Death's Gambit: Afterlife

 Switch
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 55 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 55
  3. Negative: 9 out of 55
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  1. PedroK
    Oct 1, 2021
    9
    The game have an STUNNING pixel-art, and its so smooth, the animation, the framerate, the ambients...everything is great.
    Also, this is a great action RPG, even in a 2D perspective, there's a lot of classes, status to level up in your way, weapons and habilitys.

    It's a huge recomendation for everyone !
  2. daxter1234
    Oct 29, 2021
    10
    I've already sunk 40 hours into this game. The bosses, the music, there's even an ARG component I've been following on Discord are all incredible. The true ending hits like an emotional truck and I'm going to be thinking about it for a while. Definitely one of my favorite metroidvanias.
  3. Snake257
    Oct 2, 2021
    10
    Aboutsolutely BEAUTIFUL. This game is such a joy to play. The artwork in this game is nothing short of amazing. Colorful and full of life , yet dark and depressing atmosphere. The combat is crisp and fun, skill tree is fleshed out and rewarding, progression system is more than functional. There are certain games that you pick up when you aren't sure if you enjoy it enough to keep playingAboutsolutely BEAUTIFUL. This game is such a joy to play. The artwork in this game is nothing short of amazing. Colorful and full of life , yet dark and depressing atmosphere. The combat is crisp and fun, skill tree is fleshed out and rewarding, progression system is more than functional. There are certain games that you pick up when you aren't sure if you enjoy it enough to keep playing it, but you better believe that this is not one of those times. Highly recommend!… Expand
  4. lecastlevania
    Oct 8, 2021
    10
    Why is the user score so low? This is literally the best game I’ve played in years. If you like castlevania style games you need to buy this game right now!
  5. Florpldorp
    Oct 8, 2021
    10
    They took a solid/good game in the base Death's Gambit and improved everything. The story is much more compelling now, and most of the gameplay systems have seen some kind of polishing/tuning/rebuilding. Truly a great metroidvania. Fun combat, tons of secrets to find, multiple endings, multiple classes. This will keep you busy for a while, and you'll have a blast the whole time. And all ofThey took a solid/good game in the base Death's Gambit and improved everything. The story is much more compelling now, and most of the gameplay systems have seen some kind of polishing/tuning/rebuilding. Truly a great metroidvania. Fun combat, tons of secrets to find, multiple endings, multiple classes. This will keep you busy for a while, and you'll have a blast the whole time. And all of those improvements from over 2 years of work as a totally free patch to existing users? Wow! Get it, you won't regret it.… Expand
  6. Scaryman
    Oct 8, 2021
    9
    While the original Death’s Gambit was a good game Afterlife truly elevates it to being a great one. A beautiful world with a lot of secrets, and some very cool boss fights. The only disappointing aspect is there isn’t more synergy between class trees. Other than that if you enjoy Metroidvania style games this is another must play.

    The Switch version is also generally fantastic    While the original Death’s Gambit was a good game Afterlife truly elevates it to being a great one. A beautiful world with a lot of secrets, and some very cool boss fights. The only disappointing aspect is there isn’t more synergy between class trees. Other than that if you enjoy Metroidvania style games this is another must play.

    The Switch version is also generally fantastic performance wise, which is usually a concern regardless of how demanding a game is.    … Expand
  7. Felix1016
    Oct 10, 2021
    10
    I can’t believe this game isn’t more popular. literally one of the best games I’ve ever played. Highly recommend.
  8. 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 over and over when you fail like super meat boy, this game accomplishes that. Very addictive.
  9. Tamold
    Oct 10, 2021
    10
    As soon as I saw Death cooking food in the sewers I knew this would be a very special game. Kudos to the devs for spending so much time perfecting this masterpiece.
  10. NDlevel34
    Oct 8, 2021
    10
    This game was a hidden gem that caught my attention! Though I was expecting a mediocre experience, I got caught by surprises with one of the best metroidvanias I have ever played! Fluid movement, awesome pacing, multiple endings and classes to play, and to top it all, a beautiful and thoughtful story! 10/10 game! Must play for any metroidvania, 2D, souls like fan.
  11. solarflare2010
    Oct 8, 2021
    10
    I had such a blast playing this. If you like hollow knight or metroid, or dark souls, please check this game out. This is how you do it folks!
  12. Szwechu
    Oct 23, 2021
    0
    the game has bugs that prevent me from completing the game, I bought it before the premiere and until now I can not defeat the boss because after 10 seconds a fatal error pops up.
  13. ztunzeed
    Oct 13, 2021
    10
    Had never heard of this game. Loved it so I ending up making a character of every class. Pretty fun, lots of replayability.
  14. RanHammer
    Oct 9, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've been looking for a game to scratch the Symphony of the Night itch for a long time. I've tried almost everything out there on Switch, but none of it really hits the right notes. Death's Gambit Afterlife, while not precisely the same, is the closest thing I've had to the eureka moments of SoTN.

