Death's Gambit: Afterlife

1. rustyhe

   Oct 13, 2021

   10

   They really turned a flawed gem into a masterpiece. Do not pay attention to old reviews of the 2018 release, Afterlife here is such aThey really turned a flawed gem into a masterpiece. Do not pay attention to old reviews of the 2018 release, Afterlife here is such a massively improved experience. One of my biggest complaints was the lack of weapons and this literally tripled the amount of weapons. Stamina felt way better handled here too. Pick this up!… Expand

   • 3 of 4 users found this helpful
2. pachaci

   Nov 10, 2022

   10

   It is literally the game in my dreams . A harmony of the souls like and rogue like genres. Musics are awesome and the atmosphere is so calmingIt is literally the game in my dreams . A harmony of the souls like and rogue like genres. Musics are awesome and the atmosphere is so calming but when it comes to boss fights, you feel the intensity. Story is good and story telling is perfect and voice actors are good. Also it is one of the most looking games with pixel arts in my opinion.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. Ashurbanipal

   Oct 8, 2021

   10

   I was hesitant to purchase this game initially; I had a few memories of the original release, and what I remembered was janky, buggy, andI was hesitant to purchase this game initially; I had a few memories of the original release, and what I remembered was janky, buggy, and poorly paced in places, not living up to the hype I had. So I did what most people do: I played the game without buying it, fully intending to get a bit of fun out of it and toss it aside. Maybe some of you have similar memories of the original, with all its myriad flaws. Maybe you're hesitant like I was.
   
   I've since purchased the game. I can think of no higher praise; after having gotten my enjoyment and beaten it, I nevertheless was so charmed by the experience I went, bought a legitimate copy, and have sunk many hours into this copy experimenting with new characters, new builds, and new challenges.
   
   With that in mind, understand the sincerity of the following review:
   
   Death's Gambit: Afterlife is a glowing example of what happens when a passion project finally has the technical skill to realize its ambitions. This is what the game always should have been: it has a large world of beautifully crafted pixels, with fluid animations and satisfying visceral impacts on many of the skills. The weapons are ornate and intimidating, and the enemies are lovingly detailed. Each of the game's many bosses is a joy to behold, always accompanied by the swelling sound of a well-done and memorable soundtrack. On a purely aesthetic level, this is a sterling leader in the field of indie Metroidvanias, standing as a peer with the haunting religious horror of Blasphemous or the subterranean and alien wonder of Hollow Knight.
   
   The gameplay is a much-polished improvement on its predecessor, focused on quick defenses and well-timed counterattacks, bolstered by solid boss telegraphing and a wide toolbox of abilities, talents, and unique weapon types. Mobility upgrades come at a reasonable pace, and the fluidity of action when you've fully realized your character's potential makes traversing the connected maps an engaging experience in its own right. This is made all the better with the numerous upgrades, resources, and secrets found by exploring the map and combining your mobility options in intelligent ways, revealing entirely new sections of previously traveled areas replete with enemies, treasure, and mysteries.
   
   The game has its flaws, despite my score, but I nevertheless state firmly it's the correct score. Afterlife is more than the sum of its competent parts: it is a testament to the potential of the team that created it, a proof-of-concept for the notion that they can bring their visions into reality and overcome even the burden of an initially under-cooked release. They're active with the community, communicative, and quick on the bugfixes and balance patches, with a clear love of the work they've done. That's the sort of attitude we should be rewarding in the indie scene; it's okay if you mess up, provided you dust yourself off and keep going. It was a long way coming to Afterlife, and it was worth the wait.
   
   You might notice I didn't touch on the story at all. That's deliberate. Other reviews will do so, and it's better experienced for yourself, anyway. It's good, and one of the benefits of the lavish art design is the potential for environmental storytelling it enables. I've been piecing together story details told by backgrounds, enemy placements, items and more, and enjoying every second.
   
   Buy the game. Tell your friends about it. These guys did what we want developers to do: they fixed it.… Expand

   • 19 of 25 users found this helpful
5. indeegames

   Oct 10, 2021

   10

   Absolutely adored this. It's very hard but after I got used to it I had a really good time. Not many games make you want to keep trying overAbsolutely adored this. It's very hard but after I got used to it I had a really good time. Not many games make you want to keep trying over and over when you fail like super meat boy, this game accomplishes that. Very addictive.… Expand

   • 6 of 11 users found this helpful
6. supersaiyan99

   Oct 8, 2021

   10

   Wonderful metroidvania with many hours of gameplay and lots of customization. I've played the original release awhile back and enjoyed it, andWonderful metroidvania with many hours of gameplay and lots of customization. I've played the original release awhile back and enjoyed it, and I can honestly say that this new update improves on the original in every way possible - more areas to explore, more weapons, more bosses. I'm drawn to pixel art and they've done an absolutely fantastic job with the art direction. Each environment is beautifully rendered and the top notch soundtrack adds to the atmosphere. I'm very critical when it comes to combat in metroidvanias. If not done well, the whole experience can be ruined, but I can say that they totally nailed it here - combat feels satisfying and a lot of minor fixes and updates since the original results in smooth, flowing combat.
   
   Also big kudos to the devs for listening to all of us these past few years with our feedback after the original. I'm nearing the end of the game, at least from what I think, but I'm going to replay again with a different class, still exploring the entire overworld. Certainly a title to stand among the other big players in the genre (Hollow Knight, Salt and Sanctuary)… Expand

   • 14 of 16 users found this helpful
7. TheShelow

   Oct 8, 2021

   10

   Juego totalmente recomendable, lo jugue en su versión base sin la expansión de forma pirata...
   
   Desde el primer momento vi el potencial deJuego totalmente recomendable, lo jugue en su versión base sin la expansión de forma pirata...
   
   Desde el primer momento vi el potencial de este juego, y me gusto tanto que para apoyar a los creadores opte por comprar el juego con su expansión. La expansión por su parte, lo mejora de una forma que nadie se esperaba, todo lo que hacia falta en su momento, lo han mejorado...
   
   No tengo nada más que decir, disfruten del juego y hagan muchas runs si quieren exprimir al máximo esta experiencia y sacar todos los finales posibles (junto a sus logros) ;).… Expand

   • 16 of 19 users found this helpful
8. Zer0TheHer0

   Oct 28, 2021

   0

   Recap 'cause I don't wanna write it all again: Controls are terrible. Rebinding is terrible. Unplayable. This is an insult to PC players.

   • 4 of 13 users found this helpful

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