After giving this a lot of thought, I can say that this game is a piece of ♥♥♥♥.
I got into it, liked the SNES vibes (couldn't afford one as a kid so this was cool to me), but I was kinda repulsed by the lame character and bargain bin dialog boxes. I was about to process my return when the music and animated backgrounds hit me. WOW; I was pulled in by that, and the boss fights are great too.
Here are the problems: character animation sucks, you're limited to ONE straight punch as your attack unless you spam magic (you can't), and the hit boxes are kinda funky- like, you can't hit them before they hit you. I love 'Blasphemous' and thought this would be a nice new backdrop. But with the stiff and limited controls, I can't possibly recommend it.
Lots of good stuff in here (e.g.: atmosphere), but too much broken gameplay to counteract it.
Its too late to return it, but I'd like to express my disappointment with a game that had so much gothic beauty and potential, just to drop the ball on lazy game design, feel, and general assness. What a waste of a cool idea.

I found this game purely by accident and was pleasantly surprised by it. After Death is a fantastic metroidvania harking back to the classic 2D Castlevania titles from the 16-bit era, even down to the way the main character walks. The game looks and feels like a true Sega Genesis game, the aesthetic is fantastic, the soundtrack is awesome, and the pixel art is gorgeous. In typical metroidvania fashion the player has to traverse a 2D map looking for upgrades and new abilities that unlock more regions of the map. Save rooms and warp rooms allowing fast-travel are scattered through the map making navigation and backtracking easier. The many regions have very distinct designs and color palettes, they are easily recognizable and are a joy to explore, which can't be said of all games in the genre. The game starts quite linear but opens up in the second half once enough special moves have been acquired. Speaking of abilities, the most noteworthy of them are the skills to freeze/unfreeze water, required to solve traversal puzzles involving bodies of water at several points in the game, these are very well done and are never annoying. The controls are tight and responsive and enemies are varied in design and attack patterns providing a decent challenge. I'd say the difficulty is adequate, it's not frustrating but it isn't a cakewalk either. Some bosses, specially the last ones, can be quite difficult and require precision, patience, and memorization of attack patterns. The beginning of the game is harder as the main attack has a short range and most enemies require multiple hits, not to mention some of them are small and hard to hit, but once a few upgrades are acquired it becomes much more manageable and by the end of the game the main character is basically unstoppable. The story is about a nameless skeleton trying to escape from a hellish place full of hostile monsters. The skeleton will meet several lost souls providing clues and insight about how to proceed. It is simple at first but it is deeper than it sounds and it becomes very intriguing as one progresses through the game. It has two endings as far as I know but one of them can be a little cryptic to obtain, in either case both endings are fantastic and wrap up the story beautifully. I can't say enough good things about After Death, I had a blast playing it and loved it from start to finish. Definitely recommended to all metroidvania fans.

All-in-all, worth playing.

A surprisingly enjoyable Metroidvania, and something that feels like the most genuine tribute to Castlevania IV. At first the character movement felt too slow, and artwork felt pretty cheap, but once you get into the groove, the game has a remarkably enjoyable pace. Pretty linear for the first half, but it really opens up in the second. Some of the enemies begin to feel very similar after awhile, and I wouldn't try to 100% without a guide (or even recommend that it's worth it), but definitely a game worth getting on sale, or if you're hard up for a new MV adventure.

Also the music ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ slaps in this game, holy crap.

It's similar to Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, but with a skeleton. Great find for Metroidvania enjoyers.

The strongest aspect of After Death is the visual art, but I still recommend it for the gameplay. Just know that it is a bit basic.

Pros: visuals, level design, some of the songs, not too short;

Could be improved: some of the songs don't fit; the map is not very clear about unexplored areas, and it is not possible to leave notes on the map; some difficulty spikes, specially one particular boss; enemy design is a bit lacking and repetitive; the character is a bit too stiff, and a swing attack would be very good; lots of backtracking and walking.

If you're a metroidvania addict and you are itching for the numberless games that have been announced but god knows when they will ever come out, this game is a good way to scratch that itch for a little while. Nothing exceptional and a bit short, but expet for longevity, it implements well the mechanics of the genre.

this game is absolutely amazing. it kinda reminds me of blasphemous, with how amazing the soundtrack and pixel art is. I haven't finished the game yet, but i've barely been able to leave my room since I started playing it, as it's one of the most immersive games i've come across so far. the only negative things I have to say is that there's no coyote frames, no autosave, and the annoying floating skulls with tusks that are more annoying than primal aspids from hollow knight. this game is criminally underrated.

I wanted to like this game, but it has so many problems. It looks good and sounds great, but there are many design aspects that I would describe as "amateurish." Hit boxes are all over the place. You move very slowly and you get one of the most anemic dashes in any metroidvania that I've ever played. Enemies are repetitive, and the writing is very awkward.

Even with a sale, this is very meh.

---see where this game landed on my Metroidvania tier list beneath this review!---


The character moves far too slowly and it brings the game down significantly, you're constantly wading around the map at a snails pace. Getting the double jump helps to add some fluidity, but not enough.

If it weren't for that, mechanically the game is quite good. It feels like a SNES game.

The character gets some ability upgrades along the way which aren't always the overused ones you'd expect, I won't spoil them.

The music is deliciously 80's. Unfortunately, in the first half of the game it has a tendency to get repetitive and even mildly annoying. On the whole though there's so much to like about it, and some tracks manage to fully succeed: The underwater area sounds like it was taken direct from a classic 80's movie.

While the game starts out a little more challenging, It's fairly easy. About half way in it starts to get increasingly easier as you power up the character.

This is a fun 80's feeling SNES metroidvania if you don't mind the slow movement.

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My Metroidvania Tier List (excluding Metroid & Castlevania titles)
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S Tier: Aeterna Noctis | Astalon: Tears of the Earth | Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom | Hollow Knight | Cathedral |

A Tier: Doomblade | Afterimage | Elderand | Ori and the Will of the Wisps | Environmental Station Alpha | Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights | Depths of Sanity |

B Tier: Alwa’s Legacy | Steamworld Dig 2 | Islets | Blasphemous | After Death | Haak | Outbuddies DX | Mortal Manor | Escape From Tethys | Treasure Adventure Game | Chasm | Haiku, the Robot | Monster Sanctuary | Rabi-Ribi | Elliot Quest |

C Tier (enjoyed playing): Momodora: Reverie under the Moonlight | Lone Fungus | Aggelos | Iconoclasts | Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | Death’s Gambit: Afterlife | Catmaze | Omega Strike | Plague of Yamorn | Wuppo | Sheepo | Ato |

D Tier (liked some things, but had issues): Castle In The Darkness | Alwa’s Awakening | Pharaoh Rebirth | Yoku’s Island Express | Guacamelee! 2 | Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse | Shantae: Half-Genie Hero | Axiom Verge | Strider | Minoria | Souldiers | Bone Appetit | The Witch & the 66 Mushrooms | Destroy Space Aliens | La-Mulana | Guacamelee! | 8Doors | Gato Roboto | Super Panda Adventures |

E Tier (Didn’t like): Rain World | Dandara | Blaster Master Zero | Sundered | Salt & Sanctuary | Valdis Story | Dust: An Elysian Tale | Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet | Apotheon | Nyaruru Fishy Fight | Aquaria | Lootbox Lyfe | Rex Rocket | Bad Pad | B.I.O.T.A. | Shadow Complex | Chronicles of Teddy | Grime | Phoenotopia: Awakening | Timespinner |
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