    DGA is very much it's own game. It is much more difficult than SoTN, has more variety in movesets, and is a deeper game overall. It retains all of the same joy of discovery and mystery. An incredible game for any Metroidvania fan.    … Expand
  15. crimsonwind
    Oct 10, 2021
    10
    Hearing Matt Mercer as Death already made this game amazing but its much more than just that. The combat is tight and responsive, the bosses are creative, the story blew me away. Get this game!

    PS. I didn't know Death was such a good cook.
  16. Raizen244
    Oct 10, 2021
    10
    Played the original, but it feels way more at home on handheld. Movement is super fluid and the combat is really satisfying. Heroic fights can be a little hit or miss, but when it works it gives you that same high from beating Dark Souls.
  17. ferglypergly
    Oct 10, 2021
    10
    If you play this make sure you get the true ending, literally had me crying. White Rabbit, you did it!
  18. spindle
    Oct 29, 2021
    10
    After playing the original dark souls I'm usually looking for games to satisfy my souls-itch. Death's Gambit Afterlife totally did, was a fun time.

    Its a very hard game and I wouldn't have it any other way.
  19. 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 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!
  20. Sunshadow87
    Aug 14, 2022
    8
    Un realmente buen metroidvania con un focus muy importante en su ambientación y dificultad. Cabe resaltar esto último, ya que es lo que puede echar para atrás a más jugadores. El juego no es fácil, tiene auto-saves continuos y tus decisiones importan. Hay partes del juego que no se pueden desbloquear sin una guía (especialmente el secret boss, que al parecer la compañía publico acertijosUn realmente buen metroidvania con un focus muy importante en su ambientación y dificultad. Cabe resaltar esto último, ya que es lo que puede echar para atrás a más jugadores. El juego no es fácil, tiene auto-saves continuos y tus decisiones importan. Hay partes del juego que no se pueden desbloquear sin una guía (especialmente el secret boss, que al parecer la compañía publico acertijos en la vida real para que la comunidad acabara desbloqueandolo, pero también el final verdadero es bastante críptico). Además, morir demasiado puede bloquearte el final verdadero, y el hecho de tener que acabar con versiones difíciles de los bosses es algo que puede hacerte subir el número de muertes fácilmente (en realidad hay bastante más manga ancha de lo que parece, puedes morir más de 200 veces y seguir desbloqueandolo, pero mentalmente te impone una cierta medida de estres que va mucho con la ambientación del juego).

    Como juega contigo la historia es también algo encomiable, teniendo una excelente narrativa de completar el juego, aunque al comienzo pueda no parecerlo.

    La ambientación y el estilo artistico también son excelentes, sin embargo, aquí tengo uno de los puntos negativos del juego. El juego tiene una ambientación muy oscura, sin embargo, a diferencia de otros juegos no permite ajustar el contraste. Mi TV (no jugue en portatil) esta situada en un lugar donde tiene bastante reflejo... al sumar los dos acabe jugando por escenarios que directamente no veía en básicamente todos aquellos que discurren subterráneamente a la superficie del mapeado (no solo en el escenario que es a propósito extremadamente oscuro). No solo eso, si no que al abrir el menú y mirar el mapa, había zonas que era incapaz de ver al estar marcadas en tonos oscuros tales como rojos muy apagados y similares... Creo que incluir, igual que hacen practicamente todos los juegos de terror, una opción al comienzo para ajustar esto es algo necesario con cualquier juego que tenga este tipo de ambientación y un gran fallo con una muy fácil solución... (si puedo modificar los ajustes de la TV, ¿pero en serio eso es una facilidad para el usuario?)    … Expand
  21. matt1184
    Sep 3, 2022
    0
    This game is crap. Don't bother. It is clunky, unintuitive, and annoying. Don't bother with this game.
  22. NGMAN1987
    Dec 13, 2021
    8
    If you’re a fan of Dark Souls and Metroidvanias, I guarantee you’ll dig this game. I can tell a lot of effort went into its revival and it deserves the recognition. It’s not the greatest metroidvania but it’s a very good 2D Soulslike. Big boss fights!
  23. Rogerbrown
    Oct 29, 2021
    10
    As soon as I saw Vrael I fell in love with… This game. Anyways, its a good soulslike
  24. NindieSpotlight
    Dec 17, 2021
    8
    Beneath the veneer of this very attractive side-scrolling Metroidvania-ish action RPG beats the heart of ambition… though in measuring the results you could argue the degree of success may vary. Right from the get-go the good and bad of the depth of the combat systems presents itself with more than a handful of classes you’ll be able to work with. While you can see some general info onBeneath the veneer of this very attractive side-scrolling Metroidvania-ish action RPG beats the heart of ambition… though in measuring the results you could argue the degree of success may vary. Right from the get-go the good and bad of the depth of the combat systems presents itself with more than a handful of classes you’ll be able to work with. While you can see some general info on them and do a sort of mini test drive with them this is both great (since it opens the door to multiple playthroughs and tastes in combat) and a bit too much too soon as you have yet to really get a feel for the mechanics of the game that will be paired with it. I think that the thread of the developer working so hard to provide for player choice and variety is woven throughout and how people will respond to that may vary wildly. For the hard core set it will likely be a godsend, and when paired with the generally challenging (please, I hate calling things Souls-like, I usually consider that a bad sign when in marketing material) combat everything will come up roses. For people who were hoping more for a well-structured Metroidvania with rock solid combat, mechanics, and a satisfying and well-defined upgrade path… it can all seem to be a bit much. Whether the game is for you likely rests on that central question. It looks great, is challenging, and while I wouldn’t consider its mechanics “perfect” they’re better than the average… but depending on the investment you want to put into needing to hone your character and experiment there may be less overwhelming options out there that will be a better fit.

