Cody Emerson
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Oct 18, 2021

Death's Gambit's Afterlife is a creative 2D platform that has incredible level and character design. The start menu and actual combat instructions could be more detailed, but all in all, it's a very good game.

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7 / 10.0
Oct 26, 2021

I cannot deny that Death’s Gambit Afterlife is a well made, well executed game, but it genuinely isn’t for me.

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GameSpace
Brau3er
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Feb 2, 2022

Death's Gambit is a game that can be rough and frustrating at times in one place or another. The game takes some getting used to the style of the character as well as the graphics. Destroying enemies after a long struggle, finding a winning strategy, and finding weak points in the game is also a pleasure. It didn't hurt that the game's story was convincingly simple, with some touching moments and a touch of humor. The game took a lot from the Souls series, good or bad, but it's up to you.

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8 / 10.0
Jul 28, 2022

At worst, Death’s Gambit: Afterlife is derivative and is getting by thanks to the successes of its contemporaries. Thankfully, the time spent enhancing the vanilla game and rebranding it has paid off. The developers took a flawed and rough around the edges 2D action platformer and made it the very best it could possibly be.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 13, 2021

If you have a Switch and love metroidvania games or revel in brutal combat, Death’s Gambit: Afterlife deserves your attention. With its beautiful visuals, pleasant soundtrack and enjoyable gameplay, it’s pretty much the full package. Only the crushing nature of the combat will be a bone of contention here for some, but others will love it.

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Cubed3
Athanasios
Top Critic
6 / 10
Dec 7, 2021

In terms of content, Death's Gambit justifies a purchase, especially now with Death's Gambit: Afterlife, and the new stuff that it has added, along with some refining here and there. Having said that, this is probably a big, nicely designed, fun… ok. It's an ok blend of the exploration found in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, served along a combat philosophy, and an overall vibe that takes its cue from Dark Souls. Nothing is bad, but nothing is great either. Ok. Fans of either "genres" can find better metroidvania/soulslike cocktails nowadays.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 30, 2021

Death’s Gambit: Afterlife is a massive improvement over a game that while pretty good for its time, had its fair share of flaws. Not only does it improve upon the original title’s shortcomings, but it also doubles its overall size with new areas to explore and new mechanics to abuse.

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8.8 / 10.0
Sep 30, 2021

If you like Metroidvanias, and weird creepy stuff is your jam, this is the game for you. If you prefer your narratives easy to follow, and have a low tolerance for gross monsters and dying a bunch, you're better off skipping this one.

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3.5 / 5.0
Oct 15, 2021

Death’s Gambit: Afterlife isn’t without its share of perplexing decisions, but, all-in-all, it’s a fun Soulslike Metroidvania with just the right amount of challenge. Sure, finding your way around the game’s world can be a little frustrating, but at least it’s fun once you get to where you need to be—and that, in my opinion, is what matters the most.

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Evan Norris
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Oct 17, 2021

Afterlife is a solid entry in the Souls-like sub-genre and the very best version of Death's Gambit you can own.

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Noisy Pixel
Henry Yu
9 / 10.0
Sep 30, 2021

Death’s Gambit: Afterlife is the product of a dedicated team that wants to provide the best action experience possible. This revamped version offers plenty of new systems for returning fans and puts its best foot forward for new players. There’s great attention to balance in this Souls-like Metroidvania that supplies enough challenging encounters and deep customization for all players to enjoy. It looks like the Afterlife ain’t so bad after all.

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7.9 / 10.0
Sep 30, 2021

Beneath the veneer of this very attractive side-scrolling Metroidvania-ish action RPG beats the heart of ambition... though in measuring the results you could argue the degree of success may vary...

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