Afterimage

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 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.

Afterimage‘s loading times are the far more egregious offender in this Metroidvania than any tiny text. This may change with a patch, but it would take over a minute to reach the title screen. I thought it was broken initially, to be honest. I recommend starting the game, going to get yourself something to drink, and perhaps it will be ready to go when you get back. The in-game loading isn’t as bad, but you’ll stare at a black screen for a time when you go into some buildings at certain villages or occasional other places.

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 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.

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.