Death's Gambit: Afterlife - Two Minute Review!
(Free from Epic games Aug 15th to Aug 22nd 2024)
Title: Death's Gambit: Afterlife
Summary: A contract binds you to Death who seeks to eradicate immortality. Will you do his bidding and restore the natural order, or succumb to its power in this hardcore 2D action RPG? The promise of immortality lies at the heart of Siradon. As Death's right hand, challenge the undying guardians of the realm and endure the eternal struggle to purge their souls. Death's Gambit: Afterlife is the new and expanded edition of the original hardcore 2D RPG action platformer. Master the precise combat, utilizing a wide variety of weapons and abilities to confront the horrors that lurk within Siradon. Explore a mysterious and unforgiving world and uncover the true price of immortality. Afterlife offers players a wealth of new content to experience on top of the original game, including 10 new levels, over 30 weapons, 5 new bosses, mechanical overhauls, and more. Your choices will affect the epic finale to Sorun's tale.
Release Date: 2018
Rating: Rated T for Teen
Developer: White Rabbit Interactive
Publisher: Serenity Forge
Platforms: Switch, PC, PS4, Series S/X, Xbox One
Genres: Metroidvania
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Death's Gambit is a 2018 2D Metroidvania game, with a focus on challenging skill-based boss fights. The 2022 Afterlife revision significantly enhances the original, offering numerous improvements, and a more polished experience. The game features an intriguing story, sprinkled with charm and humour, set in a dark fantasy world where players must navigate 20 different areas over roughly 14 hours of gameplay.
Players choose from several classes, each with distinct strengths and perks. Combat uses a variety of projectiles and short to medium-range weapons, each with its own trade-offs. Skilful blocking and parrying make a BIG difference. Special abilities require soul energy, which is earned through attacks BUT diminishes over time. The death system is forgiving, as players only drop a reusable healing item upon death, which they can later reclaim.
While the content is impressive for an indie title, the game is not without its frustrations. Limited fast travel and shortcuts lead to excessive backtracking, and artificially extend the game's length. The difficulty can be punishing, with unpredictable attacks, hectic combat, and regular enemies that can hit harder than bosses, and frustratingly they respawn. The skill trees and progression are underwhelming, mostly offering percentage-based bonuses, and many abilities are tied to specific weapon types. Additionally, as different weapon types require specking into different traits, and the same currency is used for levelling up as well as purchases, the game really discourages experimenting with builds.
Overall; Afterlife remains somewhat rough in places, and fails to introduce anything particularly novel to the genre. Still, however, it is a very good Metroidvania game that offers a rewarding experience for players wanting a challenge. Just be sure you're ok with a lot of deaths and rematches, or you may end up with another good but unfinished game in your collection.