Hey everyone! Here with a cozy corner review of Afterimage. This hand-drawn 2D action adventure from Aurogon Shanghai and Maximum Entertainment caught my eye with its striking art and fast-paced combat. I spent about 30 hours exploring its non-linear levels, testing diverse character builds, and soaking up its post-fantasy ruin setting. Here’s my friendly take on what shines, what stumbles, and whether this Metroidvania gem belongs in your library.
Overall Impressions
I adore Afterimage’s art direction. Each ruin feels alive through vibrant backgrounds and fluid animations. The combat hooks you fast, thanks to varied weapons and movement skills. Still, some design choices left me scratching my head. Backtracking demands teleport potions that cost in-game currency. The lack of dash invulnerability or an early parry option makes certain boss fights feel more like a chore than a challenge. Compared to other Metroidvanias like Hollow Knight, Afterimage stands out visually but falls a bit short on comfort features.
Gameplay Mechanics
Afterimage nails fluid, weighty combat. Each weapon type feels distinct. I loved chaining sword slashes into aerial combos and switching to a spear for crowd control. Movement abilities—double jump, wall jump, and dash—spark joy as I bounced across arenas. That said, inputs can feel finicky. One player noted directional combo inputs sometimes froze them in place—like entering cheat codes in a busy boss room. I agree: precise inputs under pressure can be a hurdle.
The game’s balance assumes you have dash invulnerability or a parry tool, but those unlock late or via specific weapons. Early on, I often stood at a safe distance, jumping along the walls to avoid damage. On Easy mode, though, you can tank through most encounters without much worry. Exploring feels great, but lacking a minimap made me open the big map constantly. You’ll spend money on teleport potions if you don’t want endless trips across the map. That design decision bugged me when I just wanted to dive into side quests.
Story and Characters
Afterimage casts you as a survivor unraveling a shattered world’s mysteries. The premise is compelling: magic-drained kingdoms, lost kin, and a haunting artifact named the Afterimage. Unfortunately, the English translation stumbles. One player called it “the worst translation I’ve ever read,” and I can’t wholly disagree. Dialog often reads awkwardly, sapping narrative momentum. If you want story beats, you’ll piece them together between odd phrasing and vague character exchanges. Still, I enjoyed the overall tone: a blend of melancholy and hope that echoes through ruined temples and overgrown towers.
Visuals and Graphics
This is the game’s crowning glory. Every scene looks hand-painted. Background layers scroll with subtle parallax, giving depth to caverns and castles. Character sprites animate smoothly, from a somersaulting kick to a charging dash. I paused often just to admire the lighting and environmental details—moss on stone arches, debris drifting in ruins, flickering lanterns in dark hallways. If you’re here for gorgeous 2D art, Afterimage will delight your eyes.
Sound and Music
Afterimage’s soundtrack sets a moody, adventurous tone. Drums pound during boss battles, while ambient strings and woodwinds soothe exploration segments. Sound effects land with satisfying weight: a sword strike thuds, a magic burst crackles. I didn’t notice voiced lines, so the translation text carries the story. Still, the musical score elevates key moments, letting you feel tension before a big fight or serenity while scaling a mossy cliff.
Difficulty and Replayability
Difficulty feels uneven. On Easy, you breeze through riding aerial combos. On Normal or higher, some bosses demand precise timing or a build that grants invulnerability frames. One reviewer warned that without dash invulnerability or a parry, you’ll resort to wall-jumping as a dodge. That’s true if you duel early bosses without unlocking those tools.
Backtracking also bites into replay value. The world map branches in four directions at each node but costs resources to revisit. Completionists will farm random enemies for hours to afford teleport potions and rare upgrades. I respect games that demand mastery, but Afterimage sometimes saps enjoyment with forced grinds.
Still, the variety of weapon builds and hidden artifacts lure me back. I want to perfect a glaive-only run or chase that last artifact to see concept art and lore. If you adore exploration and don’t mind resource management quirks, there’s replay value here.
Trivia and Behind the Scenes
Afterimage’s art team includes former Riot Games animators, lending those fluid, expressive sprites. The team spent two years on development, polishing over 100 unique hand-drawn backgrounds. Aurogon Shanghai tapped Unity’s 2D toolset and custom shaders to achieve dynamic lighting. Maximum Entertainment’s global release rolled out in April 2023, and despite a few post-launch tweaks—like weapon balance patches—the core vision remains intact.
Final Thoughts
Afterimage offers a stunning world and rewarding combat, but it clings to some old-school Metroidvania pains. If you crave a cozy, wine-by-candlelit exploration or hate constant backtracking fees, you may feel frustrated. Yet the gorgeous art, awesome soundtrack, and build diversity hold strong appeal for genre fans. For casual players, I recommend Easy mode to soak up the sights without the relentless boss gauntlet.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
This title dazzles with gorgeous hand-drawn visuals and a fluid, varied combat and movement system that keeps every encounter fresh, all set to an atmospheric soundtrack and immersive sound effects. However, an awkward English translation and the lack of key quality-of-life features—such as a minimap and affordable fast travel—can hinder exploration, while uneven difficulty spikes and grindy quest design may frustrate some players. Despite these drawbacks, the game’s striking art style and dynamic gameplay deliver a memorable experience for fans of visually stunning, action-oriented adventures.
If you love exploring detailed 2D worlds and mastering fast combat, give Afterimage a try. Just manage your teleport potions wisely, and don’t expect perfect story clarity. Until next time, happy gaming!
