Translated by
Microsoft from French
Microsoft from French
After death is a very good Metroidvania who, in my opinion, deserves to be better known. Just at the trailer, I think you will have noticed the big influence 16 bits of the game, especially the music and the sounds that make very MegaDrive! It is precisely for this reason that from time to time I found myself thinking of Splatterhouse 2 or CHAKAN, some examples of MegaDrive games that have a tone as dark as after death.
The game is available in English and French only. Namely that only the dialogues are in French; the messages and the interface of the game remain in English. In addition, the language can only be changed during the game: only the graphical options are available in the main menu.
One embodies a skeleton that wakes up in a hostile world that is crawling with monsters of all kinds, without knowing where it is or even who it is. With the help of the lost souls, he seeks to open the portal which may well be his only exit ticket.
I found the story rather nice, it is told in a way to the least original. It's hard to talk about it without a spoiler, because from the beginning of the game, the player knows as much as his protagonist: nothing. We have to wait until the very end so that the whole truth is revealed to us.
Gameplay level, we find ourselves facing a traditional Metroidvania. There are no levels or stats, but there will be upgrades to find in some places to improve the character's power and increase his life and mana. I find that the way the magic of ice and fire were exploited in relation to the water is interesting: once the two magic unlocked, it will sometimes be necessary to alter between the two to freeze or melt the water to be able to pass.
The bosses are really nice to face! None of the bosses can be beaten by mere bourrinage, and in addition, even if their pattern is rather simple to understand in General, it does not make them less formidable. Once you understand their pattern, you still have to have a good offensive strategy to retaliate without getting hurt.
I think I've died a good dozen times; It is a game that will offer you a well-dosed challenge, without being incredibly difficult. There is just one boss or two who have disappointed me a little, because I found them a little too easy.
The game encourages exploration, it seems obvious. You should not hesitate to take a turn in the areas already explored when you unlock a new skill. I hadn't done that during the first third of the game, then when I got there, I got three upgrades for life, two upgrades for mana and an upgrade for the character's claw.
Graphically, it's 16 bits pure juice! There are some enemies or bosses that impressed me in their design: they are gigantic, and very well made! For me, the graphic paw of the game contributes a lot to create the dark atmosphere of the game. There is a built-in CRT filter, you can remove it if you want. I, for once, I left it: I thought it made better with ^^ at the sound level, it was pleasing to my little ears. The music will sometimes be 100% MegaDrive, and sometimes a mixture between MegaDrive and orchestral style very well made by Mr. Francisco Cerda. A pretty little OST provided for a Metroidvania (a small fortnight), but which I liked every music:)
It's a detail, but I love the sound of water. Without exaggeration, it made me adore the aquatic level of this game, in addition to its musical theme which is probably my favorite music of this game!
There are two purposes in this game. For now, I've only had the normal ending, in about 8 hours. The other end involves more exploration in order to find the secrets of the game ^^ basically, after death is a Metroidvania that will appeal to retro players, amateurs of the genre and those who seek a little challenge. A game that I would certainly do, and that would need a spotlight to have the popularity it deserves.