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.
While it absolutely has some visual appeal, the familiarity and general lack of spark in play makes it underwhelming
Afterimage looks great and is fun enough to play, but it's a bit lacking in creativity and makes some questionable design decisions.
Afterimage is a Metroidvania with attractive 2D visuals and crisp combat, and it really wants to make sure you've earned any victories you get. The action is tricky, especially with the numerous bosses that are smarter than what you may be used to. But if you're up to the challenge, you'll find the game's rewards.
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
Afterimage is an artistic and intricate Metroidvania game, and it is good at being challenging and also approachable.
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 an action RPG with a massive world with tons of areas and hidden areas to explore. The story is very confusing, but the huge variety of enemies, weapons, and attacks make the game enjoyable to play.
While we did grow a little weary of the overwhelming amount to explore and backtrack through in Afterimage, we didn't grow tired of whacking its wide range of enemies, nor did its gorgeously hand-drawn environments - which Switch unfortunately struggles to do justice to when docked - ever disappoint. It's best experienced elsewhere if you're playing on a television, but if you primarily play your Switch handheld, Afterimage offers a lengthy, lovely-looking Metroidvania adventure.
Afterimage does enough to stand out in a genre that is quickly becoming overcrowded, with its surprisingly deep combat and excellent visual design. It doesn't reinvent the wheel but will likely find a loving home in the hands of Metroidvania enthusiasts.
Afterimage looks fantastic, plays well, and is a ton of fun in its best moments. However, the lack of direction in its large world leads to constant pathfinding annoyances. In a genre filled with great titles, it's a solid option but one that doesn't truly stand out.
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 game doesn’t do anything new to put its own spin on the Metroidvania formula; it looks gorgeous and plays fine, even if a bit bland, but that just isn’t enough in a world full of Metroidvanias like Hollow Knight, Ender Lilies and Iconoclasts. It’s disappointing to see a beautiful game that tries nothing new and still manages to struggle with a few basic things.
All in all, the world of Afterimage is gorgeous and thrilling to explore. I just wish the game’s storytelling was as compelling as its setting.
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.
A relatively enjoyable Metroidvania that is still noticeably rough around the edges.
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.
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.