Afterimage Reviews
So much of its obtuse systems and mechanics are poorly explained (or outright not explained at all) that you'll need to really want to understand everything to be able to power through and figure it out. Afterimage will undoubtedly have its fans since the game has figured out the hard parts-gorgeous art, snappy combat, and a sprawling, detailed world. Sadly the game stumbles on the boring parts-tutorials, equipment screens, and general UX design-which creates a frustrating experience for anyone that doesn't quite 'get' it on the first try.
A metroidvania that follows the basics of the genre to the letter and with a great artistic taste. Getting lost in the world and doing trial and error until you find the right path will be the norm, but that's how curiosity is born to explore this world and its mysterious history.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
"Debute Metroidvania for fantasy lovers."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
If you’re looking for an adventure that will keep you busy, Afterimage will fit that bill quite nicely. A single playthrough will take you roughly 30 hours to complete. With such a sizable quest, heaps of hidden items to uncover, and multiple endings to unlock, dedicated players can expect the game to keep them busy for weeks on end. Not bad for a Kickstarted project from a tiny Shanghainese studio, right? To call Afterimage ambitious would be an understatement, to put it mildly. Despite its excessive backtracking and hard-to-follow story, Afterimage is hands-down the most enjoyable Metroidvania I’ve played since Hollow Knight. With an engrossing world to explore, superb combat, and a plethora of fun abilities to master, it’s a game that’s almost impossible to put down once it gets its hooks in you. Even if you feel like you’ve had your fill of Soulslike Metroidvanias in recent years, you owe it to yourself to make time for Afterimage.
Unlike a lot of games that pull together pieces from the Souls-like formula and the Metroidvania template, Afterimage manages to give equal weight to each half. Better yet, it mostly delivers on the best parts of both sub-genres.
The Aurogon Shanghai studio definitely created Afterimage as a work made of a lot of effort and beauty. The intention to produce such a vast and dense metroidvania doesn't always contribute to the game as a whole but it delivers a ton of content to explore, admire and face. Curious players will be rewarded with many discoveries in impressive sceneries, but those who are bothered by backtracking and a lack of direction may be frustrated by the big distances between the spots of Engardin.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
You have to give props to developer Aurogon Shanghai for putting a lot of secrets and areas to explore and conquer, as well as a New Game+ and a couple of extra endings to unlock that try to make sense of the plot involving an amnesiac and her tiny familiar. Afterimage is solid search action bliss that will keep you immersed and engrossed for 20+ hours on end, even if it sounds like a third-party Photoshop plug-in.
Afterimage is a fascinating and content-rich metroidvania, capable of keeping us glued for dozens of hours through fantastic worlds, an elegant combat system, challenging bosses, and platforming stages to master. All beautifully blended and delightfully packaged, making Aurogon Shanghai's adventure shine as one of the best titles of its genre.
Review in Italian | Read full review
While it absolutely has some visual appeal, the familiarity and general lack of spark in play makes it underwhelming
Afterimage is an artistic and intricate Metroidvania game, and it is good at being challenging and also approachable.
Afterimage is a game that requires some level of patience, taking a bit of time to embrace its potential and relying later on players' willingness to backtrack and sniff out secrets. For those willing to invest, the high points provide ample rewards in fluid, engaging combat and a gorgeous world. Afterimage may not do anything particularly new, but it does many things quite well. If players are looking to play a new Metroidvania while waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong, Afterimage captures some of the best elements that the genre has to offer.
Afterimage is a truly beautiful experience, one worth taking the time to enjoy. There are some frustrating moments like a lack of clarity in direction or forced moments of experience grinding, but a compelling story and fascinating world kept those from ruining the experience.
So long as you don’t compare it to the more standout entries in the genre, Afterimage deserves some consideration from fans who devour this kind of experience regularly. The gameplay is best described as solid, the difficulty skewed towards those who like their games leaning towards From Software’s catalog, and a presentation that stands toe to toe with other indie games. Does it find itself as legendary as other games in the genre? Not really, but it’s at least worth your time if you’re looking for a new Metroidvania to devour this year.
Afterimage excels in its presentation but suffers from a genre-wide reluctance to innovate on its gameplay. The story can feel a bit alienating but is nevertheless interesting and presents characters you’d be hard-pressed not to love.
Afterimage is a great Metroidvania with a beautiful artstyle and a large world that you can enjoy it in. While there are a few issues with it, the progression and combat make it a fun experience overall. If you want to get the full story of the world and its characters, however, be prepared to hunt for it.
I had a good time with Afterimage. Its levels got more and more interesting as you progressed, the characters you’d run into were well-acted and I liked the interactions Renee had with them. There’s a lot of game to go through with Afterimage, multiple endings in fact. And though I spent most of my time cheesing encounters because I could, and I take issues with the game’s presentation, there’s a strong gameplay loop that I think many players, especially those new to Metroidvania-style games, will enjoy in Aurogon Shanghai’s first venture into 2D action games.