It surprises me that Metroidvania as a genre has become so prominent in the gaming world, because whether you love it or hate it, the concept is here to stay and shows no signs of slowing down. The number of new games in the genre is steadily growing, and Afterimage from Aurogon Shanghai is the latest in a series of Metroid clones to brighten up the world. The big question now is whether the game offers something new and unique, or whether it’s just a tried and true formula hidden behind a fresh coat of paint.
In Afterimage, you play Renee, a young girl who has lost all her memory, which can only be regained by exploring the magical world of the Engadine. Of course, the place is filled with all sorts of debris and natural obstacles, all of which have to be overcome in order for Renee to finally piece together her fragmented backdrop. The journey is long, and the ruins of the Engadine kingdom are expansive to say the least, with plenty of unique areas and challenges, as expected and part of the genre.
To illustrate her on the go, Renee has a simple sword, which of course can be swapped out and upgraded to various other weapons if the player so desires. Each weapon also offers its own unique challenges and combos to master, and there’s a wide variety of weapons, from swift whips to slow, heavy broadswords. Plus, there’s the chance to equip secondary weapons that allow Renee to cast spells, which further adds to the game’s combat variety.
In fact, the combinations and possibilities offered in Afterimage’s gear system are the most comprehensive I’ve ever experienced in a Metroid game. This, combined with its solid progression system of unlockable abilities, gives Afterimage an almost terrifying variety. But it’s also a little too good to be true, and the breadth of options can be daunting, especially for those who aren’t well-versed in the genre and might even choose Afterimage as their first Metroid.
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On a visual level, Afterimage is a bit of a mixed bag, which seems like an odd statement considering how stunningly beautiful many of the game’s stills actually are. Of course, the game occasionally has a very impressive, crisp, consistent image with an almost pastel-colored, hand-drawn aesthetic. It’s crisp, clean, and clear, but also very flat. It lacked depth and texture, but more importantly, I felt a strong disconnect between moving objects and the rest of the world.
Afterimage is spreading. This is a game that wanted so much but stumbled on its own ambitions. The impressive array of power-ups, abilities, and weapons is filled with pointless filler. The pacing of the narrative is questionable, with quite a bit of exploration and text locked behind what players must discover for themselves in the world. Additionally, many weapons and attacks are affected by dubious hitboxes that can cause considerable frustration at the most critical moment. In the end, the game’s overall narrative leaves a lot to be desired and feels completely unfinished.
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For hardcore fans, there’s a lot to love about Aurogon Shanghai’s Kickstarter success. Its sprawling world is full of secrets and upgrades, and its massive arsenal of equipment and abilities gives Renee a surprisingly personal touch, and a world that’s sometimes bewitchingly beautiful. In fact, Afterimage is probably the right game for any veteran of the genre, and someone yearning for a game that takes all the clichés and actually runs with them. Metroid, with everything extra.
But also can’t escape the sense that the game feels straight up unfinished, incomplete, and unpolished as of this writing. There is no sense of finesse or detail, and the production seems guided by the mantra of “the more the merrier”. Because yes, there is indeed more and more, but at what cost? I’d love to see Afterimage sit in the oven for at least another six months before releasing it to the world, and my advice is to wait and see what the developers decide to do with the title. Because clearly more work is needed here to really do the game’s potential justice and bring it to the finish line.