    https://www.nindiespotlight.com/2021/10/mini-reviews-october-5th-edition.html    … Expand
  25. Xilo36
    Jan 10, 2022
    6
    Deaths Gambit Afterlife might need a bit more polishing. I normally don't write reviews but this one bothered me a bit because i think it could be a great game. I can appreciate all the hard work the devs put into this game but I feel there are a few things lacking and hindering the game from truly being great. The visuals, music, and unique boss fights are nice. The gameplay and animationDeaths Gambit Afterlife might need a bit more polishing. I normally don't write reviews but this one bothered me a bit because i think it could be a great game. I can appreciate all the hard work the devs put into this game but I feel there are a few things lacking and hindering the game from truly being great. The visuals, music, and unique boss fights are nice. The gameplay and animation on the other hand feel a bit clunky and stiff at times. The double jump and dash are fluid but the doge and parry need some adjusting. Enemy placement and level design can be a hit or miss. I tend to fall in and out of the emersion in certain areas of the game. The attacks feel like there isn't any weight behind them especially the parry. I like the customization but their is too much thrown at me in the beginning of the game and its overwhelming when you first start out. I really wanted to put this game up there with some of my top metrovania games but in comparison its not quite there yet. With that said their is potential here and I commend the devs for that.… Expand
  26. Avey123Avey
    Apr 5, 2023
    6
    A competent metroidvania with a good mix of levels and satisfying combat trials. The game looks gorgeous and has a beautiful soundtrack. The rpg elements on the other hand are subpar, there's a decent amount of customization but I can't help but wish the game opted for a less restrictive system that would allow you to use all of the abilities and weapons for more experimentation. As it isA competent metroidvania with a good mix of levels and satisfying combat trials. The game looks gorgeous and has a beautiful soundtrack. The rpg elements on the other hand are subpar, there's a decent amount of customization but I can't help but wish the game opted for a less restrictive system that would allow you to use all of the abilities and weapons for more experimentation. As it is with the leveling system and upgrade system you're likely to stick by the playstyle you set out for yourself in the opening hour.
    Still the game is worth picking up if you are a fan of this genre as it is most definitely a quality experience and the afterlife update and dlc does even more to refine and tighten the experience, even if the newly introduced story elements miss the mark and dilute the impact of the original games ending.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

100
#100 Best Switch Game of 2021
41
#41 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Nintenderos
    Apr 6, 2022
    80
    A game with a beautiful dark pixel art aesthetic. With different classes to arrange your style of play. It fails in certain combat mechanics, such as dodging.
    Read full review
  2. Cubed3
    Dec 10, 2021
    60
    In terms of content, Death's Gambit justifies a purchase, especially now with Death's Gambit: Afterlife, and the new stuff that it has added, along with some refining here and there. Having said that, this is probably a big, nicely designed, fun… ok. It's an ok blend of the exploration found in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, served along a combat philosophy, and an overall vibe that takes its cue from Dark Souls. Nothing is bad, but nothing is great either. Ok. Fans of either "genres" can find better metroidvania/soulslike cocktails nowadays.
    Read full review
  3. Switch Player
    Oct 29, 2021
    80
    White Rabbit should be commended for the approach to Death’s Gambit: Afterlife. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, a fantastic Souls-like Metroidvania has been born. It deserves to be played for this alone, but thankfully it stands on its own merits too.
    Read full review
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