Afterimage

Afterimage is a pretty good metroidvania. If you are able to resist its high difficulty peaks, you will find a game with a very nice art style and fun gameplay. However, due to some technical issues, we think there are better platforms to enjoy the game on other than Nintendo Switch.

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 is a gorgeous looking Metroidvania that wraps itself around its players with an enveloping plot, charismatic characters, and engaging combat system. While some of the exploration tasks can feel out of place at times and the plot takes a while to fully settle in, Afterimage is without a doubt a very welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch rich catalogue of Metroidvania games, and one that can stand proudly next to its peers.

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.

Afterimage is in that zone where nothing is outright horrible about it, but it’s just a little boring and plain. The strongest points in its favor come from just how much of it there is and the great art design. Add in some generally poor image quality, some clumsy interface choices, and the aforementioned lengthy loads and you end up with a game that is a little tough to enthusiastically recommend. This might be worth investigating on another platform if you’re a Metroidvania die-hard, but this Switch version isn’t the game at its best.